Impact Soundworks gains musical MOMENTUM with peerless percussive virtual instrument

Audio software creator Impact Soundworks is proud to announce availability of MOMENTUM — a percussive virtual instrument based on a wholly unique library of organic, acoustic performances and multi-samples designed specifically for film, game, and TV composers, with well-built KONTAKT patches par excellence available alongside sliced REX2/WAV files and also both chromatic and sound menu multi-sample/one-shot patches for instant inspiration. 

 

Over two years in the making, MOMENTUM is a virtual treasure trove of peerless percussion. Put it this way: with over 2,600 rhythmic loops in multiple frequency ranges, time signatures, and tempos, with both tonal and non-pitched instruments, including djembes, darbukas, and cajons (played with fingers, mallets, and brushes); cello (picked and slapped); erhu (picked and brushed); classical guitar (brushed, slapped, and struck); metal doors, staircases, and boxes; mistreated bass drums; bottles, pans, kalimbas, and buffalo drums; custom drum kits; air cans, bamboo, and brass urns; egg shakers, muted guitars, and water glasses; Chinese toms, maracas, edu, and caxixi; and much more… make no mistake, this is all-new content — completely outside the realm of traditional drum and percussion libraries.
 
Like no other, this library lets loose with over 2,500 matchless multi-samples and amazing one-shots, including over 100 menu-style percussive sounds, plus tasty tuned percussion spread across the keyboard. And anyone who prefers to musically mangle things elsewhere should surely delight in the fact that all loops in MOMENTUM are also available as REX2 and WAV format files. Furthermore, those REX2 files can even be loaded into Stylus RMX — albeit after conversion to the S.A.G.E.™ (Spectrasonics Advanced Groove Engine) file format. Elsewhere is well and truly catered for by MOMENTUM!

Making music is what it’s all about with MOMENTUM, meanwhile. Mulling it over, the Impact Soundworks development team took things to dizzying heights of lofty ‘loopiness’ in pursuit of percussive perfection: “We conceived this library originally in 2014 to address a need — a gap in our templates as composers and producers. We are always looking for rhythmic elements to add to our music. Whether it’s a pop EDM track, an epic trailer cue, or a tense action underscore, these elements can set the tone for the mood and feel of the piece. It’s that pulse, the driving force that hooks the listener immediately. MOMENTUM offers a tremendous collection of original, acoustic percussive performances that are just a click away. Everything was created and recorded organically. Unlike countless other rhythm/pulse libraries, these are not just synthetic elements processed with the same set of tools that everyone else uses.”

Watch Impact Soundworks Lead Developer 

Andrew Aversa’s walkthrough and overview of MOMENTUM

Ultimately, MOMENTUM is driven by an all-new script engine focused on rhythm and delivering inspiration as fast as possible. This comes courtesy of an inspiring new UI (User Interface) with a well-thought-through Loop Designer patch permitting in-depth editing of individual performances. Usefully, users can quickly load any loop and tweak to suit with PER SLICE editing of PITCH, VOL (Volume), PAN, CUT (cutoff), and RES (resonance), as well as accessing the MOD1 and MOD2 modulation tables that connect to the Mod Matrix (MOD SOURCE and MOD SEND). Similarly, an eight-slot FX Rack — featuring EQ, COMPRESSOR, TRANSIENT DESIGNER, SCREAM, BITCRUSHER, DELAY, REVERB, and LIMITER — creatively connects to the Mod Matrix, making morphing and transforming loops like child’s play! Naturally, there are also easily-editable envelopes (AMP ENV and FILTER ENV) alongside a FILTER for further tweaking — both PER SLICE or GLOBAL. Get this though: the Loop Designer also boasts key-triggered trigger effects — including stutter, gate, and reverse — and an ability to play loops from any slice!

Selecting the perfect loop for projects couldn’t be simpler, thanks to an incredibly powerful sound source Browser. By simply filtering searches using a wide range of tags related to tempo, time, instrument, or timbre, the resultant suitable selection — and road to inspiration — is instant! Thankfully, the loop playback engine automatically adapts to the host tempo (though sometimes finding a loop close to the project tempo will yield the best possible results).

Last but not least, Loop Mapper makes loading up a range of ‘menu-style’ performances across the keyboard a breeze. By using the Browser to map as many keys as needed, then pressing a key to trigger the loop… it definitely doesn’t get much simpler than that!

There it is, then. Finding and editing the perfect organic rhythmic element just got a whole lot easier and faster with MOMENTUM. Inspiration is an absolute given. Gaining musical momentum with this peerless percussive virtual instrument is just a click away, after all.

MOMENTUM can be purchased and digitally downloaded directly from Impact Soundworks for $149.00 USD from here:

https://impactsoundworks.com/product/momentum/#purchase

Note that MOMENTUM requires the full version of Native Instruments KONTAKT (5.5.2 or higher); its REX2/WAV files do not.

