High-quality, professional-grade musical equipment provider iCON Pro Audio is proud to announce availability of its QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station and QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station — namely, next-generation versions of its full-featured, eight-channel universal control surface (with Mackie Control and HUI emulation to support most major DAWs) and accompanying extender, which adds an additional eight channels (and allows the system to be expanded to 32 channels with three extenders).
As an all-new, next-generation version of its full-featured, eight-channel universal control surface, iCON Pro Audio’s appropriately-named QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station sports nine motorised faders — eight channel faders, plus one master fader, each 100mm in length and featuring 10-bit resolution, allowing for small and accurate adjustments during recording and mixing endeavours; eight multi-purpose push encoders, each surrounded by 11 LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) which light up to indicate relative position of rotation so users do not need to take their eyes (and ears) off the ball by glancing back at the host computer; 78 assignable buttons — including illuminated channel Rec (record), Solo, Mute, and Sel (select), as well as six illuminated (Play, Stop, Rec, Rewind, FastForward, and Loop) Transport buttons; a Jog shuttle wheel; and two External Controls connections on 1/4-inch TRS jacks for receiving (optional) SPD-01 foot pedals to activate selected functions. Furthermore, 12-segment LED level meters are provided for each channel, and a large backlit LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) shows channel names and parameter values. Additionally, a 12-segment LED display is also provided for SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) beat clock information.
iCON Pro Audio’s QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station supports Mackie Control and HUI emulation to control its user’s favourite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and comes complete with overlays for most popular DAWs, including Ableton Live, Adobe Audition, Apple Logic Pro, Avid Pro Tools, BandLab Technologies Cakewalk by BandLab (formerly Cakewalk SONAR), Bitwig Studio, Cockos REAPER, Image Line FL Studio, MAGIX Samplitude, MOTU Digital Performer, PreSonus Studio One, Propellerhead Reason, and last, but not least, Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo.
Not content with ‘universal’ DAW compatibility, iCON Pro Audio also provides proprietary iMapTM self-MIDI-mapping software for the user-defined (MIDI Learn) mode, meaning users could, for example, assign those motorised faders to control specific virtual instrument or effect plug-in functions; freely riding them while playing an orchestral strings sample library can create more realistic recorded performances and arrangements. Almost anything is possible!
Perfectly class-compliant with Windows (XP, Vista, 7/8/10), and Mac (OS X 10.10 Yosemite and older, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, macOS 10.12 Sierra, macOS 10.13 High Sierra), and featuring a high-speed USB 2.0 connection, the QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station is expandable to 32 channels using three USB 2.0 connection-equipped QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station extenders — equally class-compliant, of course.
Coinciding with the all new, next-generation QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station’s availability, the also-available QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station similarly facilitates intuitive tactile control over sessions. Set levels, fine-tune EQs and effects, record automation, punch in and out of recordings — all at a user’s fingertips. Furthermore, it is outfitted with eight motorised channel faders, eight multi-purpose push encoders, and two foot pedal connectors; again, 12-segment LED level meters are provided for each channel, and a large backlit LCD shows channel names and parameter values — replicating its QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station sibling’s eight channel strips, in other words.
Watch
iCON Pro Audio’s illuminating introductory video for its QCon Pro G2
USB-MIDI Controller Station and QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station
With a fully-expanded, 32-channel QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station and QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station system in place, perhaps owners could consider expanding its collective connectivity capabilities courtesy of iCON Pro Audio’s OneHub, providing power for four devices on a single plug while also acting as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) hub for a QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station and (up to) three QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station expanders. Either way, with or without any accompanying expanders, iCON Pro Audio’s all-new, next-generation version of its full-featured, eight-channel universal control surface surely is a flexible force to be reckoned with — which will seriously enhance anyone’s workflow, whatever their favourite DAW might be!
iCON Pro Audio’s QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station and QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station are available through the company’s growing global network of distributors (https://iconproaudio.com/distributors/), respectively priced at $549.99 USD/€499.00 EUR and $499.99 USD/€399.00 EUR.
Watch iCON Pro Audio Marketing Coordinator Nadir Omowale’s user-friendly QCon Pro G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station and QCon EX G2 USB-MIDI Controller Station setup video
Accusonus
End of the Year Sale 2018 - up to 65% off
(Starts
12th December 2018
- Ends 31st December
2018)
December
2018 - Accusonus Inc., developers of critically-acclaimed
human-friendly audio technology, are running a sale starting next
Wednesday, on the 12th of December 2018. Until the 1st of January,
Accusonus’ audio repair, beat making & drum mixing bundles and
individual plug-ins will be available at a discounted price of up to
65% off. Great discounts are also available for existing customers
looking to upgrade.
(ERA Noise
Remover, ERA Reverb Remover, ERA Plosive Remover, ERA Voice
Leveler, ERA De-Esser)
$295
$99
ERA Bundle Pro
(ERA Noise
Remover, ERA Reverb Remover, ERA Plosive Remover, ERA De-Esser,
ERA Voice Leveler, ERA D)
$594
$199
Beat Making Bundle (Regroover
Pro, Beatformer, All Regroover Packs)
$563
$199
Drum Mixing Bundle (drumatom²
+ Beatformer)
$398
$199
Accusonus’ All bundle
$1,456
$499
About Accusonus
Accusonus
builds next-generation audio repair and music creation software. We
think that audio repair should be fast, simple and accessible to
everyone. We believe that computers are ideal tools for jamming,
inspiring and creating the sound of the future. We develop our own
patented Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technology in
order to enable previously unimaginable sound processing workflows.
