Rob Papen puts Predator2 in the hands of NI hardware users with welcome NKS®-supporting update

Virtual instrument and effects plug-in developer Rob Papen Soundware is proud to announce that its popular Predator2 soft synth supports Native Instruments’ Native Kontrol Standard (NKS®) extended plug-in format for all virtual instrument developers — delivering intuitive and seamless interaction with the German giant’s cutting-edge KOMPLETE KONTROL S- Series keyboards and MASCHINE 2 hardware — alongside additional improvements in its latest free update.

Ultimately, updating Predator2 offers owners of Native Instruments’ KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series keyboards and MASCHINE 2 hardware hands-on control of the soft synth from the get-go, thanks to its newly-implemented NKS® compatibility. Clearly, getting going has never been easier as almost all Predator2 parameters can be speedily and comfortably controlled with the tweak of a neat Native Instruments knob.

Namesake company Managing Director Rob Papen has helpfully hosted a dedicated YouTube video (https://youtu.be/8zsTIMvyeQs) showing which NI knob has been pre-mapped to which Predator2 parameter... workflow will literally never feel the same again — all the more so since navigating using Native Instruments’ innovative hardware browser brings up Predator2 presets, so no need to risk RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) by pointing and clicking using a mouse (or trackpad). That said, picture-perfect presets are a Rob Papen speciality, so Predator2 comes complete with over 5,000 exciting entries covering almost any musical style imaginable. Is it any wonder, then, that Predator2 is the go-to soft synth for so many music-makers!

But back onscreen there are also a notable number of improvements to Predator2 in its latest update — not least giving the GUI (Graphical User Interface) itself a lighter-coloured background that is easier on the eye, easing Predator2’s use. Users familiar with the soft synth will already appreciate the many ways to select Predator2 presets, yet Rob Papen is always open to making further refinements, as evidenced by the new ‘star’ feature within the bank MANAGER, making it even easier to find favourite presets. Predator2’s latest update also allows copying presets to a FAVORITES folder for sharing. Sharing such improvements is central to the Rob Papen ethos, evidenced by another helpful YouTube video for the benefit of all. After all, a picture paints a thousand words. Why not a video? 

Fortunately for existing owners of Predator2, downloading this update for free could not be simpler — simply logging into their Rob Papen account and visiting their My Products webpage will display the latest version below their product registration. Really it is a no-brainer... feel the benefit of Native Instruments’ innovative hardware living in perfect harmony with Rob Papen’s latest newly-NKS®-compatible soft synth while putting those other improvements into action. Ask Rob Papen himself!

Predator2 can be purchased in a boxed edition — as an AAX (32-/64-bit), AU (32-/64-bit), VST (32-/64-bit) compatible audio software plug-in for Mac OS X (10.6 or higher) and Windows (Vista, 7, 8, and 10) — from authorised Rob Papen dealers worldwide or as a download directly from Rob Papen for €149.00 EUR/$149.00 USD from here: http://www.robpapen.com/predator2-buy.html (Predator purchasers are eligible to upgrade to Predator2 for €49.00 EUR/$49.00 USD.)
Note that eXplorer4, the latest incarnation of Rob Papen’s all-encompassing software bundle, includes Predator2, upping the total product count to 15; competitively priced at €499.00 EUR/$499.00 USD, this represents a significant saving of over 50% when compared to separately purchasing each and every Rob Papen virtual instrument and effects plug-in included!
For more in-depth info, please visit the dedicated Predator2 product webpage here: http://www.robpapen.com/Predator2.html

About Rob Papen (www.robpapen.com) 

Self-confessed synth freak and world-renowned sound designer Rob Papen started working with synthesizers at the tender age of 15 when purchasing an analogue Korg MS-20 semi-modular monosynth and accompanying analogue SQ-10 sequencer. Suitably inspired, he subsequently released several albums as part of Dutch electronic music groups Peru and Nova — the latter featuring the same members as Peru, but with a more commercial slant — with whom he enjoyed number one hit singles in The Netherlands (Nova) in 1982 and Austria (Peru) in 1988. Peru disbanded in 1993, by which time Rob had already established himself as a sought-after sound designer, creating presets for the likes of Waldorf, Access, Ensoniq, and E-mu, before going on to found his namesake company in pursuit of creating a sound designer’s dream synth.That software dream soon became reality when Rob formed the RPCX (Rob Papen ConcreteFX) partnership with music software developer Jon Ayres to develop new Rob Papen virtual instruments and effects plug-ins, starting with BLUE — an exciting- sounding, self-styled ‘Crossfusion Synthesis’ affair (combining FM, Phase Distortion,Wave Shaping, and Subtractive synthesis into one powerful dream synth) — in 2005.Today Rob Papen soundware defines cutting-edge contemporary music production: powerful virtual instruments and plug-ins that intermix innovative design, uncompromising sound quality, and musical, production-grade presets to make tracks truly shine, whatever the musical genre... Inspiration Soundware, indeed!

