Music technology news from around the web

The Monome project, a USB MIDI and OpenSoundControl control surface for music and art, was built on open source principles, on its users making the product better as they used it. Its community has already built custom housings and elaborate software setups. But a clone based on the Arduino microcontroller promises to do still [...]

There’s a growing appetite for using custom controllers or creating DIY controllers from scratch. Why not, after all, get exactly the number of knobs and sliders you want, in just the layout you want? Where a lot of these projects stumble, though, is in the enclosure. That’s what made the appearance of machinecollective, an polished-looking [...]

19th August 2008: Antares Audio Technologies has announced the release of Auto-Tune Evo, the next generation of the worldwide standard in professional pitch correction. Like previous versions of Auto-Tune, Auto-Tune E...

Post-production company Dubbing Brothers has completed major soundstage upgrades in its Burbank facility. The spacious new stages feature new Digidesign ICON D-Control dual mode consoles, recording booths, theater-size screens, a producer's work area and green rooms.

Sonalksis has announced that their mastering plug-in series, Sonalksis Mastering Suite (previous post, and another one with more pics), has just finished the last beta stage and will shortly be released to the public. The Sonalksis Mastering Suite consists of a select range of plug-ins intended for “Mastering Engineers, Producers and other Industry Professionals”. MultiLimit - Multiband [...]

Apparently I’m not the only one who likes Orange amps.

I haven’t read the first edition (and actually hadn’t even heard of it until today), but this is a book written by Karl Coryat, proclaimed DIY enthusiast, about home recording. I got curious about who this guy was so I googled him. Apparently he’s a bass player, has written some books in the past, has [...]

19th August 2008: Audiffex has updated the Windows versions of inTone (Bass Pro, Guitar Pro, Keys Pro and Matrix Pro) to version 1.1.1. Changes: Fixed issue in the TC2-Tone Control Plug-In preventing some presets to ...

The music hacker is a different breed in a number of ways. It’s fairly safe, for instance, to say that the average Nintendo gamer does not consider the ability to patch modular synth parameters with their stylus a “killer app.” Yet the Korg DS-10, arguably the first entirely music production-focused cartridge for a major game [...]

Tim McGraw?s Live Your Voice tour has chosen the ribbon-loaded Peavey Versarray line-array system for two stages on the country-music superstar?s 2008 North American dates. Dave Albro?a veteran live-sound engineer whose mixing credits include Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Roy Clark?and A2 Devan Skaggs are running two separate Peavey Versarray systems for Road Dog Touring, one configured for the Frito?s Style Sonic Stage and a second system on McGraw?s VIP Stage.

POP Sound in Santa Monica, Calif. recently completed audio restoration work for Paramount Home Entertainment?s release of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration DVD Collection on DVD and Blu-ray. The five-disc DVD and four-disc Blu-ray collections include fully restored versions of The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II, as well as a newly re-mastered version of The Godfather, Part III.

Music Mix Mobile, a remote recording company headquartered on the East Coast, has recently installed 15 Grace Design m802 remote-controlled mic preamps. Each 8-channel preamp also includes a Grace 24-bit/192kHz, high-definition 8-channel A/D option.

19th August 2008: Rob Papen has released updates for Predator (v1.5) and Blue (v1.8). Both products now use Syncrosoft's Soft-eLicenser copy protection. This means that you'll need internet connection during installati...

19th August 2008: EastWest has updated the Play software to v1.0.083 and EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra to v1.0.1. Fixed and enhanced in Play Software Update v1.0.083: Fixed audio artifacts for certain EWQL Orchestra inst...

19th August 2008: Opulent Audio has updated bLO-FIsh to v1.7. Changes: Two new modulation sources: key tracking and bend wheel. There are now 10 sources. 8 new presets. There are now 80. Some voltages clipped for bet...

Zero G bring the outback to you! --

19th August 2008: One Small Clue has released the third beta of Poise v0.8. Changes since beta 1: New: Can embed samples in the project file. New: Save Kit + Embed Samples. Samples are normalised when loaded. Clic...