For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated MOMENTUM webpage here: https://impactsoundworks.com/product/momentum/

About Impact Soundworks (www.impactsoundworks.com)
Impact Soundworks creates audio software designed with composers in mind: sample libraries, virtual instruments, and plug-ins. As passionate about creating music tools as its customers are about making music, the company was founded in 2008 by composers Andrew Aversa and Will Roget, II at a time when there were several large virtual instrument companies already around, but few developers creating affordable, flexible, and focused libraries featuring more unusual and unique sounds. Shrewdly, the dynamic duo noticed much in the way of in-depth orchestral offerings, but more unusual instruments were not being sampled with much detail at all. As such, the company’s first two releases were Impact Steel, a collection of found metal objects played as percussion, and Sitar Nation, a set of instruments from North India. It has since been collectively working hard to address the needs of modern composers, successfully striking the balance between depth and ease of use. Ultimately, Impact Soundworks is proud to call tens of thousands of musicians around the world its customers, intelligently investing time to study suggestions and review requests. After all, that is how a number of its best-loved libraries started… from the smallest seed!
© 2017 Impact Soundworks

Eventide exhibiting new H9000 flagship processor at AES New York 2017

Recording technology trailblazer Eventide is proud to be exhibiting the H9000 — an all-new network-ready, 16-DSP, multi-channel, rackmount audio effects processing flagship, featuring eight times the processing power of the current-generation H8000 to continue the company’s unbroken cycle of delivering industry-leading signal processing power to the pro audio community — at AES New York 2017, October 18-20, Jacob J. Javits Convention Center, USA.

The culmination of a multi-year development cycle, the H9000 features four quad core ARM processors serving as 16 DSP engines, eight channels of pristine analog audio I/O, AES/EBU, ADAT, 16 USB audio channels, and, optionally, connection to standard audio networks, including MADI, Dante, Ravenna, and more.

Multichannel processing makes the H9000 a suitable platform for surround sound and for processing several tracks of audio simultaneously. On top of that, the H9000 introduces the concept of FX CHAINS, allowing users to connect any set of four effects with flexible routing. FX CHAINS can be created to act as a voice channel, a guitar ‘pedal board’, or a modular synth with effects, etc.

The H9000’s remote control application, emote, is available for users working ‘in the box’ or over an audio network. emote is available as a standalone app for Mac and PC, and as an AU, VST, and Pro Tools plug-in.

Says Eventide ‘resident fossil’ Anthony Agnello: “Audio effects designers are power-hungry souls. We have an insatiable thirst for processing power. With each advance in processing speed and storage capacity, new — often unimagined — effects become possible.

“In the early Eighties, pro audio's first rackmount multi-effects processor, the SP2016, was used by researchers and developers to create groundbreaking effects. Back then, artificial reverberation was the holy grail, and the SP2016 excelled at reverbs — both natural and unnatural, including infinite reverbs, inverse reverbs, gated reverbs, and more besides. But the SP2016 was designed as a general-purpose processor, and, as a consequence, new, innovative effects like shimmer, band delay, timescramble, and vocoding became commercially available for the first time.

“The SP2016’s successor, the H3000, was the premier rackmount processor of the Nineties, and introduced a wealth of new effects. The H4000 and H8000 flagships were the most powerful rack boxes of their time and helped usher in the concept of surround sound reverb. The H9000 is ready to take its place at the pinnacle of our product line and we’re eager to discover the kinds of new effects that lie in store.”

Eventide will be demonstrating the H9000 alongside award-winning plug-ins on Booth #321 at AES New York 2017 — the 143rd International Convention — on October 18-20, Jacob J. Javits Convention Center, USA.

Currently available in limited quantities, general availability of the H9000 is scheduled for March 31, 2018. (The H9000 will be available in two models — standard, with full front panel control, priced at $6,999.00 USD, and the blank front panel H9000R, priced at $4,999.00 USD.)

Check out the latest Blog entry from electronic musician Jack Impink (a.k.a. Gestalt7) — who has been beta-testing the H9000 while working with the Eventide Development Lab — here: https://www.eventideaudio.com/blog/gestalt7/news-lab-h9000-part-1

 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.
© 2017 Eventide Inc.

Expert Sleepers get General MIDI sound set under creative CV control in elegant Eurorack module

Following a successful showcase at SUPERBOOTH 17 in Berlin back in April, Eurorack module-maker and audio plug-in developer Expert Sleepers is proud to launch General CV — combining a powerful General MIDI synthesizer with a multichannel CV-to-MIDI converter alongside a host processor capable of generating huge amounts of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data, either from the incoming CVs (control voltages) or entirely algorithmically… and all housed in an elegant Eurorack module.

By bringing the Nineties back to the Sixties, General CV’s software provides a layer of control over the synthesizer that allows adventurous users to create sounds stretching far beyond the familiar — cheesy, even — tones of General MIDI with which they may already be familiar. From making the synth behave like a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) to creating complex chords and textures — even to abusing drum sounds into pitched sources, General CV brings rich pickings of fresh flavours to Eurorack’s à la carte modular menu.

Marrying the past with the present, General CV can also be coaxed into playing MIDI files of any Eighties pop tunes that may have been ‘inadvertently’ downloaded from the web. Wise to a tee, Expert Sleepers Director Andrew ‘os’ Ostler’s outrageous General CV pitch perhaps can be taken with a pinch of (synthesized) salt. “For too long, Eurorack users have been denied important sounds, such as ‘Voice Oohs’, ‘Orchestra Hit’ and ‘Shakuhachi’," says the Eurorack expert, before adding: ”We’re delighted to finally bring these classic tones under CV control where they belong."