Antelope Audio debuts brand new Goliath HD pro audio interface flagship at Musikmesse 2017

High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to debut Goliath HD — its brand new Thunderbolt™/USB3.0/HDX Port/MADI pro audio interface flagship with ZERø-latency FPGA Engine and AFC Clocking Technology — at Musikmesse 2017, April 5-8, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Goliath by name, Goliath by nature; Goliath HD features 64 channels of high-quality I/O and powerful upgrades, including new adaptable Accusonic mic preamps, and can capably serve as the powerhouse centrepiece of any studio setup. Stepping up to the plate as Antelope Audio’s pro audio interface flagship so soon after the company’s NAMM Show 2017-debuted Orion32 HD showstopper started shipping is quite an achievement in itself. After all, both units boast best-in-class connectivity flexibility and pristine conversion while bringing Antelope Audio’s advanced approach to audio processing with its comprehensive suite of hardware-based FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) effects — providing hardware models of some of the most desirable vintage effects around with realtime performance — to both Pro Tools | HD and Native DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) systems.
Says Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin: “With the launch of Goliath HD, even the most sophisticated studios can access the market-leading features and innovations that only Antelope Audio interfaces can provide. Goliath HD, which works seamlessly in Pro Tools environments, is an uncompromising studio tool that improves overall sound quality while vastly expanding overall functionality.”

For starters, connectivity comes naturally to Goliath HD allowing it to instantly interface digitally with both Mac and PC platforms via Thunderbolt or USB 3.0. It also delivers dual MADI connections, compatible with MADI to Dante Bridge products, permitting users to access all audio streams from anywhere within their Dante-enabled facility. Further refining the recording experience for Pro Tools | HD users, Antelope Audio’s proprietary HDX Delay Compensation technology allows any analogue or digital input to arrive at the timeline with sample accuracy. As such, integration of digital sources with Pro Tools | HD software is both refined and unparalleled. Users can even have a Pro Tools | HD and a Native DAW setup simultaneously interface with Goliath HD.

With 64 channels of I/O comfortably accommodated within a modest-sized 2U rack device that is as easy on the eye as it is easy to use with monitor and level indicators alongside a responsive touchscreen, Goliath HD pushes the envelope in pro audio interface design. Duly included are 16 of Antelope Audio’s all-new Accusonic mic preamps with individual push-and-turn-style volume controls, making multitrack recording a breeze by further leveraging the realtime processing capabilities of the company’s FPGA hardware and allowing accurate hardware-powered circuitry to complement any microphone selection — with or without any additional outboard gear. Get this, though: impressive iOS and Android apps allow users to remote adjust those mic preamps and output volumes while freely moving around wherever Goliath HD is installed.

Watch Antelope Audio’s informative introductory Goliath HD video

Impressively, Goliath HD’s 32 analogue inputs achieve an accomplished 124dB of dynamic range while its 32 analogue outputs offer up to 129dB. Combine that with mastering-grade monitor outputs that reach the heady heights of 132dB — thanks to new dynamic range-boosting technology like no other — and Goliath HD duly delivers a new level of mix detail, the likes of which has hitherto never before been witnessed in the digital recording world.

While supplying sufficient analogue connectivity through its mic preamps and multiple 25-pin D-SUB connectors, Goliath HD helpfully has several specialised inputs and outputs that do away with necessarily needing excessive amounts of external equipment, including four front panel-positioned guitar DI inputs (G1 through to G4), two transformer-based re-amp outputs (R1 and R2), an inbuilt talkback mic, and two headphone outs (HP1 and HP2), plus a pair of rear-mounted analogue INSERTS. In addition, Goliath HD has an abundance of clock signal distribution connectivity with AES/EBU, MADI, ADAT, S/PDIF, and BNC connectors (for loop sync or standard word clock usage). Ultimate audio experience comes courtesy of Goliath HD’s 10M IN clock input to connect to Antelope Audio’s acclaimed 10M Rubidium Atomic Clock or 10MX Rubidium Atomic Clock for the best clocking in the industry with unparalleled sonic satisfaction.

Speaking of which, Antelope Audio’s new flagship pro audio interface leverages the company’s constantly growing library of meticulously modelled vintage hardware and modern effects via its FPGA-based realtime technology. This brings both colossal cost savings and phenomenal processing power to state-of-the-art recording, requiring no physical rack space.
Still better, the Goliath HD desktop application also facilitates full control of input and output routing, as well as sub-mixes and effects processing. Thanks to Antelope Audio’s recently released Session Presets application, all of that functionality — including specific FPGA effects and HDX compensation settings — is instantaneously recallable and shareable, so this makes Goliath HD a perfect partner for Pro Tools | HD-based studios with multiple rooms or artists working in several environments. Either way, users can simply dial in a particular session and access it at any time or location with the click of a mouse (or trackpad).

But beyond a wealth of features making it more versatile than any other pro audio interface on the market, Goliath HD also sounds quite unlike any other pro audio interface. Indeed, it sports the lowest THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) available in a multi-channel interface across all 64 of its I/O channels. It is powered by the most powerful ESS chips available and — as boldly blazoned across its impressive facia — Antelope Audio’s AFC (Acoustically Focused Clocking) jitter-management technology and nonpareil noise-lowering know-how serve to set a new standard in digital conversion clarity. Concludes Igor Levin: “No other interface on the market is able to serve such a powerful and flexible centrepiece for the modern recording studio. Goliath HD is a ‘must-have’ for both advanced users and prolific recording studios around the world.”