Accusonus consumer technology has been licensed to some of the
world’s biggest consumer media companies and is literally used by
millions of content creators every day. Accusonus is based in
Massachusetts (USA) and in Athens & Patras, Greece.
Applied Acoustics Systems announces the official release of String Studio VS-3—an all-new version of its string oscillator synthesizer for Mac OS X and Windows. String Studio VS-3 is a synthesizer in which a collection of unique string oscillators replaces the traditional VCOs, DCOs, and operators as the main sound source. Consisting of picks, bows, and hammers interacting with a modelled string, these oscillators offer a special blend of modern and creative synthesis. Augmented with a soundboard, classic filters, an enveloppe generator, a LFO, and studio-quality effects, String Studio VS-3 proposes a brand-new path in the quest for tone.
“This new version is all about adding new dimensions to the distinctive sonic signature of String Studio,” says Eric Thibeault, product designer at Applied Acoustics Systems. “String Studio VS-3 is now multitimbral. Combining two independent String Studio synthesis engines opens up a whole new world in terms of content. We’ve also added per-layer modulators that allow sound designers to make sound variations an integral part of the design process. Most importantly, a huge effort has been put into the factory library to exploit all these new possibilities. Each and every sounds were fine-tuned to provide a consistent gain-stage, unity-gain effects, better dynamics, and compelling MIDI-controlled sound transformation assignments. We’re confident that you’ll love this new iteration of String Studio.” AAS String Studio VS-3 – String Oscillator Synthesizer https://www.applied-acoustics.com/string-studio-vs-3/ The String Studio VS-3 plug-ins run on both Windows and Mac OS X in 64-bit host sequencers that support the VST2, VST3, Audio Units, AAX Native, and NKS formats.
50% Off Introductory Pricing String Studio VS-3 is available now at a suggested retail price of US$199. Upgrades for String Studio VS-1 and VS-2 registered users are priced at $79. Until January 21, 2019, everything String Studio VS-3 is offered with an introductory discount of 50% and include the newly released String Theory sound pack by sound designer Adam Pietruszko—an extra US$39 value. Introductory prices are as follows:
– The String Studio VS-3 plug-in US$99 – The String Studio VS-3 +PACKS bundle US$149 – The String Studio VS-3 Upgrade +STRING THEORY for String Studio VS-1 and VS-2 users US$39 – All String Studio VS-3 sound packs US$19
String Studio VS-3 +PACKS bundles the String Studio VS-3 plug-in, the new String Theory sound pack, and seven (7) additional sound packs.
For the time of the promotion, the String Studio VS-3 Upgrade for String Studio VS-1 and String Studio VS-2 users includes the new String Theory sound pack.
About Applied Acoustics Systems Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) was founded in 1998 and is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. As a privately-held company, it specialises in software-based synthesis tools for professional musicians and sound designers. Since releasing Tassman, the first virtual instrument based on physical modelling, AAS has come to be recognised as the industry leader in this exciting new field of synthesis.
"My favourite analogue synth is probably the VCS3, so when I heard that a company was releasing a software version I was quite cautious; today, XILS 4 is one of my favourite plug-ins! Working with it gives me the same excitement as the original hardware, plus there are lots of extra features, since it is basically two VCS3s with an interconnected sequencer. The sound is great, and it is one of the best soft synths on the market for experimenting with new ways of creating sounds!” - Jean-Michel Jarre (award-winning composer, performer, and record producer), April 2015
Audio software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of XILS 4 v1.5 — a major update to its self-styled ultimate matrix modular soft synth, effectively emulating a conceptual ‘blend’ of the legendary VCS4, a ‘dual VCS3’ analogue matrix modular synthesizer prototyped by British trailblazing entity EMS (Electronic Music Studios) back in 1969 but never commercially released, with pioneering British synthesist Tim Blake’s so-called ‘Crystal Machine’ (comprising two EMS Synthi AKS analogue matrix modular synthesizers with hard sync between their oscillators, one connected to the keyboard and the other connected to the sequencer) — with welcomed additional fanciful features including a powerful preset manager in a single window and new effects with semi-modular routing.
Historically, XILS-lab’s self-styled ultimate matrix modular soft synth creatively combines two XILS 3 soft synths; indeed, its earlier, critically-acclaimed release represents an authentic-sounding software recreation of the groundbreaking late-Sixties-vintage EMS VCS3 analogue matrix modular synthesizer, scaled up to also emulate EMS’ early-Seventies-vintage Synthi Sequencer 256, but boasting even more matrix connections than the original hardware that inspired it! In order to gain an appreciation of the sheer scope of XILS 4, understanding the origins of its smaller software sibling is in order; so let us journey, briefly, back in time, then… to 1969.