But jesting apart, General CV has a number of modes of operation, including: behaving like a modular VCO, but using a massively multitimbral and polyphonic synthesizer engine as its tone source; automatically creating chords and arpeggios from a pitch CV; playing MIDI files from an MicroSD (Secure Digital) card, including special support for playing loops synchronised to a clock pulse; and acting as a drum machine with up to nine independent drum trigger inputs. Each mode also benefits from internal four-band EQ, as well as stereo chorus and reverb effects.

Connectivity comes courtesy of nine inputs and two outputs — all on 3.5mm mono (TS) jack sockets. The outputs are labelled L and R, respectively, and are simply the stereo audio outputs from the General MIDI synthesizer with a maximum output level of  around ±8V (16V peak-to-peak). X- and Y-labelled inputs are digital, typically used for gates or clocks — simple on/off signals (with an expected voltage range of 0 to +5V); inputs 1, 2, and 3 are analogue, 10-bit unipolar CV connections (with an expected voltage range of 0 to +5V); inputs 4 through 7 are high-resolution analogue, 14-bit bipolar CV connections (with an expected voltage range of -5V to +5V) — all are protected from damage due to voltages outside the recommended range (so long as they remain within the Eurorack standard ±12V).

Five front panel-positioned rotary encoders also serve as push buttons, enabling easy access to various functions dependent on the current mode of operation, but, generally speaking, set to work as follows: A (navigate the system); B (turn to adjust parameter; push to advance to next parameter page; push in, hold, and turn to scroll through parameter pages); C (turn to adjust parameter; push to return to first parameter page); D (turn to adjust parameter; push to display mode-specific information); E (turn to adjust parameter; push to show input key).

General CV users need not ‘fly blind’, however. Helpfully, a small, but perfectly formed, display screen perfectly in keeping with the 12HP module makes eagle-eyed navigation a much more straightforward proposition than the 4HP-smaller-sized SUPERBOOTH-showcased prototype preceding the finished article. “Under the hood it remains basically the same thing,” its creator concludes on a more serious note: “It’s a General MIDI-based module, but completely CV controlled, with a general concept that you access the tremendous synthesis power of a General MIDI sound chip, but through CV in a very creative way.”

Guiding General CV creativity still further, the ‘General MIDI’ module follows in the footsteps of Expert Sleepers’ similarly-distinctive disting mk4 — the latest (fourth) improved iteration of its award-winning ‘many-in-one’ multifunction Eurorack module successfully showcased at The NAMM Show 2017 in Anaheim, California — by also including the company’s eye-catching red and blue backlit sockets… surely sealing the deal for anyone wishing to take the 1991-vintage General MIDI standardised specification for electronic musical instruments that respond to MIDI messages kicking and screaming into today's wonderful world of Eurorack with creative CV control possibilities that are out of this modular world!

General CV is launching at SynthFest UK (http://synthfest.co.uk) in Sheffield on October 7, 2017 and available thereafter from Expert Sleepers resellers (http://expert-sleepers.co.uk/store.html) worldwide with an MSRP of £269.00 GBP (inc. 20% VAT)/€299.00 EUR (inc. 19% VAT)/$349.00 USD.

For more in-depth info, please visit the dedicated General CV webpage here: http://expert-sleepers.co.uk/generalcv.html

About Expert Sleepers (www.expert-sleepers.co.uk)
As a one-man (Andrew Ostler a.k.a. ‘os’) operation, British brand Expert Sleepers started life back in 2002 as an audio plug-in developer — its amusingly-named Augustus Loop tape-based delay effect emulation (with extra features to facilitate its use as a looping device) quickly found favour with ambient music pioneer Brian Eno, who was moved to kindly comment: “When I hear anything by ES, I get excited by what I’m hearing.” 2009’s Silent Way suite of plug-ins designed for use with analogue synthesizers — especially as part of a modular analogue synthesizer system — soon led to a move towards the ever-expanding Eurorack modular marketplace with the first hardware product — the (now-discontinued) ES-1 audio/CV interface module designed for use with software such as Silent Way — making an appearance in 2010. Since then, the company continues to innovate in its core business of computer-synth interfacing, albeit admittedly going off-tangent in 2014 with the award-winning disting — a ‘many-in-one’ multifunction module based around a PIC® Microcontroller (MCU) offering a variety of CV and audio processing algorithms, including a selection of oscillators (LFOs/VCOs), alongside a sample (WAV) file and MIDI file player with a variety of options for sample triggering and playback speed — that continues to be Expert Sleepers’ best-seller by far, now in its improved mk4 iteration.
© 2017 Expert Sleepers Ltd

AS accepts preorders for Fusebox analogue — as in really analogue — monosynth with advanced abilities

With the first batch having effectively sold out in advance, British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions is proud to announce that it is accepting second batch preorders for Fusebox — an aptly-named, three-VCO (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator) true analogue monophonic synthesizer that favourably fuses the company’s characterful vintage sound with an advanced choice of modulation and melodic possibilities (in a beautifully-built box)… before plugging in any MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) cables, even.