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

 

Antelope Audio announces refresh of Orion Studio pro audio interface at Musikmesse 2017

High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to announce a refreshed version of Orion Studio — a 2017 revision spearheading its innovative Orion family of professional audio interfaces, immediately distinguishable from its 2015-released popular predecessor on the outside, courtesy of an eye-catching carbon grey-coloured faceplate, while internally boasting brand-new, ear-opening analogue-to-digital convertors to achieve an unmatched 124dB dynamic range alongside the company’s lauded low-latency performance par excellence — which will be making its debut during a must-see showcase at Musikmesse 2017, April 5-8, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Clearly, then, this timely refresh runs far further than skin deep. Delivering that 124dB dynamic range when converting audio, those industry-leading, all-new A/D conversion chips translate to capturing every sonic nuance of a performance as faithfully as possible; pooled with Antelope Audio’s acclaimed 64-bit ATC (Acoustically Focused Clocking) jitter-management technology, the Orion Studio Rev. 2017 is poised to implement industry-leading fidelity in almost any application.

Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin states, “Sound quality has been our primary focus for all of our product designs, and we are pleased to launch this significant update to our popular Orion Studio. With these updates, customers are able to realise an even higher degree of audio quality in real time, while employing our other new innovations, such as Session Presets and intuitive routing capabilities.”

Continuing its popular predecessor’s penchant for comprehensive connectivity, the Orion Studio Rev. 2017’s wide range of I/O remains beyond compare with Thunderbolt™ and USB (as boldly blazoned across its impressive faceplate); 12 superb-sounding preamps (to easily accommodate complex multi-microphone setups); 16 analogue outputs on standard 25-pin D-SUB connectors (capably providing an abundance of signal distribution capacity for outboard gear integration or summing); switchable dual mastering-grade monitor outputs (MONITOR A and MONITOR B); ADAT and S/PDIF digital I/O (allowing additional audio channels to be delivered via Thunderbolt or USB 2.0); built-in talkback; four front-panel positioned instrument DIs (A1 through to A4); two transformer-based re-amp outputs (R1 and R2); dual headphone outputs (HP1 and HP2); and word clock (WC) in and out. Orion Studio Rev. 2017 is ready, willing, and able to perfectly integrate into any studio or live recording ecosystem.

But beyond that eye-catching carbon grey-coloured faceplate is where the trailblazing Antelope Audio action excites as the company continues to shake up the industry. Indeed, the launch of Orion Studio Rev. 2017 coincides with the addition of several new compressors to the company’s cutting-edge, expanding library of hardware-based FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) effects, providing hardware models of some of the most desirable vintage effects around with realtime performance to boot. Better still, users of Orion Studio Rev. 2017 can now open up to 32 compressor models at once, and all without sacrificing any of the 40 available EQ instances! In fact, this is a major advantage over DSP (Digital Signal Processing) since those ultra-realistic, realtime hardware effects are handled within the interface itself, without taxing the host DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) — perfect for realtime tracking and monitoring, and easily routable to work on a mix inside the DAW, duly broadening the available sonic palette on any laptop or desktop in the process. Pushing onwards and upwards, Antelope Audio’s soon-to-be-released Accusonic microphone and mic preamps take full advantage of this realtime technology.

 Watch Antelope Audio’s informative introductory Orion Studio Rev. 2017 video

Topping things off, Antelope Audio’s all-new Session Presets software revolutionises the way that studios record and mix, speeding up session workflow with an ability to instantly save, load, and share any of these routing, monitoring, and effects settings across multiple studio rooms or facilities. Furthermore, the recently added Routing Matrix view offers a detailed alternative to the company’s classic drag-and-drop routing interface and users can control as many Orion professional audio interfaces as they can connect with the new serial number selector in the Control Panel desktop software — even opening multiple panels!

Put it this way: Antelope Audio’s refreshed version of Orion Studio has it all — the most mic preamps, best sound quality, lowest latency, realtime effects, powerful new saving tools, and multiple software panels to control any Antelope Audio interface on a network via Mac, PC, iOS, or Android. Adding it all up, no other interfaces compare to the fastest-growing platform in pro audio.

Antelope Audio will be displaying and demoing Orion Studio Rev. 2017 in Hall 9.0, Booth E28 at Musikmesse 2017, April 5-8, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Get down there to check it out. Witnesses will surely be impressed by what they see and hear.

Orion Studio Rev. 2017 is scheduled to start shipping in mid-May, when it will become available for purchase through Antelope Audio’s growing global network of dealers.
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Orion Studio Rev. 2017 webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/orion-studio-rev-2017/
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

Softube launches Doepfer A-101-2 Vactrol LPG low pass gate module for Modular

High-end plug-in specialist Softube is proud to launch Doepfer A-101-2 Vactrol LPG — a plug-in version of Doepfer’s modernized take on the Buchla LPG (Low Pass Gate) concept, complete with clever and creative additions — as a new module for its perennially popular Modular software synth.

Ever since its invention by Don Buchla, the LPG has been heralded for an ability to add a lifelike and organic response and textures to modular synth patches. With its A-101-2 Vactrol LPG, Eurorack instigator Doepfer took the concept a step further, adding a resonance filter for further sonic treatment. Today, thanks to Softube’s plug-in version for Modular, the module is available for any music creator that prefers working in the software realm.

As implied by name, Doepfer’s hardware LPG modules are based on vactrols — just like opto-compressors. The response time of these can vary wildly, which is all part of the LPG charm. Softube’s plug-in version of Doepfer’s design adds a Vact. switch, which was not part of the original hardware. This lets users switch between fast, medium, or slow (F/M/S) response times to cover the variation between individual analog units.