The British-built EMS VCS3 — or Electronic Music Studios Voltage Controlled Studio #3 to give it its full appellation (also affectionately known as ‘The Putney’ — after company founder Peter Zinovieff’s original pioneering electronic music studio location in the leafy London suburb — and, somewhat confusingly, ‘The Synthi’ — after its later SYNTHI VCS3 II incarnation) — made musical history upon its 1969 introduction as the first commercially portable synthesizer available anywhere in the world. Its innovative modular matrix-based patchboard dispensed with the telephone exchange-like cabling of other (much larger) modular systems in favour of making connections with (removable) coloured pins, so it could be comfortably housed in a small wooden (solid afrormosia) cabinet. Clearly distinctive in both its physics laboratory test equipment-lookalike looks and strange-sounding sound effects, the VCS3 quickly found favour with the more experimental leading lights of the day, including the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (think Dr Who), Brian Eno (with Roxy Music), Jean-Michel Jarre, and Pink Floyd, to name but a few first-generation famous users. Ultimately, thanks to Peter Zinovieff’s visionary synth wizardry, patch-building became a whole lot easier with more inputs and outputs to boot, and no more roadies (necessarily) needed!
Needless to say, time and tide waits for no man (and no synth), so technology’s inexorable march onwards inevitably saw the venerable VCS3 washed away as a wave of powerful programmable American analogue polysynths took hold, opening the technological floodgates to the tsunami of more mainstream (and affordable) digital developments that ultimately changed the course of music making forever.
Fortunately for some, what goes around often comes around; today those strange sounds are sought after again and new VCS3s are available to custom order from a former EMS employee — albeit at a premium price tag with a predictably distant delivery date; mere musical mortals, meanwhile, have XILS-lab to thank for its cost-conscious and award-winning XILS 3 soft synth successfully taking the emulated essence of the late-Sixties-vintage VCS3 and associated early-Seventies-vintage Synthi Sequencer 256, transporting them to modern-day DAW-driven workflow with all the recallable benefits that brings with it. It is little wonder that XILS 3 proved popular with both first-time buyers beginning an intriguingly in-depth journey into the wonderful world of modular synthesis and also seasoned synthesists, such as renowned sound designer Richard Devine and original VCS3 aficionado Tim Blake (Hawkwind), as well as Peter Zinovieff himself, who kindly commented, “A great step forward!”
Fast-forwarding to today, thanks to constructive conversations with both Peter Zinovieff about EMS’ fabled fusion of two VCS3s to produce the prototyped VCS4 and pioneering British synthesist Tim Blake about his so-called ‘Crystal Machine’ (comprising two EMS Synthi AKS analogue matrix modular synthesizers, with hard sync between their oscillators, one connected to the keyboard and the other connected to the sequencer), which resulted in XILS-lab’s self-styled XILS 4 ultimate matrix modular soft synth — subsequently reaping the benefits of a high-profile namecheck by French electronic music pioneer par excellence Jean-Michel Jarre as one of his favourite plug-ins, XILS 4 v1.5 takes that conceptual ‘blend’ to its current contemporary conclusion, courtesy of the New Preset Manager (NPM) being implemented alongside an additional natural-sounding reverb, new effects with semi-modular routing, second independent keyboard, and self-explanatory BAL L-R (balance between left and right synthesizer module) knob.
Needless to say, that NPM implementation is a major step forward in the evolution of XILS 4, allowing users to easily and speedily perform different tasks with welcomed visual feedback — for example, locate and load the most suitable preset in seconds via a multi-criteria search engine, save/save as presets with (user-generated) tags, batch-tag multiple selections of presets, export/import multiple selections of presets, and select view (such as showing only favourite presets or hiding unwanted presets). In adding a natural-sounding reverb to XILS 4 v1.5, XILS-lab also took the opportunity to totally revamp its Effects Block, so users can now route any effect in any order, and also choose to process only the left or right synthesizer module with any available effect; in short, while previous versions offered only one instance of fixed effect routing, now dozens of possibilities are available — adding reverb on the chorus (or vice versa) or processing the left synthesizer module with reverb and the right synthesizer module with delay and phaser, for example. Elsewhere, the second keyboard opens up XILS 4 to the possibilities of split patches or layering the two synth engines to only one part of the keyboard.
Accomplished additions apart, XILS 4’s (online-viewable) full feature list is impressive as it comes — cue 12 aliasing-free oscillators, grouped in six pairs across two synthesizer modules, with wave shaping and hard sync, plus two additional noise generators, and two (virtual) analogue multimode filters, each with non-linear and zero-delay behaviour and three different (12/18/24 dB) modes… just for starters. Simply said, those already fanciful features really represent only the tip of the inspirational iceberg, so-to-speak… just ask Jean-Michel Jarre about its pin matrix magic, for what it’s worth! With up to 1,140 simultaneous connections per patch, perhaps it is all the more understandable that he said, “… it is one of the best soft synths on the market for experimenting with new ways of creating sounds!”
XILS 4 v1.5 is available to purchase as a USB eLicenser or iLok (1 and 2 dongle hardware or software) protected plug-in at an introductory promo price of €99.00 EUR until December 10, 2018 — rising thereafter to an MSRP of €179.00 EUR — from XILS-lab here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/xils-4-p-148.html (Note that XILS 4 v1.5 is free for owners of all earlier versions of XILS 4.)