19th August 2008: Saltline has released Son of a pitch - a free audio pitch bend VST effect plug-in for Windows. The pitch of the incoming signal can be controlled by the pitch knob or by a sync to host LFO. The pitch...

Over £60,000 worth of stock stolen --

19th August 2008: VirSyn has announced the release of Prism - The Pitch Designer - a multi-band pitch shifter that takes a fresh approach to solve the problem of shifting the pitch of complex sound sources in realtime....

19th August 2008: Hard Software has announced the release of HardSID 4U - a combination of a Windows VST plugin and a hardware synthesizer unit based on the legendary SID (8580; 6582; 6581) chip (the heart of the C64 p...

New facilities for 32GB of flash memory! --

19th August 2008: ILIO has announced the release of Synthogy's Ivory-Upright Pianos virtual instrument. Upright Pianos features four different sampled instruments, capturing every key in up to 10 velocities using time-...

DACS Headmaster monitor controller now shipping --

Waveforms, pictured by altemark Composer, musician, and sound designer W. Brent Latta knows something about sound design, currently working professionally on sound for games with Amaze Entertainment. As an enthusiast of what it takes to craft sound, he’s put together a list for us of where to go to learn more and hone your abilities, from [...]

Chris Everest of Vinyl Project has some first hands-on impressions of Mixx, the open-source DJ software that recently added vinyl control (among other features). So far, he says he’s not sure it’s ready for prime-time: “There are definitely some things I could try to help the situation, but at this point I wasn’t convinced by [...]

Being expressive and productive creatively is all about finding a workflow that fits you. Form factor is part of that, because location matters. (I discovered this when trying unsuccessfully to operate my MacBook on a bus to Boston this week that wouldn’t accommodate my knees. Mobile devices suddenly had more appeal.) Naturally, not everyone has [...]

Read Mix News Story About Sensaphonics Releasing dB Check Sound Analyzer for Sound Reinforcement

The appeal of newer music apps for phones, current-generation mobile game systems, and PDAs is portability first. But for the Game Boy music scene, it’s as much about a distinctive sound, and acquiring Game Boys as a kind of unique synthesizer. Our friend and mobile game musician Peter Swimm points us to the new documentary [...]

KRK Subwoofer revamped --

Zero-G and Xfonic has announced the release of Rhythm Organism featuring electronic didgeridoo sounds played by Charlie McMahon. The library is multi-format supporting Acid WAV, Apple Loops, Stylus RMX, Rex2 and Reason Refill. So who’s Charlie McMahon? From the Zero-G press release: Charlie McMahon has been a master of the didgeridoo from an early age and is [...]

Got songs? Want Novation ReMote 37SL, all the SoundBlocks you can eat, and a spotlight on the Samplebase home page? Then just participate in the Samplebase Make Tracks Contest. Send them your original music featuring sounds from Samplebase.com. No purchase is necessary because you can use sounds from Samplebase?s free Ignition SoundBlock. The deadline is [...]

So my DVD isn’t enough? howaudio.com has released a tutorial DVD for Digidesigns Strike (OK, I admit it, I don’t cover that at all on my DVD). From the howaudio.com press release On HowAudio.com’s “Strike Virtual Drummer” tutorial, multi-platinum award winning engineer Jeff Dykhouse will show you the in’s and out’s of this amazing software. No need [...]

RNDigital (a little confusing regarding the brand, but previously Roger Nichols Digital who bought Elemental Audio, and now without Roger Nichols) has released Finis 3, a 3-band peak limiter utilizing their own FIR technology. Like their previous release, D1, it kind of looks like an iPod. From the RNDigital press release The Finis 3 does consist of [...]

?What if you had to take just one software instrument with you to a desert island?? It?s not an entirely silly question, with so many choices in software potentially distracting you from real music making. I say, cheat: take a tool that lets you build your own tools, specific to the job. Reaktor immediately [...]

Your setup A complete guide to all the gear you need for productive, hassle-free recording sessions at home, with recommendations to suit all budgets Microphone essentials Navigate the microphone maze with our complete guide to types, makes, and...