Doepfer’s A-101-2 Vactrol LPG hardware has been a longtime staple in the Eurorack world; now it’s a welcome addition to Softube’s Modular, the first truly expandable software modular system that looks, works, and sounds exactly like its hardware counterparts.

Doepfer A-101-2 Vactrol LPG is available now from Softube’s website and from authorized dealers around the world.
The list price is $39, but it is available at an introductory price of $29 until April 30, 2017.

 

About Softube (www.softube.com)
Founded by Oscar Öberg, and aptly dubbed “…the Swedish rock ’n’ roll scientists,” Softube has developed high-end software for the music market since 2003. Its own product roster ranges from modeled guitar amplifiers to professional audio mixing plug-ins and also includes the award-winning Console 1 hardware/software mixing system, as well as software instruments (Hearbeat and Modular). The company has received several awards — including, most recently, two TEC (Technical Excellence & Creativity) awards at the 32nd Annual event for the Marshall JMP 2203 and Marshall Bluesbreaker 1962 plug-ins (both developed by Softube exclusively for Universal Audio’s UAD/Apollo platform) — and award nominations in recognition of its innovative products. Productive partnerships have been formed with an assortment of pro audio companies held in high regard around the globe — including Abbey Road Studios, Mutronics, Solid State Logic, Summit Audio, Tonelux Designs, Tube-Tech, and Trident Audio Developments — to fashion faithful models of their analog hardware units. These third-party companies have happily lent their names and logotypes to the resulting plug-ins. Above and beyond its impressive namesake product lineup, Softube has also developed software products for other notable companies, such as Ableton, Fender, Cakewalk, Marshall Amplification, Native Instruments, Propellerheads, TC Electronic, and Universal Audio.

Synth whizz Will Gregory gears up to take new Goldfrapp album to the masses with ATC assistance

“What’s good about the SCM25A Pros is that they’re more muscular; they’ve got more bass

end, and you can control that… they manage to throw the sweet spot quite a long way into the room, so everyone can share it… but they have all that accuracy, so when you do sit yourself down in the sweet spot they’re absolutely invaluable.” - Will Gregory (composer/keyboardist/producer), 2017

Specialist British loudspeaker drive unit and complete sound reproduction system manufacturer ATC is proud to announce that Goldfrapp synth whizz Will Gregory turned to London-based ATC dealer Funky Junk to supplement his trusty Nineties-vintage SCM20 passive monitors with an altogether more modern SCM25A Pro three-way active studio pairing, promptly put to good use when working on the multiple Grammy®-nominated British electronic duo’s recently released seventh studio album, Silver Eye.

But before finding critical acclaim and international chart success with vocalist Alison Goldfrapp — Supernature sold over one million copies as Goldfrapp’s third album (featuring striking smash hit ‘Ooh La La’), the Bristol-born multi-talented composer, keyboardist, and producer predominantly recorded and toured throughout the Eighties with Bath-based rock/pop phenomenon Tears For Fears and later performed with other big name ‘local’ acts, including singer-songwriter/humanitarian activist Peter Gabriel and trip-hop pioneers Portishead. It was around this time that Will Gregory began a lifelong love affair with those trusty two-way passives, playing their part in putting him on the road to Goldfrapp glory. “I managed to source a second-hand pair of SCM20s, because I didn’t have a lot of money at the time,” he begins. “But I’ve always used them as my main reference monitors, and I’ve taken them to all the mixing sessions we’ve done with Goldfrapp. I know where I am with them, so they’ve stood me in good stead, because they have this quality of not bringing anything to the party.”

Problems have, however, occurred — albeit as far as Will Gregory’s well-honed listening skills are concerned — when stepping outside his ATC comfort zone: “I’ve had to mix on other speakers when working elsewhere, but then when I play those mixes back on the SCM20s I end up making more changes — put it that way. Whatever else I play them on after I’ve made those changes, I don’t want to make any more changes, so — in that sense — you can trust them to be accurate.”

All of which rather begs the question: why the need to move on up to ATC’s acclaimed SCM25A Pro three-way actives? An answer lies somewhat closer to home. Home is where the heart is, after all, and home for Will Gregory is a spacious Sixties bungalow also housing his primary studio setup (as well as a synth-based room and another room dedicated to analogue drum sounds and tape manipulation). Here he hunkered down for the best part of two years to work on the new Goldfrapp album, announced on Twitter by Alison Goldfrapp herself back in July 2015. While Will Gregory has not entirely forsaken his passive pair of beloved SCM20s, the larger SCM25A Pro three-way active studio monitors met with his approval in more ways than one: “What’s good about the SCM25A Pros is that they’re more muscular; they’ve got more bass end, and you can control that because they’ve got ports on the side, so you can decide how much or little you want, which is great. I love the totally practical, physical way that you can just remove or insert the bungs to change the bass, but, either way, they fill the room much better than the SCM20s.”

Tricky as it may sound, residential room size played a part in influencing Will Gregory’s studious SCM25A Pro purchasing decision. “I’m in quite a big room now,” notes its owner, adding: “I’m here a lot of the time, so it functions like a home. I think they used to have more room in the Sixties, so it’s got this large sitting room with a lovely picture window, which means you can see some nature while working. So I love it from that point of view, having spent so many years underground, which is where musicians seem to put themselves a lot the time in studios for some strange reason. But because we’re detached here, we’re not going to disturb our neighbours unduly, so it’s ideal. But when I’m working with other people in there we clearly can’t all fit in the sweet spot between the speakers, yet they manage to throw the sweet spot quite a long way into the room, so everyone can share it. They’re also fantastic for just ramping up the vibe a little bit, but they have all that accuracy, so when you do sit yourself down in the sweet spot they’re absolutely invaluable.”

