PC and Music News

Dangerous Music has announced the shipment of their first units of the DAC-ST, a mastering quality, stereo digital-to-analog converter option for their Monitor ST controller. The DAC-ST is the first available option in the line for the new Additional Switching System (A.S.S) one-rack space expander which can house up to two banks of two cards each, adding four additional functions switchable directly from the ST-SR remote.

Offering mastering quality on-board stereo D-to-A conversion and digital source switching for Monitor ST, the Dangerous DAC-ST option delivers superbly accurate D-to-A conversion, instantly accessed from the Monitor ST remote control. Integrated digital source switching allows the user to monitor all digital sources through the same converter, which is crucial for critical listening, confidence monitoring and level matching.

The DAC-ST suggested retail price is $1199 / €925, and includes the integrated power supply unit and expansion chassis with an extra space for a second user-installable option.

Synapse Audio has just announced the release of version 7.5 fot its sequencer Orion. This major update introduces a completely new audio engine with improved stability and support for multicore processors, as well as many workflow enhancements and a reworked VST 2.4 implementation for optimal VST plugin support. Furthermore, it is compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista now.

New features :

- New engine with multiprocessor support and higher performance at low latencies, at any PPQ
- Auto-Tracking EQs to create high quality mixes more easily
- New effect: Platinum Limiter (modelled after 1176LN)
- New arpgeggiator with additional options
- New VU Meters with peak-hold option
- Last session can now be automatically restored (hold SHIFT on startup to bypass)
- Container Plugins (MultiFX, BandFX) can store presets now, containing other internal effects.
- Sustenuto and Soft Pedal support
- Full VST2.4 compatibility and major VST host upgrade
- Stream To File supports direct streaming into MP3 and OGG
- Ready for Windows Vista (run as administrator)

The update is free for all Orion Platinum 7 users. Orion PRO is discontinued with this 7.5 release and will not be updated further. However the upgrade to Orion 7.5 will be available to all Orion PRO customers for a limited period of time and costs only $49 instead of the former price of $99. Note that a demo version of Orion 7.5 is already available.

Prominy has released SC Electric guitar, a new Kontakt Player based electric guitar sound library instrument featuring the sound of a Fender Stratocaster. According to Prominy, SC Electric Guitar enables you to compose and create natural guitar tracks that imitate real guitar playing.

Features :

- Over 64 gigabytes - approximately 123,000 samples.
- Real-time playability - SC SPM (Super Performance Multi).
- All five pick-up positions can be reproduced.
- Real chords - extensive number of the 'real' pre-recorded chord samples.
- Auto Stroke Detection.
- Feedback.
- Assignable Key Switch.
- Double-Tracking.
- The lower note samples (low C - low D#) are included.
- Direct signals from the guitar.
- Perfect sampled sounds of all fret positions on every string.
- Picking noises are recorded in multiple forms on all frets and strings.

SC Electric Guitar is available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU, DX, RTAS and stand-alone formats via the included Kontakt 2 Player, it costs $399.

Xoxos has just announced the release of Hyperion, a semi-modular scaled algorithmic MIDI note generator suitable for a wide range of applications from live performance to automated composition.

LFOs, sequencers and counters are used to easily create dynamic MIDI sequences and change them on the fly, or to modulate other components of the architecture.

Hyperion produces glissandos or subtly varying sequences for up to three parts on three separate MIDI channels using a simple chord function. It can also be used as a phrase arpeggiator to make sure that you never play out of key or out of sequence.

Hyperion's architecture is semi-modular, meaning that each component can be driven by a selection of other components precedent to it in the modulation hierarchy. Each component has a source that it counts, and a source that resets it, for instance a sequencer might count measures and be reset by MIDI NoteOn ('gate') events. The output is recallable, and translates between scales and tempos.

Hyperion is available now in VST format for Windows at a price of $25.

De la Mancha has just released dirtbox 3 - an update of its compression/distortion/modulation VST plug-in for Windows.

Features :

- Completely new parallel compressor.
- 18 flavours of dirt and 3 dirt slots.
- Improved bit crushing and sample rate reduction control.
- Extended ring modulation, 12 varieties and 11 waveforms.
- 4 way XY pad for modulation of up to 4 parameters.
- 2 tempo sync LFOs to automate XY pad and 2 other parameters.
- All modulation is shown in real-time visual indicators for each parameter, LFO and XY pad.
- Over 50 presets covering subtle to painful.
- A demo version and several audio demos are available.

No longer freeware, dirtbox 3 now costs $15.

Eiosis has just announced the E²Transienter, a new plug-in designed to bring a unique, simple and powerful approach to transient processing.

The E²Transienter is based on a patented architecture and parameter combination, which allows detecting and processing transients independently. You can quickly get a wide range of settings, from simple attack enhancement, to complex mix adjustments thanks to the advanced parameters. The numerous included presets let you easily and immediately get the settings suited to your needs. You can then adjust the parameters to get exactly the sound you are searching for.

Features :

- Separate attack detection and attack processing
- Precise and reactive, level independent attack detection
- Sidechain filter with Low Cut and High Cut filters, or a Bandpass filter
- Numerous presets for easy and efficient instant use

The E²Transienter will be available in May 2008 in the Eiosis online shop, in TDM/AU/RTAS formats for Mac (Pace iLok required) and VST/RTAS/AU formats for Mac and PC (Syncrosoft eLicenser required). Pricing has not yet been announced.