As implied by the REAL ANALOGUE VOICE & MODULATION CIRCUITS ‘caption’ boldly blazoned across a brightly-coloured orange panel fronting a no-compromise steel/aluminium-constructed casing (with no plastic mouldings) that’s sure to stand out from (the sound) of the crowd — to partially paraphrase the early-Eighties British breakthrough hit from synth-pop pioneers The Human League (who have a soft spot for Analogue Solutions synthesizers themselves), Fusebox is a true analogue monophonic synthesizer in a smart, small package. Analogue as in really analogue. Aside from the MIDI-to-CV circuit, which, by its very nature, must include a digital element, everything else is absolutely analogue. For Fusebox trades on real transistors and op-amps — no CPU (Central Processing Unit) stabilised and quantised circuits, no DCOs (Digitally-Controlled Oscillators), and no digital EGs (Envelope Generators), as are often found on other so-called analogue synthesizers. Since the circuitry is based on designs dating back to the mid-Seventies, Fusebox proudly possesses a truly vintage sound. The kind of sound that the likes of The Human League made their own and continue to trade on to this day during an analogue renaissance that’s still showing no signs of abating anytime soon.

So, as an aptly-named true analogue monophonic synthesizer, Fusebox wears its colours well. With three VCOs beating at its musical heart, here is a precision electronic musical instrument that combines must-have electronic circuitry to create a powerful synthesizer statement seriously housed in an eye-catching, compact box. But this is to be expected given its industry pedigree, perhaps. After all, Fusebox was designed by Analogue Solutions founder Tom Carpenter. As a fervent fan of electronic music and also an active electronic musician himself, he naturally knows a thing or two about programming synthesizers. So his latest and greatest creation clearly wasn’t the result of engineering design decisions alone — nor driven by a steering committee of men (or woman) in suits. So what’s inside this beautifully-built box of subtractive synthesis tricks, then?

Those three VCOs, for starters — sawtooth and square waveforms available to each and all. And all have CV (Control Voltage) inputs for PITCH and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) alongside manual PW (Pulse Width) controls. Creatively speaking, though, there are some striking variations: VCO 1 has OCT (octave) and XMOD (cross modulation) FROM VCO2 switches; VCO 2 has a WIDE TUNE (range) switch — allowing a wide tuning range (right down into low frequency territory) — alongside an oscillator SYNC FROM VCO 1 switch; VCO 3 also has a WIDE TUNE switch, together with a MIDI PITCH switch control — can be disabled to make this a free-running oscillator, ideal for modulation. Meanwhile, VCO 2 and VCO 3 can both be pressed into service as LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — as implied by their respective VCO / VCLFO ‘lettering’.

Leaving that OSCILLATORS section behind… well, almost, and moving, momentarily, into MIXING (with MUTE switches and additional audio inputs), here Fusebox features white NOISE and a SUB oscillator (taken from VCO 3). Thereafter, the all-important FILTERS section is centred around a 12dB MULTIMODE VCF (Voltage-Controlled Filter) featuring LP (Low Pass), HP (High Pass), BP (Band Pass), and NOTCH filters. Flexibility further abounds at the AMPLIFIER section with a VCA (Voltage-Controlled Amplifier) allowing for EG and THRU (bypass) switching; an advanced MODULATION section with a FADE IN (delay)-featured LFO; and an ENVELOPES section with two trigger option-friendly envelope generators (EG1 and EG2).

Elsewhere, the INTERVAL GENERATOR is a special type of pitch transposer that allows users to set six different pitches to each of the switches, then transpose the VCOs manually to create performances — perfect when used in conjunction with the ARPEGGIATOR and/or PATTERNATOR.

The ARPEGGIATOR allows an external MIDI keyboard to be used to program in the notes to be arpeggiated and will also transmit the notes to the Fusebox’s MIDI O (output). On top of that, the ARPEGGIATOR can also be used as a simple 16-step sequencer.

The PATTERNATOR is a unique type of sequencer/rhythm generator. Its four CV controls can be used to create melodic loops that can be changed in realtime using the RESET and SKIP switches. The eight-step gate/trigger pattern generator can be altered using the two BEAT knobs.

Needless to say, all Fusebox’s circuits have extensive minijack input and output sockets, so it can be cross-patched within itself to create an almost infinite range of sounds. Or it can be cross-patched with other synthesizers and modular systems for further flexibility. Fusebox is partially pre-patched in itself, but almost all of those patches can be cancelled using various switches and controls. Indeed, it has such a wide range of modulation routing possibilities that it is almost as versatile as a full modular system so can produce the same types of sounds — and all without patch cable clutter and confusion!

Complex or as simple as the end user wants it to be, as a monophonic analogue synthesizer, Fusebox can be used for analogue sound effects, fat basses, screaming leads, bleeps, blurps, zaps, and all manner of other crazy sounds associated with subtractive synthesis. Since Fusebox features an audio input socket, it is possible to feed external sounds through the onboard analogue filters for analogue processing purposes. It even has real ‘analogue’ hardwood sides — sustainably sourced, of course! Clearly, Fusebox is analogue — as in really analogue — through and through, then.

The UK price for Fusebox is £1,140.00 GBP (excluding VAT), available from UK dealers and Analogue Solutions directly. (Dealers will start seeing stock arrive as of October 2017: http://analoguesolutions.com/global-distribution/)

North American availability of Fusebox is being handled via Voltage & Company (http://www.vcousa.com) — full-service reps of high-quality manufacturers from around the world — with a retail price of $1,599.00 USD, while (most) EU distribution is being handled by Sonic Sales (http://www.sonic-sales.de) — one of the largest full-service MI (Musical Instrument) distribution companies in Europe — priced at €1,519.00 EUR (including VAT).