XILS 4 v1.5 can be directly downloaded as a multi-format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit soft synth and virtual effects plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.7 and later) and Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10) from here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/xils-4-p-148/download.html
FabFilter is proud to announce the availability of FabFilter Pro-Q 3, a major update to the acclaimed Pro-Q equalizer plug-in. Pro-Q 3 improves on its predecessor in every area, introducing dynamic EQ, surround support, per-band mid/side processing, and much more, while maintaining the pristine sound quality and exceptional ease of use for which Pro-Q has always been known.
Integrated dynamic EQ
Pro-Q 3 adds the ability to switch any of its 24 bands to Dynamic EQ mode, with a simple, elegant workflow: just raise or lower the Dynamic Range ring around the Gain knob to apply smooth compression or expansion to that band. An intelligent algorithm automatically chooses program-dependent attack, release, and knee settings, while the Threshold can be set automatically, according to the input signal level, or manually. And, of course, dynamic EQ bands continue to operate with perfect analog matching and support Linear Phase mode.
Surround support
Pro-Q 3 works with all major surround formats, up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2. The plug-in automatically configures itself to the multichannel format of the hosting surround track, and an intuitive selection panel enables EQ adjustment of multiple channels together.
Mid/side processing
Pro-Q has long been able to work its equalization magic on the mid or side channels in a stereo signal, as well as left and right, and this functionality becomes even more flexible with Pro-Q 3. Each individual band can now be set to process only the Mid, Side, Left, Right, or Stereo channels, so users can get truly surgical with their stereo frequency-shaping on a band-by-band basis.
New filter types
Pro-Q 3 adds to Pro-Q 2’s multitude of filter types with the all-new Flat Tilt shape, applying a flat tilting correction curve to the entire audible spectrum. And for those occasions when even the super-steep 96dB/octave roll-off slope isn’t precise enough, the Low and High Cut filter types can now be set to Brickwall mode for the ultimate in top/bottom attenuation. Improved spectrum analyzer and Spectrum Grab
Pro-Q 3’s spectrum analyzer makes it easier than ever to find and correct problem frequencies in the mix. Activate the new collision detection to view clashes between the source signal and the spectrum of any other Pro-Q 3 instance in the session, and get an instant handle on the most important peaks in Spectrum Grab mode with frequency/note labels. Key features:
Professional mastering-grade EQ plug-in with exceptional sound quality
Up to 24 bands with a huge range of filter types
Dynamic EQ option for every band
6-96dB/octave slopes for all filter types
Additional Brickwall slope for the High Cut and Low Cut filters
Per-band Stereo, Left, Right, Mid, or Side mode
Zero Latency, Natural Phase, and Linear Phase processing modes
Extremely efficient processing and low memory usage
Surround support, including Dolby Atmos 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 formats with flexible surround channel linking
Adapts automatically to stereo, mono, and surround channel layouts
Intelligent multiband selection and editing
Intelligent band solo mode
Powerful real-time spectrum analyzer
External spectrum visualization from any other Pro-Q 3 instance in the session, including collision detection
Spectrum Grab: grab and adjust a peak directly in the spectrum analyzer
EQ Match for imposing the tonal characteristics of one signal on another
Piano Display switches the frequency scale to musical note values
Separate mastering (3/6dB) and mixing (12/30dB) display ranges
Undo/redo and A/B comparison
Beautiful, responsive, resizable GPU-accelerated graphical interface with full-screen mode
MIDI Learn with option to control the currently active band
Retina support on macOS and High DPI support on Windows
Supports common Pro Tools hardware control surfaces
FabFilter Pro-Q 3 is now available for EUR 149, USD 179 or GBP 134, supporting both Windows and macOS in VST and VST 3, Audio Units, AAX, and AudioSuite plug-in formats. Bundles with FabFilter Pro-Q 3 and other FabFilter plug-ins are also available at: www.fabfilter.com/shop
Existing FabFilter customers can purchase or upgrade to FabFilter Pro-Q 3 with very attractive discounts by logging into their online user account at: www.fabfilter.com/myaccount
System requirements are either Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, or XP, and a VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools, or Mac OS X 10.8 or higher with Intel processor, and an Audio Units host, VST 2/3 host, or Pro Tools. Both 64-bit and 32-bit hosts are supported.
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.
Host application and audio effects developer Audified is proud to announce availability of MultiDrive Pedal Pro — pushing further forward with its virtual stomp box breakthroughs by bringing the legacy of erstwhile brand DSound’s first guitar software (released as Stomp’n FX Vol. 1 and Stomp’n FX Vol. 2 way back in 2000) and later featured, for example, in Audiffex’s inTone2 (multifaceted multichannel effects processor, software mixing console, virtual instruments host, and flexible multitrack zonal player) back to the future as 12 legendary effect pedal plug-ins, professionally primed to provide the perfect bundled blend of overdrive, distortion, fuzz, and boost for today’s DAW-driven studio setups.