Mere weeks after the launch of the iPhone and iTouch application store, well known music software developer iZotope has stepped up and created a pair of drum machine applications for Apple?s touch screen devices. iDrum Hip Hop Edition and iDrum...

Sometimes in technology, the design of a product can have an impact beyond just the tool itself, and that’s easily the case with the Akai MPC. Even if you aren’t part of the device’s cult-like following, you’ve likely worked with software influenced by its approach to musical interaction. While we await the coming of creator [...]

You can now get three Loopmasters products for the price of two. Add any three Loopmasters products to your cart in the Inspiration Sounds store and you will only be charged for two. This is a £39.95 discount and it’s valid on all Loopmasters’ Sample CDs and DVDs until midnight on August 22nd. Eligible products in [...]

VirSyn has now released PRISM - The Pitch Designer. Prism looks good aesthetically speaking. While I’ve yet to find out if it’s good in operation as well, I can say that I look forward to trying it. Let’s have a look at the features: - 27 band realtime frequency shifter. - 27 band equalizer - Linear phase [...]

The creator of iTouchMIDI — now iTM MidiLab — writes to let us know that Apple has approved his app. I know various iPhone and iPod touch owners were waiting to turn their device into a mobile, wireless MIDI controller, so this is good news. See previously: Unreleased iPhone - iPod Touch MIDI Controllers, Ready for [...]

Propellerhead software bundles offer Reason Drum Kits, Reason Pianos, Abbey Road Keyboards, and Reason Electric Bass sound libraries, and Reason music production software.

Submersible Music's CameronPack I DrummerPack for DrumCore, DrumCore Rock, DrumCore LT, offers drum loops, fills, kit sounds in rock, alternative, garage styles.

Satellite sample-synth player software in Digidesign RTAS plug-in format lets you access and download Samplebase.com's loops, multisampled instruments, and one-shot samples.

Behringer U-Control UMA25S is a keyboard controller with MIDI controller, USB audio interface, and complete software package.

Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler offers more than 75 stompbox effects, including distortions, delays, reverbs, and filters, modeled from boutique, vintage, and classic pedals.

Ohm Force has announced a couple of new discounts, which are wicked good if you’re a student, and eternal (yes, that’s actually the word) no matter who you are. First, let’s see what they’re doing for students and teachers. From Ohm Force That’s why Ohm Force has always been one of the few companies in the world to [...]

In CM130 (out August 28th) we get out hands on the monome one twenty eight configurable controller. Check out this exclusive Computer Music video that shows off the abilities of this cool box of tricks. Be sure to pick up CM130 to read the...

The fantastic IK Multimedia StompIO package consists not only of a top-quality foot controller but also every title in the AmpliTube range, and we've got one such setup to give away as part of CM129's competition. And for the first and second runner up,...

While the idea of effects that utilise the power of video cards? accelerators is nothing new, there have been precious few examples of this thus far. Things seem to be picking up a bit, however ? check out Nils Schneider?s post on KVR to find out about...

The forthcoming CM129 features the most impressive software and sample giveaways yet, including a new PC VST synth from Homegrown Sounds , Astralis Orgone CM, and a vast selection of workstation patches for CMplay, Computer Music?s exclusive ROMpler...

In a surprise move Tascam has ceased development of its GigaStudio range of sampler software, including GigaViolin, Giga Virtual Instrument, and GigaPulse convolution reverb. Sales and support for the software will end on December 31st 2008. The first...

Now both PC and Mac users can ?enjoy the Sylenth? as Lennar Digital?s 10/10 CM-rated virtual analogue has been ported over to Mac. Sylenth1 v2.0 doesn?t feature masses in the way of new features, and aside from a bunch more presets minor fixes and...

Everyone and their dog are going ape-spit over the new 3G iPhone, but for us the most exciting iPhone news is the launch of Apple?s App Store. The App Store is available to those lucky enough to bag an iPhone 3G, owners of the original iPhone who upgrade...

Get the cover image for your desktop here . 7.7GB OF CONTENT ON THE DUAL-LAYER DVD ? CMplay CMplay is a ROMpler that loads up ready-mapped, sample-based patches ? from now on, all our samples will also come with multisampled patches and drum...