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Fusebox webpage here: http://analoguesolutions.com/fusebox/

About Analogue Solutions (www.analoguesolutions.com)
Analogue Solutions is a UK-based boutique instrument innovator that specialises in true analogue synthesizers, sequencers, and Eurorack modules. More than 20 years experience in the industry means that they were right there at the start of the Eurorack revolution — the third company to start producing modules, in fact. Furthermore, Analogue Solutions products are all hand built in England — many being tested by founder Tom Carpenter himself, who has hands-on involvement in all aspects of the company. Characterful to boot, Analogue Solutions innovative instruments are applauded for proudly possessing a truly vintage sound — synthesizers featuring fully-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!
© 2017 Analogue Solutions (UK) Ltd

Brainworx bolsters classic console tone with newly-named bx_console N analog mixing-modeling plugin update

“How do you make one of my favorite and most used plugins absolutely perfect? The addition of THD and channel randomization answers the question. Now, by being able to dial in an appropriate amount of harmonic distortion, bx_console N has quickly become one of my most used tools for breathing analog life into a mix.” - Craig Bauer, GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Common), 2017

Industry-leading pro audio plugins developer Brainworx is proud to announce availability of bx_console N, bolstering bx_console — its accurate and highly-successful channel strip model of Brainworx Founder/CEO Dirk Ulrich’s personal Neve® VXS™ large-format analog mixing console (currently used in the Brainworx Studio in Leverkusen, Germany, having hitherto been heard on countless records as it made its way through different studios around the world) with patent-pending TMT (Tolerance Modeling Technology) that delivers 72 unique channels reproducing the analog characteristics of the original console — with new features worthy of a new name, as of October 4…

As an eagerly-awaited update to the highly-successful, TMT-based bx_console, bx_console N now arrives hot on the heels of bx_console G and bx_console E, Brainworx’s two newest console plugins. Packed with new features, bx_console N takes the concept several stages further, featuring a new THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) knob that adds saturation to the signal, simulating levels of pleasing distortion feasibly found when overdriving a real-world analog console in addition to bringing definition to sounds. Still better, the RANDOM CHANNEL function randomly assigns a TMT channel to either one instance or all instances of bx_console N in a session, so users can easily introduce analog nonlinearities from channel variation into their mix — just like when working with a real-world analog console!

 

Watch Plugin Alliance’s informative introductory trailer for bx_console N

But building upon the trailblazing groundwork laid by bx_console is only part of the latest and greatest Brainworx breakthrough; by retaining the same superb feature set as the original plugin, plus points in its favour form an even lengthier list, starting with accurately capturing that iconic sound of Brainworx Founder/CEO Dirk Ulrich’s personal Neve® VXS™ large-format analog mixing console. Creatively, Brainworx’s patent-pending TMT takes into account the real-world variation between hardware components in a channel strip. Such variations, when combined across a mixing console, are a key component behind the warmth, depth, and width associated with analog gear. Get this, though: TMT measures a ‘golden unit’ channel from the hardware — in this case, a rare 72-channel Neve® VXS™ analog console, using the component values within and their specified tolerances to create an algorithm that simulates the same variation found in a brand-new console rolling off the factory floor.

Watch GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer/record producer Craig Bauer demonstrating bx_console E, bx_console G, and bx_console N here:

 

Furthermore, in bx_console N, that TMT gives rise to 72 unique channels reproducing the analog characteristics of the original console. Combined with an extremely low CPU (Central Processing Unit) load, this effectively enables users to create a virtual 72-channel console in their DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Wisely, the TMT section also allows selection between ANALOG and DIGITAL modes on stereo instances — ANALOG mode uses two, stepped channels on L/R, lending a pleasingly imperfect stereo image that is wider and warmer, while DIGITAL clones the channel on L/R, lending a ‘digitally perfect’ stereo image (though TMT channel characteristics still individually apply).

Additional features of note in the plugin include: punchy L/C (limiter/compressor) with adjustable REL2 (second release) time to prevent pumping, sidechain HPF (high pass filter), and MIX knob; GATE/EXP (expander) with external sidechaining; forgiving EQ filters that can be placed before, after, or within the dynamics sidechain; mid/side monitoring; and a virtual noise floor that simulates inherent noise in original hardware (that, of course, can be switched off).

Who better to champion bx_console N, then, than Brainworx Founder/CEO Dirk Ulrich himself? “When we modeled the console, we found out that there are about 150 components in the schematics for where the parts have tolerances, and we were able to capture these tolerances in a realistic way, so you get 72 different channels in the plugin,” he begins, before concluding thus: “There are some channel strip emulations out there already, but they never captured the most important thing, which is when you mix on a real console, every channel sounds a little bit different. That’s very important when you mix stereo channels, because the left and right play-out of the two channels is never exactly the same, giving you some phasing issues — in a positive way. This, I believe, is what people mean when they say, ‘An analog mix sounds bigger and wider.’ This is exactly what we’ve captured in this plugin.” 

bx_console N is available for purchase — as an AAX Native & DSP-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plugin for Mac OS X (10.8 through 10.12), Windows (7 through 10), and Pro Tools 10.3.10 (or higher) — exclusively from Plugin Alliance for an introductory promo price of $179.00 USD through to October 31, 2017, rising to $299.00 USD thereafter. (Owners of the original bx_console can upgrade to bx_console N for $29.00 USD while owners of bx_console who purchased bx_console E or bx_console G in August or September 2017 can upgrade to bx_console N for free.)