You can never have enough effect pedals. Just ask any guitarist worth their sonic salt! Since there are literally thousands of stomp boxes on the market, maybe this is hardly surprising — all the more so since they each offer something different in terms of sound, purpose, or quality. Quantifying this time-honoured trend in today’s DAW-driven workflow with its all-new MultiDrive Pedal Pro plug-in bundle sits naturally with the future-facing nature of Audified. As such, it is professionally primed to provide the perfect bundled blend of overdrive (for power), distortion (for complexity), fuzz (for fuzziness), and boost (for allowing every detail to shine through). The talented team of Audified engineers expertly draw upon the company’s rich history of creating quality guitar software to simulate 12 legendary effect pedals that every musician should have in their studio setup. Since this effectively represents the company’s third generation of stomp box models — made with totally new modelling technology — they simply sound perfect! Put it this way: with MultiDrive Pedal Pro, Audified removed every last screw from every effect pedal modelled, meticulously measuring all components within, so users cannot tell the difference between the real-world stomp boxes and the following software simulations so readily accessible in the resultant bundle.
Watch Audified’s official MultiDrive Pedal Pro video
808-Scream is based on the TS-808 Tube Screamer, a guitar overdrive pedal made famous by Ibanez. It was originally released in the late Seventies, and its characteristic mid-boosted tone soon proved popular with blues and rock guitarists. It has since been used by countless guitarists to create their signature sound, remaining one of the most successful, widely copied, and ‘modded’ overdrive pedals in the history of the electric guitar!
9-Scream is based on another overdrive guitar pedal from Ibanez — the TS-9 Tube Screamer. Indeed, Ibanez produced the so-called ‘9-series’ between 1982 and 1985, with the TS-9 Tube Screamer being almost identical, internally, to the TS-808 Tube Screamer, but boasting a different output, resulting in a brighter, less smooth sound.
B-Drive is based on the BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver, delivering the creamy, yet crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30-year-old tube amps.
O-Drive is based on the now-legendary BOSS OD-1 OverDrive. Seventies-vintage artists mostly made use of a fuzz distortion sound, so the overdrive produced by the OD-1 OverDrive was not exactly typical for the time. It was, however, soon accepted as a new standard of guitar sound. Speaking of sound, the OD-1 OverDrive features an asymmetric circuit where the positive and negative halves of the waveform are not distorted equally.
S-Drive is based on the BOSS SD-1 Super OverDrive. This sonic stalwart has been around for a very long time and has gone almost unchanged from its inception back in 1981. Again, an asymmetric overdrive circuit is at its core. This responds very well to the force of a player’s picking, producing a dynamic and smooth overdrive effect well suited to any type of rock music. Many guitarists also use the SD-1 Super OverDrive as a booster pedal for valve amplifiers.
One-Distortion is based on the BOSS DS-1 Distortion, a true icon in the wonderful world of guitar effects. Introduced in 1978, BOSS’ first distortion pedal defined a bold new sound, delivering hard-edged attack and smooth sustain that has been a staple of players for generations. Get this, though: the DS-1 Distortion is the top-selling BOSS compact pedal of all time, and its original, unchanged design continues to inspire the creation of great music worldwide.
BAT-Distortion is based on Pro Co Sound’s RAT Distortion. ‘The Rat’ became very popular in the early Eighties, thanks, in part, to being used by several famous artists. As a primary distortion device, it excels at arena rock rhythm tones and soaring leads, but its true beauty lies in its versatility.
XXL-Distortion is based on the Distortion+ pedal originally designed in the Seventies by MXR Innovations. Its name implies distortion, and indeed it does distortion (parallel clipping) well, but boasts a rather mild sound. It is perhaps best known for its crunchy heavy metal sound that was featured by Randy Rhoads in his work with Ozzy Osbourne. The Distortion+ delivers everything from cool overdriven blues tones to huge Eighties hard rock distortion.
M-Distortion is based on the MT-2 Metal Zone, one of BOSS’ most popular pedals. Duly delivering a wide range of distortion sounds with three-band EQ and strong sustain, it is capable of some of the most over-the-top, insane distortion tones in the world — with huge mids and lows, alongside an ultra-saturated sound!
F-Fuzz is based on Jim Dunlop’s Fuzz Face, an effect pedal mainly used by electric guitarists and also some bass players. Designed to produce a distorted sound from an electric guitar, a sound often referred to as ‘fuzz’ — which was sometimes achieved by accident earlier through broken electrical components or damaged speakers, this particular Fuzz Face distortion is constructed to vintage specs, featuring the original Germanium PNP transistor design for a rich, creamy fuzz sound.
M-Fuzz is based on the Big Muff Pi (Ï€). Produced in New York City by Electro-Harmonix, along with Russian sister company Sovtek, this fuzz box is primarily for use with electric guitar, but also used by bassists due to its squeaky frequency response. Hendrix and Santana were among the first to get a piece of the Pi, so-to-speak, and the Big Muff — as it has become simply known — has been defining the sound of rock guitar for over 40 years!
T-Booster is based on the Brian May Treble Booster, an effect unit used by guitarists to boost volume and especially the high end of their tonal spectrum, which was particularly popular during the Sixties. Beloved by guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore, Marc Bolan, Rory Gallagher, Tony Iommi, and, of course, Brian May, treble boosters were used to overdrive amplifiers in order to create a more distorted yet focused sound.
So that’s Audified’s all-new MultiDrive Pedal Pro… providing a perfect bundled blend of true tone pedal plug-ins, professionally primed for today’s DAW-driven workflow — fresh from the company with over 20 years’ worth of exemplary effects development to its notable name. No need to buy dozens of stomp boxes separately or download imperfect simulations; simply download MultiDrive Pedal Pro for perfect simulations of 12 legendary effect pedals at a pocket-friendly price!