Invaluable for referencing that all-important bass end on Goldfrapp’s eagerly-awaited seventh studio album, about which the dynamic duo themselves collectively commented: “Silver Eye belongs more to the electronic world of Supernature and Black Cherry. We’ve worked with some fantastic people on this album and we’re really excited to share it with you.”
The British-built SCM25A Pro active three-way studio monitors carry a UK RRP of £5,963.00 GBP (plus VAT) per pair.
For availability and pricing internationally, please visit the ATC website to find a distributor for your region here: http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/where-to-buy/

For availability and pricing in the United States, please contact Brad Lunde at Transaudio Group here: http://www.transaudiogroup.com

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated SCM25A Pro webpage here: http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/professional/loudspeakers/scm25a-pro/

About ATC (www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/professional)
ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) is a specialist British manufacturer of loudspeaker drive units and complete sound reproduction systems, including all associated electronic equipment. All such systems and components are designed and built in-house to achieve levels of performance far in excess of the industry norm by adopting a thoroughly professional engineering approach to the issues of basic design, materials science, and production technology. Formed in 1974 to manufacture custom drive units for the professional sound industry, ATC’s groundbreaking ‘Soft Dome’ mid driver technology was originally developed in 1976 and is still featured in the company’s current SCM25A Pro, SCM45A Pro, SCM50ASL Pro, SCM100ASL Pro, SCM110ASL Pro, SCM150ASL Pro, SCM200ASL Pro, and top-of-the-range SCM300ASL Pro three-way active professional series loudspeakers. Constantly improved, it is still unique in innovation, and remains the only midrange device capable of delivering ultimate performance; flatteringly, it has been widely copied — without success. Similarly, the ‘Super Linear’ technology found in ATC’s professional series bass drive units is equally unique — not only in its ability to accurately reproduce piano, but also the precise manner in which male voices are articulated. All drive units in ATC active professional monitors are powered by their own ATC-designed amplifier, optimised for the relevant bandwidth, and all amplifiers — working substantially in Class A — feature even-order-filtered active crossovers that are individually aligned and phase-corrected to ensure unmatched stereo imaging.
© 2017 ATC Loudspeaker Technology Ltd

EVENTIDE H3000 LIVE PLUG-IN COMES TO YAMAHA RIVAGE PM10

Classic micropitch and delay effects included with V1.5 upgrade

Available with the V1.5 upgrade to Yamaha’s flagship RIVAGE PM10 live sound console is the new Eventide H3000 LIVE plug-in.  Eventide’s developers worked hand in hand with Yamaha’s team to incorporate the most sought-after classic sounds from the H3000 Harmonizer® effects processor. With H3000 LIVE integrated into the state-of-the-art RIVAGE PM10 console, Front of House engineers have the most requested presets from the venerable H3000 at their fingertips.  Factory presets included are:

101 Layered Shift                518 Micro + Reverb
102 Slap Back                    520 Micro-Reverb
116 Multi Shift                    521 Micro Pitch-Slap
508 Dual H910 Micro                528 Real Chorus
514 Just Stereo                988 Real Chorus 2
519 MicroPitchShift                763 Moving Vocal Spread
515 Magic Air                    613 Big Guitar
533 Voice Doubler                731 Mondo Chorus

Links:
Eventide website: www.eventideaudio.com
Yamaha Rivage PM10 - https://goo.gl/B8uBtk

About Eventide:
Eventide was founded in 1971 in New York City and is a leading developer and manufacturer of digital audio processing products for recording, broadcast, and live performance. Eventide invented the H910, the first digital effects processor in 1974, and introduced the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer effects processor in 1986. Since then their legendary studio processors, stompboxes and plug-ins have been heard on countless hit records.

KMI K-MIX helps happening hip-hop, rap, and experimental sound design trio clipping. command stagecraft

"Occasionally we show up in a new environment and we’re, like, ‘We need to sub-mix this.’ With K-MIX it’s so fast and so easy; it sounds good and it’s indestructible, so those are all really important things for the road.” - Jonathan Snipes (clipping.), 2017

Innovative hardware and software developer Keith McMillen Instruments is proud to announce that happening hip-hop, rap, and experimental sound design trio clipping. is making much use of the company’s K-MIX next-generation audio interface and programmable mixer to help break down musical barriers by bringing its paired noise and power electronics-inspired tracks to suitably captivated audiences.

clipping. formed in Los Angeles in 2009, initially conceived as a remix project by beat-makers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, but began in earnest when the dynamic duo later joined forces with rapper Daveed Diggs, building both on their long friendship and shared obsession for rap, experimental music, and genre fiction that remains central to their technologically creative and compelling fusion. First up, William Hutson talks through his setup and application: “I have a classic harsh noise pedalboard setup — several inputs go into it, including a contact mic taped to a hobby box full of screws or pennies; then there’s the beats coming out of Jon’s computer, a white noise generator, and I also have some samples that I play back occasionally on an iPad, but mostly it’s turning on and off different distortion chains.” 