A fully-functional, 14-day trial is available to anyone registering for a free Plugin Alliance account here: http://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/registration.html

Note that the proprietary Plugin Alliance Installation Manager means users can select, download, and install only the products and formats needed for their system.

For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated bx_console N webpage here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_console_n.html

About Plugin Alliance (www.plugin-alliance.com)
Santa Cruz, California’s Plugin Alliance offers industry-leading pro audio plugins and plugin bundles from acclaimed developers such as Brainworx, Chandler Limited, elysia, Black Box Analog Design, and SPL with customer-friendly prices, licensing procedures, and financing options. Far more than just a website, it is a new ‘Über-standard’, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof.

About Brainworx (www.brainworx-music.de)
Since 2007, Brainworx has developed a reputation for creating sonically-advanced plugin tools at its German HQ. Highlights include the Brainworx-branded M/S-standard EQ, bx_digital V3, and game-changing bx_console channel strip. As the founding development partner of Plugin Alliance, Brainworx has also developed partnerships with SPL (Germany), Shadow Hills Industries (USA), Dangerous Music (USA), Ampeg/LOUD Technologies (USA), Friedman Amplification (USA), and many more besides.

© 2017 Plugin Alliance LLC

Newfangled Audio and Eventide partner to ELEVATE mastering technology with pioneering plug-in

New audio tools creator Newfangled Audio is proud to announce availability of Elevate — a pioneering plug-in that elevates mastering technology using intelligent, adaptive technology that responds in real time to music.

 Elevate is the most advanced mastering plug-in ever created. This unique multi-band limiter, human ear EQ, and powerful audio maximizer will increase the loudness of a mix while maintaining or improving its dynamic perception. It uses intelligent, adaptive technology that responds in real time to music, creating not only the loudest but also the best-sounding master.

Developed by Newfangled Audio, Elevate maintains subtle dynamics and improves the tonal balance of a mix. The adaptive LIMITER analyzes 26 frequency bands and alters the gain, speed, and transients for each band in real time. This results in a transparent, natural sound — no matter how hard it is pushed.

Newfangled Audio founder Dan Gillespie’s enlightening Elevate overview video

Elevate utilizes 26 critical filter bands modeled on the human ear. Each of the bands are spaced to give maximum control over how sound hits the eardrum. Draw curves, solo bands, and manipulate the transient attack for each individual band to bring out instruments such as kick or snare drums.

 See and hear how producer and recording artist Matt Lange has been using Elevate

 

Elevate uses artificial intelligence algorithms to make it easy to get the best sounds, but users can still get under the hood to access as much precise control as deemed necessary. This includes control over tonal balance and transients inside the final limiting stage. Adaptive algorithms reduce audible artifacts while additional controls provide maximum flexibility with professional results.

Features:
 • Analyzes and alters the gain, speed, and transients of each filter band in real time.
Includes presets from APS Mastering, Eric Beam, Matt Lange, Jeremy Lubsey, John McCaig, ROCAsound, and Chris Tabron.
 • Automatically adapts the attack, release, and look-ahead parameters for each filter band to greatly reduce ‘pumping’ and breathing artifacts and perceived distortion.
 • Manipulates transients across the critical bands to preserve the attacks from kick drums, snares, and cymbals — without affecting the entire mix.
 • Uses linear phase filters — based on the Mel Scale — to manipulate the audio in a way that is natural to the inner ear.
 • Solo the output of one band (or a number of bands) to hone in on problem frequencies, tweak transients, or alter gain.
 • Use AUTO OUTPUT level features to compare the limited signal to non-limited signals with the same amount of gain to easily hear what impact the processing is having on the sound.
 • Use the SPECTRAL CLIPPER to overdrive the final output without affecting the tonal balance or allowing the signal to get ‘tubby’ — perfect for a more aggressive sound.
 • Six different metering types to keep an eye on every aspect of the output audio.

Elevate is exclusively available through Eventide (as an AAX/AU/VST plug-in for Mac OS X 10.7+ and Windows 7+) — bundled with Newfangled Audio’s EQuivocate EQ plug-in (based on the critical bands of the human ear) — at an introductory promo price of $99.00 USD thru to October 31, 2017 (rising thereafter to an MSRP of $199.00 USD). Owners of EQuivocate can upgrade to the Elevate mastering bundle at an introductory promo price of $79.00 USD thru to October 31, 2017 (rising thereafter to an MSRP of $99.00 USD).

For more in-depth information, including a free demo download, please visit the dedicated product webpage here: http://www.eventideaudio.com/elevate 

About Newfangled Audio (www.newfangledaudio.com)
Newfangled Audio was started by former Eventide DSP engineer Dan Gillespie. By combining traditional signal processing techniques with advances in the field of machine learning the forward-thinking startup is creating the best-sounding audio tools available.
© 2017 Newfangled Audio

LayR - massive synth for iOS, touches new sonic territories with the last update!

LayR by Living Memory Software.