MultiDrive Pedal Pro is available to purchase for $69.00 USD from Audified’s online shop here: https://shop.audified.com/products/multidrive-pedal-pro (Note MultiDrive Pedal Pro requires iLok License Manager 3.1.6 or newer as it is protected by PACE Anti-Piracy Inc.’s software machine licensor USB smart key device, details of which are highlighted here: https://shop.audified.com/pages/how-to-activate-ilok-license)
MultiDrive Pedal Pro can be directly downloaded as a bundle of multi-format (AAX, AU, VST2, VST3), 32- and 64-bit native plug-ins for MacOS (10.9 and above) and Windows (7, 8, and 10) — alongside a fully-functional, 30-day trial version — from Audified here: https://services.audified.com/download
MultiDrive Pedal LE, a limited-edition version of MultiDrive Pedal Pro featuring O-Drive only, is available to purchase for only $5.00 USD from Audified’s online shop here: https://shop.audified.com/products/multidrive-pedal-le
MultiDrive Pedal LE can be directly downloaded as a 32- and 64-bit native plug-in for MacOS (10.9 and above) and Windows (7, 8, and 10) — alongside a fully-functional, 30-day trial version — from Audified here: https://services.audified.com/download
Cutting-edge audio technologies developer The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc is proud to announce availability of Blue Grand — its latest hybrid virtual instrument for Mac (AU 32-/64-bit, VST 32-/64-bit) and Windows (VST 32-/64-bit), featuring four first-rate Steinway grand pianos combined into an amazing and amazingly affordably-priced package, purposefully positioned to give musicians of all skill levels more freedom to create beautiful music and unmatched artistry all of their own.
As a dynamic combination of four first-rate Steinway D grand pianos of varying vintage, Blue Grand gives musicians of all skill levels more freedom to create beautiful music and unmatched artistry all of their own. After all, all pianos sound distinctly different, as is also the case, clearly, with this cutting-edge hybrid virtual instrument’s featured four: Vintage 1927 offers a rich, luxurious sound with a dynamic range suited to accompanying all music genres, including classical, jazz, pop, and more; Grandma Dream is characterised by mellow bass and expansive resonance, embracing its Germanic heritage while flawlessly fitting a variety of musical genres; Living Stereo perfectly blends crisp, rich tones and stunning resonance to provide users with a live, vibrant feel that is a perfect fit for realtime performance; thanks to its balanced frequency and singing tone, Legacy Blue boasts an elegant sound associated with a Steinway grand piano, yet its inherent versatility works well with a wide range of today’s most popular music genres.
Watch The Best
Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc’s
informative Blue Grand
video walkthrough
Get this, though: thanks to the trailblazing technology that The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc incorporates into its virtual instruments, Blue Grand is, in essence, an instrument with a musical soul rather than a machine-like feel — an admirable attribute that sets it apart from an abundance of solely sample-based virtual instruments out there that it could conceivably be pitched against. As such, textually making an appearance on a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that is as easy on the eye as it is to use — albeit actions always speak louder than words, the new Neo Piano engine powering Blue Grand really represents the pinnacle of sound sampling since it lets users effectively express more than 1.6-million sounds on a single note — numerically speaking, this achieves 400 times more variations than a ‘traditional’ sample engine! Every note played is unique, creating vivid sound representation by striking a rich, accurate tone — even with minimal movement. Musically, then, through using hybrid modelling technology, The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc has succeeded in creating a unique experience — exploited to the full with Blue Grand — that allows its users to reap the benefits of authentic sampled sounds combined with the playability of a modelled piano, providing for more freedom of expression and potential possibilities to create their own unique sound. Central to this, that new Neo Piano engine elevates proceedings, purportedly by being the industry’s first large-scale application of AI (artificial intelligence) in its software developing phase. Put it this way: while it is common knowledge that recording, editing, processing, and organising such huge sample data pools can collectively take teams of expert engineers years to complete, conversely AI can conceivably reduce this titanic task to a matter of hours, meaning musicians get their hands on better products much more quickly while also benefitting from financially reduced rates.
Returning to the wonderful world of Blue Grand, each of its four first-rate Steinway grand pianos benefit from The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc’s innovative HD Velocity Layers technology, transporting performers’ (potential) adeptness above and beyond what was previously possible. Indeed, its creators have broken the barrier of 127 layers for MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) by expanding expression up to 65,536 velocity layers (when 1,000 layers yielded an already audible difference)!
Watch American
pianist/keyboardist Katie Pachnos putting Blue Grand through
its
stunning-sounding paces
Duly delivering yet another breakthrough, the new Neo Piano engine powering Blue Grand generates Multi-Dimensional Resonance. Reality dictates that every grand piano’s sizeable soundboard reflects sound that resonates in conjunction with the wooden body of the instrument itself. Indeed, it is this continuous process that makes every note played sound so unique. Ultimately, in order to simulate this behaviour, The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc captured multi-angled IRs (Impulse Responses) from the soundboard, then used modelling technology to convert those IRs into Multi-Dimensional Resonance algorithms. The result? An amazingly true to life concert hall sound readily available at anyone’s fingertips!