Watch clipping.’s William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes sing

K-MIX’s praises in an insightful interview 

Continues Jonathan Snipes: “I have a Max patch that’s essentially like a really buggy, terrible version of Ableton Live that crashes a lot and only I know how to use! It’s utterly overcomplicated and involves way too many text files that it needs to parse all the time. I have another layer in the Max patch that I play over the top of things, too. It’s an iPad-controlled effects matrix thing that I built, but it’s always nice to know that if I do something stupid or do nothing at all then the song is continuing and Daveed can still rap. Adding a new song is like, ‘What is appropriate for this song? What should I do with these tools in front of me that can add to this and sound cool?’”

Watch this informative introduction to K-MIX

 

Getting those tools and that avant-garde approach to sound cool onstage is where clipping. collectively comes into its own, as audiences to their upcoming tour support slot for American alternative psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips will witness. William Hutson attests to the challenge, claiming, “My stereo out used to be on a separate DI, but, because I’m using so much microphone feedback and distorted sounds, sound guys would just — over the course of a show — make me quieter and quieter and quieter until, by the last song, I would be, like, ‘I’m off; they’ve turned me off!’”

Working with unsympathetic FOH sound engineers in new environments is uncool, clearly. Cooler still, though, the recent addition of Keith McMillen Instruments’ innovative K-MIX, a next-generation audio interface and programmable mixer housed in an indestructible casing with no moving parts, played a major role in helping clipping. to meet those technical challenges head on. “It’s great, because we’ve never had anything we’d liked to sub-mix me with before,” William Hutson notes. “Now we give them two pairs of outputs from the K-MIX, so they can’t turn me off!"

Obviously sympathetic to his beat-making partner’s plight, Jonathan Snipes is equally enthusiastic about the K-MIX addition, adding, “And we can throw compressors and EQs and things on you that we actually like, and also not roll off your lows and highs like the sound guys usually do, because those are super-important. So it’s super-useful in our setup —because of its versatility. I don’t feel like I’m using its full capacity, but things that are versatile and deep are great because they can be exactly what you need in different situations.”

Surely songs from the likes of clipping.’s latest release — 2016’s Splendor & Misery (available on Sub Pop and Deathbomb Arc) — have never sounded so good when transported to a KMI-supported stage setting? Clearly, K-MIX is one for the road… just ask Jonathan Snipes!

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

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

RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR Radikal Technologies Eurorack-compatible module with a DSP-driven difference

Having turned heads, opened ears, and blown musical minds with a successful showcase at The 2017 NAMM Show, January 19-22 in Anaheim, California, high-quality synthesizer developer Radikal Technologies is proud to announce availability of its RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR — an advanced DSP-driven Eurorack-compatible oscillator module that, as implied by name, goes far beyond the realms of standard oscillator fare, firstly thanks to two oscillators that can both build swarms of (up to eight) oscillator ‘clones’ capable of being pitched in musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes, dutifully backed by having all parameter settings saveable as interpolatable snapshots, enabling even more radical results.

A dictionary definition of swarm typically reads: a large number of things… or oscillators, in the case of Radikal Technologies’ radical RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR, which, when switched to its highest SWARM setting, sees a maximum of 16 oscillator ‘clones’ running simultaneously. Something that stands out from the sound of the (ever-expanding Eurorack modular) crowd — to (partially) paraphrase the early-Eighties British breakthrough hit from synth-pop pioneers The Human League (themselves no strangers to the small-format modular system popularised by fellow German developers Doepfer Musikelektronik) — and surely something to behold? But building swarms of oscillator clones using both (OSCILLATOR 1 and OSCILLATOR 2) banks’ specialised set of TUNE, OCTAVES, DENSITY, SPREAD, and DETUNE controls to create pitched musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes does not necessarily mean that all 16 of those clones have to sound simultaneously.

Switched into (its default startup) Manual-Mode of operation, the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR can function much like any other Eurorack-compatible all-analogue oscillator out there with OSCILLATOR 1 and OSCILLATOR 2 respectively appearing at the two (OUT 1 and OUT 2) outputs as sound sources for further manipulation elsewhere — using Radikal Technologies’ own RT-451 DUAL MULTIMODE FILTER module, for instance. In this scenario, the sound of the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR module matches exactly what would be expected from the potentiometer-controlled parameter positions on its 32 HP (Horizontal Pitch) sized front panel; putting yet more controls at adventurous users’ fingertips, both banks of oscillators feature WAVE controls for smooth transitions between waveforms and TLM (Timelinearity Modulation), a variation of pulse-width modulation — known from Radikal Technologies’ SPECTRALIS 2 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER/BEATMATRIX/FILTERBANK desktop hybrid — that can be applied to all waveforms, while exponential FM (Frequency Modulation) and linear FM modulation or PM (Phase Modulation) are also available alongside oscillator synchronisation. Pitch is, of course, controlled by the (calibrated) 1V/OCT input (which can be quantised so that only pitches of a certain tone sequence or scale are output). 

demonstration video of the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR

Other operational modes make more radical results really shine through, though. Switching Snapshot-Mode into play permits the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR to store up to eight memory setups, each with eight snapshots, saving all oscillator settings and memorising them even after whatever Eurorack small-format modular synth system is playing host to the module has been powered down! Such snapshots are assigned to one of eight positions accessible via the ‘big knob’ dominating the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR’s front panel. Put it into Interpolator-Mode and everything (literally) revolves around the cyclic traversal of those snapshots, smoothly crossfading from one to the next with transitions taken care of via voltage control, an internal LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator), or the big knob itself — either way, the surrounding eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) illuminate accordingly in user-chosen colours, helpfully highlighting which snapshot is playing at any given time.