New features added with this last update (info directly from the appstore).Version 1.0.7

• 200+ new INSTRUMENT presets from Brice.
• A brand new Wave Folding distortion effect inserted between the 2 filters.
• ( Wave Folder is only active when Filter 2 has input from Filter 1 )
• A new performance bank with a few Wave Folder demo presets.
• New MIDI activity indicators added to Instrument views.
• (The arrows on the MIDI transpose control now flash when MIDI is received.)
• New Voice Activity indicators added to all Mixer Strips.
• (Blue lights indicate voices are active for the Instrument or Layer.)
• Added Mod and Pitch Bend controls to the keyboard.
• Added a “dark mode” for the keyboard:
• (The dark option can be set in the key edit view.)
• Added an “Initialise” button in the Load Preset views.
• (Resets instrument or performance to default settings.)
• Added an “Add Layer” button to Layer Strips in Performance view.
• Tapping on the host button in IAA transport now switches directly to the host app.
• In some IAA hosts LayR will now appear in it’s own “Living Memory” category.
• Added copy & paste filter1 to filter2 and vice-versa in the layer clipboards.
• (To access clipboard on iPad, long-press on the editor background).
• Instrument & Layer: Increased transpose limit from 36 to 72.
• Renamed LayR’s main mix output to “LayR Main Stereo”.
• Fixed: Instrument MIDI bank number incorrectly reset after loading an instrument.
• Fixed: Tapping on the keyboard MIDI channel to enter channel number.

 

App Store Link:  LayR - Multi Timbral Synthesizer

Description

LayR is a massively polyphonic, multi-timbral synthesizer for iPad and iPhone, optimized for modern 64 bit devices delivering up to 256 voices of rich, multi-layered and textured sounds.

LayR's primary sounds are called Performances: a Performance is a set of Instruments where each instrument is a set of Layers and each Layer is a complete synthesizer. A performance can consist of over 100 instruments each with it’s own MIDI channel and crossfading keyboard span. Voices are assigned to each layer in each instrument until the audio engine runs out of available voices. This means that with normal playing technique it is possible to create extremely complex texture on each note or even to have a single insane monophonic instrument equivalent to 100 synths all playing at once!

Every Layer has a dual oscillator which can morph with modulation between two shapes and phase states, two rich and warm state variable filters and a mixer to blend the oscillator with filters in any serial/parallel combination. For modulation (Frequency, Amplitude and Phase) there are two aux oscillators ranging from DC to audio frequency switchable to optionally follow keyboard pitch and restart phase when a note is started. 2 loopable ADSR envelopes ranging from fractions of a millisecond to 100 seconds, a volume level ADSR and a random level generator with a smoothing filter. With stereo delay, reverb and EQ on the output section LayR excels at not only emulating normal analog synth sounds but also at creating ambient textures with extremely long evolution cycles. 

Focused at keyboard players looking for a mobile synth that can be reliably used live on stage it is equally at home in the studio. LayR is provided with an extensive selection of usable instrument and performance presets which can be loaded using MIDI bank select and program change messages in the same manner as hardware synths. There is also an 8 channel arpeggiator with a 16 step event sequencer for creating exciting polyrhythmic patterns. Full IAA and Audiobus compatibility means LayR can be used with hosts and other music apps on iOS.

FEATURES
- Optimised 32 bit Audio Engine.
- Up to 128 Voices ( 256 on iPad Pro ).
- Multi-Timbral with 8 individual stereo instrument outputs + full mix output.
- Multi Channel Arpeggiator with 16 step event sequencer.
- Stereo Delay, Reverb and EQ on output section.
- Ranged MIDI control for all parameters.
- AudioBus and Inter-App Audio compatible.
- Performance and Program preset import & export via iTunes.
- Performance and Program preset sharing via iCloud Drive.
- Built-in Help

 

LayR is tested as thoroughly as possible and we hope there are no bugs left! If you do find one, rather than writing a negative review because of it, please report it to us either on our forum or by contacting support from our website. We hate bugs too and we're always ready to stamp them out quickly!
www.livingmemorysoftware.com

Antelope Audio announces DISCRETE 8 console-grade mic preamp interface and accompanying modelling mics

High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to announce (upcoming) availability of its DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps plus accompanying EDGE and VERGE modelling microphones — also available as various bundles bringing a new level of sound quality and power to home studios and mobile recordists alongside a true cutting-edge front end that will usher in a new era for modern recording.

Antelope Audio’s DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps comes complete with eight console-grade, six-transistor, fully-discrete design preamps; 121 dB dynamic range conversion; and rock-solid clocking. It includes all Antelope Audio’s premier realtime FPGA FX, including authentic models of iconic gear from BAE, Gyraf Audio, LANG, and many more besides. Being based on Antelope Audio’s AFX platform — a rapidly expanding hardware modelling engine — enables DISCRETE 8 to add Accusonic microphone and preamp models (maintaining the advantages of digital control and repeatability of gain levels), guitar amps, transformer and tube effects alongside a huge selection of classic vintage gear to its recording roster. Thanks to Antelope Audio’s all-new ConnectAFX plug-in, all are accessible via any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with workflow that just… well, works!