Furthermore, that beautifully-implemented Blue Grand GUI gives users unmitigated control over 40 piano attributes, including an ability to lift the lid, tweak Tone and Harmonics, alter Damping, change Key Dynamics, and adjust velocity response. Ultimately, users can even apply a Style — sets the piano in question’s musical style, be it classical, jazz, rock, or soft, and changes the internal parametric EQ accordingly via a simple Amount control — or sympathetic Resonance to their sound, and adjust the mix by changing microphone Perspective.
Pushing onwards and upwards, further features of note include a DFD (Direct From Disk)/RAM (Random Access Memory) system — enables users to allocate resources to ensure the best possible performance for any given project; Tuning System — allows users to select a Scala Tuning File from over 10,000 tunings; selectable Reverb — replete with several self-explanatory settings; and adjustable physical piano Noises — Pedal, Strings, and Hammer Off par excellence. Ending on a high note, A.I. TOOLS take care of checking the response of any Blue Grand user’s keyboard playing and pedal usage automatically, almost instantly locating and applying an appropriate velocity curve to suit at all times.
Truly offering expressive state-of-the-art sound and dynamic performance, Blue Grand gives musical meaning to the trailblazing technology that its aptly-named creators collectively applied to creating a first-rate hybrid virtual instrument — one that quite literally lives up to The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc name!
Blue Grand is available to purchase online directly via The Best Computer Music And Acoustic Technology Inc for €129.00 EUR/$149.00 USD/£119.00 GBP from here: http://www.supremepiano.com/blue.html
For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated Blue Grand webpage here: http://www.supremepiano.com/blue.html
Spitfire Audio is proud to announce availability of SOUND DUST 2 — the second collection of unique, strange, and inspiring instruments created by the company’s collective favourite British sound designer, composer, and aficionado of all things (that sound) weird and wonderful, Pendle Poucher, the innovative brains behind boutique Brighton-based library company Sound Dust (to which the collection obviously owes its magical ‘musical’ name).
Like its predecessor — originally released by Spitfire Audio as DUSTBUNDLE back in 2015, SOUND DUST 2 acts as another gateway to a playground of sonic discovery — this time to a diverse selection of five of its innovative creator’s namesake company’s most recent hybrid creations. Collecting unique oddities and eccentricities, richly sampled with Pendle Poucher’s radical recording processes and obsessive attention to detail, these range from hip-hop beats through to broken violas and rare, distorted pianos — all as they have never been heard before. Better still, these are truly expressive, intuitive left-field sounds, supremely designed to spark anyone’s imagination. Indeed, as Pendle Poucher posits, “My approach is not as a proper composer; I make organised noise. For me, the sounds are more important than the notes. I’m always thinking about the timbre and the quality of the sound, then I try to make that into a musical thing.” The thing is, in creating an interesting Sound Dust library, Pendle Poucher does not limit himself to any one type of sound or instrument; rather the only requirements are that interesting noises are made which with he can create something that has not been heard before. By being based at The Toy Rooms Studio in Brighton, UK — a veritable breeding ground for interesting British sounds since it is a hub of renowned film composers, musicians, and producers, such as Nick Cave, Gomez, Jez Kurtswall, and UNKLE, surrounded by a multitude of rare instruments and equipment, perhaps Pendle Poucher’s obsession with strange sounds is all the more understandable. After all, this innovative individual started out by playing guitar in Rough Trade-signed art-pop band Butterfly Child before working on sound and art installations, including a permanent one for the National Trust at Avebury Manor. Meanwhile, he has also spent 10 years working as sound designer and composer for the award-winning DreamThinkSpeak theatre company, as well as writing and producing scores for the BBC and many other television entities in the UK and beyond.
Watch Spitfire Audio Director Paul Thomson’s ‘traditional’ video walkthrough of SOUND DUST 2
But for Sound Dust, Pendle Poucher mostly works alone as he prefers to see a project through from start to finish, with laser-sharp attention to detail: “The whole Sound Dust thing started by accident,” he reveals. “I bought a beautiful old Dulcitone off eBay; it was kind of knackered and I couldn’t really play it, so I decided to sample it. I then started selling the samples, which, to my surprise, were amazingly popular, and it all grew from there. Had I not started with Dulcitone, Sound Dust wouldn’t be what it is today, which is essentially me indulging in my desire to make funny noises.”
Needless to say, a clandestine, Cold War-style meet between composers Christian Henson and Pendle Poucher beneath London's Hungerford Bridge, resulted in one of the most exciting partnerships Spitfire Audio has forged in its illustrious history… history has shown, then, that the original DUSTBUNDLE — recently re-released as SOUND DUST 1 — has become a staple of Spitfire Audio’s 70-plus sample libraries to date; SOUND DUST 2 is surely set to follow suit, thanks to its integration of the following five hybrid creations — each effectively ‘mini’ magical, sample-based virtual instruments in their own right, fit for sprinkling over anything anyone cares to play with them.
