PC and Music News

Native Instruments recently launched its DJ Hardware Guide, an extensive online resource that provides DJs with practical information about how to best choose, set up and operate the components of a computer-based DJ setup. Of course, this guide ties in with the recently announced "TRAKTOR Ready" compatibility label, and includes a comprehensive buyers' guide with detailed information on all controllers that are guaranteed to provide full compatibility with NI products.

Following a very successful public beta program, Digidesign is pleased to announce that Structure, its professional sampler workstationn, is now shipping. Structure is the latest RTAS virtual instrument plug-in developed by the acclaimed Advanced Instrument Research (A.I.R.) group.

Main features :

- 128-level multitimbral universal sound engine
- support for an unlimited number of nestable patches and up to 8-channel interleaved samples
- supports all standard bit depths, sample rates, and surround formats (up to 24-bit/192 kHz/7.1 surround)
- integrated file browser, sample editor and multi-effects processing engine including convolution reverb
- samples can be played back via disk streaming or solely from RAM
- support for importing SampleCell, EXS24, and Kontakt 1 and 2 sampl ...

IK Multimedia is pleased to announce that the 2x1 FX Madness Promotion is now in effect! From July 1st to August 31st, customers who purchase and register any of IK's effect plug-ins can get another IK effect absolutely free!

Customers can choose from the following :

- AmpliTube 2 - The highly popular guitar amp and effects modelling software that raised the standard to an unprecedented level of high-quality emulation and extreme flexibility, for crafting the ultimate guitar tone.

- Ampeg SVX - The world's first dedicated bass amp plug-in with the real signature sound of Ampeg®, the historic brand that invented bass amplification

- Classik Studio Reverb - The award-winning suite of four high-end studio-quality reverbs modelled after popular outboard ...

Sugar Bytes has announced version 2 of their multi-effect Artillery.

Features :

- Effects still handled with MIDI notes.
- 28 effects included.
- Universal modulator per parameter.
- Unlimited FX chaining.
- Innovative effects like step looper, turntable, tonal resonator, reverse...

Artillery 2 is expected to be released on July 20, 2007, priced at €149. It will be available for Mac OS X (UB) and Windows in VST and AU formats.

Audio Damage has announced Dr. Device, an effect plug-in offering two hi-octane analog-style effects in one. First in the chain is a multi-mode filter, featuring Audio Damage's own private reserve 4-pole lowpass, along with 5 other tasty musical modes. Then, your audio takes a trip through the true-stereo analog delay. Couple these effects with a two-node XYZ pad, motion recording, and kinetics and you've got an effect well-suited for both live performance and studio tweaking.

Features :

- Multi-mode filter (4PLP, 3PLP, 2PLP, 4PHP, 2PHP, and 4PBP modes). The 4PLP self-oscillates at high resonance without audio input, allowing Dr. Device to be used as a theremin-type instrument.
- "Tube" style soft saturation and bit reduction.
- Stereo bucket-brigade-style delay, with two filtering ...

MakeMusic has unveiled Finale 2008. This upgrade offers a lot of new features :

- Record/import a mono or stereo audio file to enhance playback.
- More than 250 world-class instrument sounds from the makers of the acclaimed Garritan Personal Orchestra are included free. In addition to orchestral instruments are saxophones, trumpet and trombone mutes, jazz bass and drums, guitar, marching percussion, world instruments and more.
- Multiple sound libraries now work together seamlessly. Combine all the included sounds, add Native Instruments-supported libraries (available separately), hear them all in playback and save the results in an audio file.
- Copy music, adjust expressions, transpose, add repeats and much more – all with one tool.
- Intuitive keystrokes can select measures or p ...