When working, DISCRETE 8 users can create custom presets to easily and speedily set up various tracking scenarios. The front panel features a large monitor volume knob and dedicated HP knobs for each output. On top of that, the talkback microphone is also built into the front panel right above the TBK (talkback) button. Better still, talkback can be engaged via the assignable FOOTSWITCH on the rear, in the EasyPanel software, or via the iOS/Android app. Meanwhile, metering is viewable on the front panel display, inside the EasyPanel, and also via the remote app.

As a 26-input/32-output audio interface with eight analogue inputs (A1 through to A8), eight analogue outputs (on a standard 25-pin D-SUB connector), a pair of MONITOR outputs, two REAMP outputs, and a pair of headphone outputs, with additional digital connectivity courtesy of S/PDIF IN and OUT alongside dual ADAT I/O, DISCRETE 8 was developed after extensive research of legendary microphone preamp circuitry. Console-grade, fully-discrete preamps were hand-designed to offer world-class sound, and Antelope Audio’s powerful FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) engine can transform those already expensive-sounding Accusonic preamps into several classic units via tube-, transformer-, and FET-based circuitry… and all in realtime!

Reality dictates, therefore, that both engineers and performers alike can instantly hear the authentic blends of 10 different mic preamps — without any latency or annoying comb filtering. Fortunately, the microphone source can be recorded with or without Accusonic modelling, allowing engineers to choose between preamp models during mixing. Moreover, the entire signal path was designed for optimal sound with any microphone, yet really shines when working with Antelope Audio’s new EDGE and VERGE modelling microphones, which were both specially designed for DISCRETE 8’s preamps, featuring matching discrete electronics.

 Antelope Audio’s informative introductory DISCRETE 8 video

EDGE and VERGE are both ideally suited, then, to Antelope Audio’s realtime mic preamp modelling. Creatively combined with the company’s already-acclaimed FPGA vintage hardware-based effects encompassing ever-expanding compressors and EQs, these new modelling microphones usher in a new era for modern recording.

Rightly named, EDGE features dual edge-terminated capsules for a smooth/natural sound, reproducing the expressiveness and character of costly classic microphones — albeit without excessive expense. Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin designed groundbreaking fully-discrete electronics especially for the job at hand while hand-selected capsules are encased in a carefully-crafted enclosure with contours carefully shaped for optimal sonic performance. As a direct result, EDGE is an exquisite large-diaphragm condenser modelling microphone with excellent transient response and capable of multiple polar patterns.

VERGE visibly differs as a small-diaphragm condenser (back electret-type) modelling microphone suited to both nuanced accuracy and high SPL (Sound Pressure Level) recording. Also exhibiting excellent performance in its own right, it can capably take on the character and personality of the world’s best small-diaphragm condensers and electrets.

Entering the wonderful world of DISCRETE 8’s FPGA Accusonic 3D Modelling Engine enables users to transform both EDGE and VERGE into vintage replicas, realising complete control over proximity effect, off-axis response, and even allowing them to change polar patterns during or after recording! Try choosing from a collection of classic, costly microphones, then track the results while monitoring live to bring out the best possible performance from musicians. Bought bundled together, Antelope Audio’s all-new DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps plus accompanying EDGE and VERGE modelling microphones make for a winning team, bringing all-star performance and technology to a new audience. As an example, a DISCRETE 8 working with one EDGE and six VERGE modelling microphones can capably run two chains of FPGA effects inserts and all microphone emulations for one mic.

Musically speaking, the realtime FPGA platform offers a complete professional studio experience — microphones, preamps, conversion, compressors, EQs, reverb, and latency-free monitoring, all backed by Antelope Audio’s signature clocking combined into one unified system with instantly-recallable presets. Put it this way: users can even load AFX Presets from VIP Masters with favourite combinations of FPGA effects regularly being pressed into play on award-winning mixes to transform their own productions! Play to win… with Antelope Audio’s all-new DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps plus accompanying EDGE and VERGE modelling microphones, an entire signal path of customisable sonic excellence awaits any adoptee.

And if that’s not enough to convince, consider this: DISCRETE 8 can even save and load presets and exchange settings with Antelope Audio’s full lineup of FPGA-equipped professional audio interfaces, making it a no-brainer for both new users and existing owners using a second rig for touring or travel by allowing them to leave their current studio setup untouched when on the road or engaging in session work outside their own facility — free to roam, recording whatever and whenever with that winning team of modelling microphones and DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps!

The DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps plus EDGE and VERGE modelling microphones will soon be available via Antelope Audio’s growing global network of dealers. Antelope Audio itself is already accepting preorders on the following bundles: 1x DISCRETE 8, 1x EDGE, and 6x VERGE (€2,995.00 EUR); 1x DISCRETE 8 and 6x VERGE (€1,895.00 EUR); and 1x DISCRETE 8 and 1x EDGE (€1,995.00 EUR).

For more in-depth info, please visit the dedicated DISCRETE 8 webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-8/

For more in-depth info, please visit the dedicated DISCRETE 8 + EDGE bundle webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-8-edge-bundle

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated DISCRETE 8 + VERGE bundle webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-8-verge-bundle

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated DISCRETE 8 + EDGE + VERGE bundle webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-8-edge-verge-bundle

For more information about Antelope Audio’s FPGA effects, including a full library list, please visit the dedicated webpage here: http://antelopeaudio.com/hardware-based-fpga-effects/

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.
© 2017 Antelope Audio