Watch
Spitfire Audio ‘composer-in-residence’ Oliver Patrice Weder’s
‘In
Action’ video for SOUND DUST 2
The FLUTTER dust module could conceivably be considered a truly 21st Century Mellotron, made using existing Sound Dust instruments with added effects and parameters. It is based on recordings of acoustic instruments — just like a Mellotron, albeit with extra functionality to transport its users to places its tape-based Mellotron counterpart’s could only over dream of! Furthering flexibility, FLUTTER dust module features two interfaces — namely, Looper, offering controls on a per-note basis, and Wavetable, with edited, mangled, morphed, and reversed sounds from Sound Dust favourites (such as Autoharp, Cloud Viola and Cello, Dulcitone, Ghosts Piano, Hammr+ and Rubber Bass, Hogwarts Piano, Orgone, Pendleonium, Plucked Grand Piano, and Ships Piano) providing long and complex, multi-sampled acoustic wavetables that can scan in real time to create beautiful, evolving, and unexpected new sounds. Meanwhile, moving the mod wheel results in instant, live fluttering/glitch/jitter effects; playing the coloured key switches produces realtime gating effects. Either way, clicking the chaos button simply serves up a totally different sound each and every time! That said, moving the playhead position or loop points can construct completely new sounds — from delicate ‘flute-otrons’ to majestic organ-celestes and complex polyrhythmic Philip Glass-esque soundscapes. Seeking to make music that inhabits a sonic ‘other’ space by sounding simultaneously acoustic and electronic? Enter the wonderful world of FLUTTER, a world where creating granular sounds and ghostly versions of real-world timbres clearly comes naturally.
Watch
Spitfire Audio Director Christian Henson showcasing the delights
of
SOUND DUST 1 and SOUND DUST 2
Taking its name, naturally, from the time funnel in Kurt Vonnegut’s terrific time-leaping novel, Sirens of Titan, INFUNDIBULUM is a multi-arp workstation and three-part sequencing machine offering a playground of polyrhythmic possibilities — perfect for creating unusual textures, rhythmic textures like ostinatos and interesting cross-rhythms, and different types of sequencing. Since those three arpeggiators all run at different speeds and lengths, featuring chiming piano sounds for an instant Steve Reich vibe, the radical results can be likened to being in a room full of noise generators; bowed, plucked, or struck things; and exotic vintage synths! INFUNDIBULUM is not intended for authentically replicating any of the included sounds — some have been deeply multi-sampled, after all; instead it celebrates what happens when sampling goes too far! Furthermore, holding any chord results in different notes starting to cycle back on themselves in disjointed yet glorious, hitherto unheard ways. With the an amazing multi-arp added into the magical mix — three sounds repeating through different cycle lengths at different speeds, users are already heading halfway towards an out-of-body experience!
Elsewhere, ODDHOP — powered by modular chaos engine #3, no less; imagine, if you will, a 303 and a 909 drum machine fused together with additional quirky percussion machines — makes for disappearing down a rhythmic rabbit hole easier done than said! Since it is packed with hundreds of original acoustic and electronic sounds arranged into five octaves of one-shot kicks, as well as pre-programmed basses, pianos, and vocal samples, ODDHOP is specifically designed for electronic music production and, as such, compatible with Pendle Poucher’s other piano-based instruments for a wonky, eclectic hip-hop sound. Saying that, things get really exciting when using the new drum and bass sequencing engines, each with 12 tracks of drawable-per-note control over nine parameters and polyrhythmic patterns. Put it this way: users will literally never be sure what they are going to get!
Watch Spitfire Audio’s An Introduction to Sound Dust documentary
Get this, though: PENDLEONIUM comprises six sampled source instruments, intended to create something entirely new. The instruments themselves — two Danelectro baritone guitars, two Fernandez infinite guitars (with Sustainiac pickups and built-in eBows), and a spring viola (hardwired through a Roland Space Echo, creating an endless pad) — are arranged left to right across the main panel. PENDLEONIUM creates sounds reminiscent of Twin Peaks, Radiohead, and an orchestral haze, seamlessly merging organic and electronic elements. Each instrument comes complete with enhanced editing tools to tweak to suit, with effects like dirt, eq, rotor, and reverb, together with delay send and reverb send, for gnarly, lo-fi treatments. PENDLEONIUM produces seismic shifts and deep, rich tones at lower registers, while in higher registers it can be configured to produce sounds like ripples passing through mercury!
SHIPS PIANO is fashioned from a selection of three characterful pianos — namely, a ship’s piano; a ‘school hall’ grand, recorded binaurally in a Hogwarts-style school chapel; and a deviously altered home upright, reversed, fed into high-end reverb, and reversed again for a backwards attack effect. Speaking of effects, users can cunningly combine different aspects of each piano — accessing ADSRs, convolution reverb, high and lowpass filters, and vibrato to create impossible-sounding piano hybrids! Having said all that, so intuitive is this collection of instruments that as soon as users start moving buttons and faders around, magical things start to happen! Is it any wonder, when Pendle Poucher — Spitfire Audio co-founder Christian Henson’s sampling hero — delights in taking left-field routes, resulting in inspiring new sounds and mind-bending sound design possibilities.
SOUND DUST 2 can be purchased and digitally downloaded for a time-limited introductory promo price of £149.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$149.00 USD/€149.00 EUR (inc. VAT) until November 29, 2018 — rising thereafter to an RRP of £199.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$199.00 USD/€199.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/sound-dust-vol-2/
SOUND DUST 2 needs Native Instruments’ free KONTAKT PLAYER (5.6.8 or higher) — included in the 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.