To make room for an RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR in any Eurorack small-format modular system means making more sound colours available to the sophisticated synthesist… Radikal by name, radical by nature, now a swarm of oscillators need not take up too much valuable rack space, so why not add one (or more) modules to your setup today to start putting Radikal Technologies’ latest DSP-driven design through its unique-sounding paces?

Now shipping, the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR is available for purchase from Radikal Technologies stockists at an MSRP of €598.00 EUR (in Europe) and $659.00 USD (in the US).

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR webpage here: http://www.radikaltechnologies.com/index.php/rt-311-swarm-oscillator/

About Radikal Technologies (www.radikaltechnologies.com)
Radikal Technologies was founded in 1995 as a pro audio equipment distribution company by present-day President Jurgen Korduletsch. Within a few years the company moved into developing its own product designs, starting with the SAC-2K (SAC-2.2) Software Assigned Controller, an award-winning DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) control surface, supporting popular environments like Digital Performer, Logic, Pyramix, and Nuendo. Next up, a move into electronic musical instruments introduced the trailblazing SPECTRALIS ANALOG SYNTHESIZER/BEATMATRIX/FILTERBANK desktop hybrid in 2004, while more recent DSP (Digital Signal Processing) developments — combined with Product Designer Jörg Schaaf’s relentless pursuit of perfectionism in the realm of cutting-edge sound synthesis algorithms — resulted in the aptly-named ACCELERATOR polyphonic synthesizer keyboard marvel. More recently, Radikal Technologies has been making its musical mark upon the ever-expanding Eurorack modular marketplace with worthy modules drawing upon its illustrious past while looking to the future.

KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN, an authentic collection of 10 Iranian instruments by Impact Soundworks

Impact Soundworks announces authentic-sounding sampled collection of 10 traditional Iranian instruments

Audio software creator Impact Soundworks is proud to announce availability of KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN — an authentic collection of 10 traditional Iranian instruments perfect for realising realistic Middle Eastern music, cinematic scores, world fusion, and more as one of the deepest world instrument sample libraries ever released for Native Instruments’ industry-standard KONTAKT platform.

Koron is a traditional Iranian term that refers to notes that are a quarter-step lower in pitch. Put it this way: such quarter tone intervals are a distinguishing feature of Iranian and other traditional Middle Eastern music, and, as such, Impact Soundworks sensitively pays tribute to that concept — both in name and content — with KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN. Indeed, it is designed to capture the very essence of Iran’s rich tapestry of musical forms and history, while also breaking down barriers between Eastern and Western music.

Musically speaking, KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN in effect started life at the instigation of one Siavash Mozaffari, an Oakland, CA-based multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, engineer, and sound enthusiast, who successfully used crowdfunding to raise  funds for a ‘sonic journey’ to Iran with the goal of sharing the sounds of that country’s traditional instruments by transforming them into virtual tools to be used by any composer. Connecting with the instigator, Impact Soundworks expanded the scope and depth of this project, producing one of the deepest world instrument libraries ever released as a collaborative result over two years later. 

The finished result almost beggars belief. With over 17,000 superlative samples presented in 24-bit fidelity to its notable name, KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN includes five melodic instruments — including kamanche (believed to be one of the historical ancestors of the European violin family), santoor (type of hammered dulcimer), setar (three-stringed instrument with a long neck and moveable frets), tanbour (considered by some to be the first long-necked fretted instrument), and tar (amongst the most significant Iranian classical instruments, similar in importance to the guitar in Western music) — and five percussive instruments — including bendir (wooden frame drum with a skin membrane), daf (larger Persian frame drum made of hardwood with metal strings attached), kuzeh (hollow clay instrument indigenous to Iran with holes that can be opened or closed by hand to create unique sound effects), tombak (goblet-shaped hand drum that is a foundational instrument to Persian music), and zarbe zoorkhaneh (clay and sheepskin or goatskin hand drum originally used in BC-era fitness workouts for knights).

Watch Impact Soundworks Lead Developer Andrew Aversa’s

KORON - TRADITIONAL SOUNDS OF IRAN video walkthrough

With KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN, Impact Soundworks proudly presents both deep multi-samples — including multiple dynamics, round robins, and legato transitions — alongside extensive percussive hits and techniques, plus over 1,200 performances and phrases. Pool of staggering samples notwithstanding, Impact Soundworks also designed KONTAKT patches using its latest scripting techniques, such as TACT (Total Articulation Control Technology) for custom mapping and phrase editing directly within KONTAKT. In close collaboration with Siavash Mozaffari, information and images pertaining to every instrument recorded reside within KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN itself, so inquisitive users can learn more about their construction, history, and playing style.

Stylistically, KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN of course can creatively go beyond time and place, partly thanks to the onboard effects rack featuring (an analogue-modelled parametric) EQ, COMPRESSOR, DELAY (line), and (convolution) REVERB. Realistically, though, given that one of the core goals at Impact Soundworks is to sample and develop virtual instruments outside the standard Western repertoire, KORON - TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN is the most extensive fulfilment of that goal yet and also a fitting conclusion to Siavash Mozaffari’s Iranian ‘sonic journey’ having helped him expand the scope and deliver the project to its full potential.
 

