PC and Music News

Between 15 November and 31 December, enter to win one of three Spider III amps. The lucky grand-prize winner will receive a Spider III 150 2x12 combo, the second-prize winner will receive a Spider III 75 1x12 combo and the third-prize winner will receive a Spider III 30 1x12 combo !

Celemony has released new versions (3.2.2) of Melodyne Studio and Melodyne cre8. All problems related to the use of ReWire and the MelodyneBridge have been solved. Overall performance (176.4 kHz compatibility, ASIO streams of audio interfaces with a large number of inputs and outputs are now listed correctly) and stability of Melodyne are improved.

DDMF has released version 1.0 of its tracking equalizer IIEQPro as a Universal Binary Audio Unit for the Mac OS X platform. It features 10 bands with 12 filter types per band and is fully parametric.

At the same time the Windows version has been updated to 1.3, as the whole thing is now based on JUCE. Specifically the control behaviour has changed a bit; in most hosts it is possible to enter values directly, and you can switch into velocity-sensitive mode for fine tuning. A number of presets have been included and mouse wheel support has been added.

The price is still "whatever-you-feel-appropriate".

Inspiration Sounds has released the Funked Up Guitars Sample Pack. Recorded at 96Khz and 24-Bit resolution using Pro Tools HD and mixed through a Control 24 mixing desk with Focusrite Class A Preamps, it includes 564 guitar loops and riffs played by "internationally renowned Guitarist", Cliff Moore. However, it has been dithered down in Pro Tools HD to 44.1Khz 16-Bit to ensure compatibility with the wide range of keyboards that don't offer 24-Bit file import.

Features :

- 195 MB Sample Pack (Compressed into a .ZIP File)
- Includes Clean and Distorted versions of each loop
- Keys are in C, D, E, F, G, A & B
- Total of 564 Loops, Riffs and Slides
- File names indicate key and tempo
- .WAV Format
- PC/Mac Compatible

The Funked Up Guitars Sample Pack is available now from the Inspiration Sounds website for £19.95 / US $41.24.

Dodo Bird has released a very useful tool called McDodo's Super-Volu. Basically this is a plug-in that removes the change in volume caused by other plug-ins. This helps to determine the impact they have on sound character, isolated from their effect on volume.

McDodo's Super-Volu is available as a VST effect plug-in for Windows and it is free and open source so enjoy !

Universal Audio today announced the web release of v4.9 software for the UAD Family of DSP Card's & Powered Plug-Ins(tm). Version 4.9 includes 14-day fully functional demos of both the new SPL Transient Designer and new Precision Buss Compressor; a classic center-console mix compressor.

Key SPL Transient Designer Features :

- UA modeled, SPL authorized and endorsed AU/VST/RTAS plug-in version of Transient Designer's unique Differential Envelope Technology
- Increase or decrease the transients of percussive sources for greater impact, or a softened response
- Sustain of sources can be transparently shortened or increased for increased musicality
- Reduces or increases room sound or preexisting reverb on virtually any source
- Highly useful as a gate substitute, a transparen ...