PC and Music News

EastWest announces that Quantum Leap SD2 - The Next Generation virtual instrument, the sequel to Stormdrum is now shipping.

ESI will showcase the Firewire Audio Interface DuaFire at the Winter 2008 NAMM show, booth #6832.

Features :

- high-grade 24-bit/96kHz analog-digital-converter
- high-grade 24-bit/96kHz digital-analog-converter
- 2 channels of audio input with level controls
- microphone preamps and phantom power for XLR inputs (selectable)
- Hi-Z input circuitry for guitar and other Hi-Z devices
- selectable switch between line-level inputs phono pre-amps
- 4 line-level audio outputs on rear of unit
- direct input monitoring with level control
- bus powered via FireWire-Bus or with separate power supply unit (selectable)
- support for DirectWIRE 3.0
- supports EWDM driver: MME, ASIO 2.0, GSIF 2.0, DirectSound
- CoreAudio devices for Mac OS X
- Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS 10.3.6 (and higher) compatible
- 1 headphone output with amp and volume control
- world's first FireWire audio interface with EWDM driver support
- bundled with Steinberg Cubase LE 4.0 for PC and Mac

DuaFire is available at a retail price of €249.

EastWest has given one of its most popular collections, the EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra, a turbo boost by upgrading the line (Platinum and Gold) to the company's Play 64-bit sampling engine.
Play-upgraded versions of Symphonic Orchestra will be introduced at NAMM 2008.

ESI will exhibit their new keyboard controller K.ON at the upcoming NAMM show. K.ON is ESI's new expandable USB controller keyboard with 88 hammer action keys.

Features :

- 3 digit LED display
- 9 endles dials
- 9 faders
- modulation wheel / pitch bend
- numeric keypad
- transport control buttons
- various editing functions for programming
- power supplied via USB or optional external power supply
- expandable via 4 expansion slots on backside
- Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Mac OS X 10.3 (and higher) compatible
- bundled with Steinberg Cubase LE 4.0 for PC and Mac

K.ON is already available and costs €599.

Nomad Factory has also announced the Analog Mastering Tools (A.M.T.) bundle which consists in three plug-ins : the A.M.T Amp Leveling, the A.M.T Max Warm and the Multi Max.

The A.M.T Amp Leveling is a highly optimized look-ahead Brickwall Limiter and Level Maximization. Designed to be used for Mixing, Mastering, Tracking and Live use, it uses a new proprietary algorithm ensuring a very smooth-warm sounding with maximum loudness and no digital-over-clipping as well as low CPU consumption for lightening-fast processing

The A.M.T Max Warm is a highly optimized look-ahead Brickwall Limiter, Equalizer and Level Maximizer. What makes the A.M.T Max Warm process unique is the approach used for its dynamic signal analysis. Internally, it uses a special processing algorithm to accurately maximize the incoming signal level while limiting the ceiling peak levels. This approach tends to produce a more natural warm-sound, the A.M.T Max Warm also includes a two-band equalizer (Shelving/Peaking) with adjustable frequencies.

The A.M.T Multi Max multiband peak limiter is a highly optimized 3 band look-ahead Brickwall Limiter, and Level Maximizer. It uses a special processing algorithm to accurately spilt and maximize the incoming signal level while limiting the ceiling peak levels. This approach tends to produce a loud and clear natural warm-sound. The A.M.T Multi Max 3 band crossover with adjustable frequencies delivers sweet highs and punchy lows.

The Analog Mastering Tools will be available for Mac and PC in VST, AU and RTAS formats at a retail price of $249.

Access Music unveils Virus TI Snow, their new table-top synthesizer based on the Virus TI series of synthesizers.
Over a thousand sounds can be accessed with a maximum of 4 button pushes. With 3 programmable hardware knobs per patch and additional ones for filter and envelope control, performers can control the core of the sound without having to dive into an edit menu.
The TI Snow is 100% compatible with all patches for the TI series and plays back a maximum of 50 voices with 4 multi-timbral parts (64 multi performances, 512 RAM and 512 ROM patches). The oscillator models include virtual analog, hypersaw, wavetable and graintable types. The filter section features a Moog cascade filter emulation with 1-4 poles and self-oscillation among others. The FX section includes simultaneous rever ...