KORON - TRADITIONAL SOUNDS OF IRAN can be purchased and digitally downloaded (as a 11 GB library totalling 17,000-plus 24-bit samples) directly from Impact Soundworks for a time-limited introductory promo price of $179.00 USD until March 31, 2017 — rising to an MSRP of $199.00 USD thereafter — from here: https://impactsoundworks.com/product/koron-traditional-instruments-of-iran#purchase

Note that KORON - TRADITIONAL SOUNDS OF IRAN requires the full version of Native Instruments KONTAKT (5.5.2 or higher).
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated KORON - TRADITIONAL SOUNDS OF IRAN webpage here: https://impactsoundworks.com/product/koron-traditional-instruments-of-iran

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!

Antelope Audio announces full session saving functionality for its innovative pro audio interfaces

Antelope Audio announces full session saving functionality for its innovative pro audio interfaces

High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to announce availability of complimentary Control Panel desktop software updates for its innovative Zen Studio+, Orion32 HD, Orion Studio, Goliath, Zen Tour, and Orion 32+ pro audio interfaces — including an all-new Session Presets application for full session saving functionality, allowing anyone already taking full advantage of their incredibly versatile routing, mixing, and hardware effects processing capabilities to save, load, and share any routing, mixing, effects, mic pre gain levels, input and output trims, and even pan or resize settings.

Antelope Audio already transformed the whole concept of audio interface operation with its innovative Control Panel desktop software. Historically, this allowed access to some routing capabilities, a mixer maybe, and a few effects. However, with drag-and-drop ease of use, an ability to send audio to multiple outputs, realtime mixers featuring AuraVerb — Antelope Audio’s hardware-based reverb leveraging its 64-bit FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip, control and recall of realtime effects, panel splitting, and updates of features and effects, the contemporary Control Panel experience is now second to none.

Needless to say, the talented Antelope Audio software team is constantly coming up with fanciful features — often based on feedback from customers increasingly integrating Control Panel’s powerful signal routing and processing power into their workflow, resulting in unprecedented versatility without resorting to complex analogue patching in their studio setups.

Says Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin: “With powerful routing capabilities and our advanced FPGA effects modelling, our interfaces are much more than digital convertors. While our FPGA models could replace a towering rack of outboard gear, our signal routing and submixing capabilities could just as easily replace an analogue mixing console in the studio. Now, with Session Presets, our users can create and share multiple routing and effects settings to have their studio ‘patched’ and ready for a session of any size at a moment’s notice, saving time and improving consistency.” 

Watch Antelope Audio’s informative introductory video introducing

full session-saving functionality for its innovative pro audio interfaces

Thanks to Session Presets, clearly Control Panel has become more like a control panel workstation. With workflow enhancements extending the radical reach of Antelope Audio’s innovative interfaces, it was imperative that the company came up with an awe-inspiring tool to manage all of those flexible features for its end users. Ultimately, Session Presets performs in first-rate fashion.

Fortunately for owners of Antelope Audio’s award-winning Zen Studio+, Orion32 HD, Orion Studio, Goliath, Zen Tour, and Orion 32+ pro audio interfaces, a complimentary Control Panel desktop software update for their particular product is instantly available as an automatic update by simply starting the Control Panel launcher. Once installed, Session Presets operation is intuitive.

In the upper-right section of the various interface control panels is a SESSION name. Change anything in the panel and an asterisk appears next to the name to denote that a change has been made. Saving at any point will update all such panel changes. To the right of the SESSION name are SAVE and LOAD buttons. Pressing SAVE opens a Save Sessions options dialogue window. Expanding this window reveals all saveable components for that specific audio interface. Ticking the top Component box deselects all components in the menu — convenient for those users wishing to only save a specific subset of settings. So ticking the AFX Special Effects box means that only the AFX will be saved in Antelope Audio’s custom .as file format and only those AFX components will be available when later loading this file — handy for sending another Antelope Audio user custom AFX banks, for example. As such, Session Presets is an ideal tool for multi-room studio complexes or engineers working remotely in commercial studios since all compatible Antelope Audio interfaces can easily load common components settings. So a Zen Tour can open files created on an Orion32 HD or a Goliath, but will only load the components that those interfaces share.

To load a session preset, simply click the LOAD button, then select either Load Last Session in the upper right of the dialogue window or Browse to navigate to the desired .as file. Once selected, all the components saved in this file are visible and users can then opt to load or import only those component settings that are required. Choose to load just Routing, monitor Mixers, or only AFX — all without changing the other current settings. This makes adjusting sessions a breeze, because users may only wish to load the same effects that they tracked a project with — without touching any of the settings being used during mixdown.

More reasons to be cheerful: Session Presets… a convenient interface innovation, brought by Antelope Audio to owners of its Zen Studio+, Orion32 HD, Orion Studio, Goliath, Zen Tour, and Orion 32+ pro audio interfaces — for free!

For more in-depth information about Antelope Audio’s full session-saving functionality for its innovative pro audio interfaces, please visit the dedicated webpage here: http://antelopeaudio.com/2017/03/full-session-saving-for-the-latest-antelope-audio-devices/

For more information about Antelope Audio’s Zen Studio+, Orion32 HD, Orion Studio, Goliath,Zen Tour, and Orion 32+ pro audio interfaces, please visit the dedicated webpage here: http://en.antelopeaudio.com/pro-audio-devices/thunderbolt-usb-audio-interface/

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.