PC and Music News

Sweetwater has dubbed October "Microphone Month," and to celebrate, the retailer is giving away one of its largest prize packages ever - two mic collections with a combined retail value of more than $25,000.

Two winners, who will be chosen after the conclusion of the promotion October 31, will each receive a "Dream Mic Locker," including studio icons such as a Neumann U 87 AI and AKG C 414 B-XLS, along with microphones from Audio-Technica, Audix, beyerdynamic, Blue, Bock Audio, Earthworks, Electro-Voice, Mojave Audio, Rode, Royer, Sennheiser, Shure, and others.

No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway. Entrants can register online at :

Sonnox has announced a special time-limited promotion on their Sonnox Elite collection - the company's ultimate bundle, containing all the Oxford plug-ins. For the months of October and November 2008 there will be a 20% discount on the Sonnox Elite Collection.

The elegant boxed set includes the full range of all seven Oxford plug-ins: EQ, Dynamics, Inflator, Transient Modulator, Reverb, Limiter and SuprEsser. Sonnox Elite presents mixing, mastering, post and broadcast engineers with a powerful compilation of sophisticated processing tools designed to meet all their requirements.

Sonnox Elite retails at £1,554 for the TDM version and £744 for Native; but with the 2 month promotion, will sell for £1,243 (TDM) and £595 (Native).

TC Electronic announces a new addition to the PowerCore platform : PowerCore 6000. According to TC, by combining System 6000 algorithms with PowerCore platform users now get the ultimate studio tool for their DAWs.

PowerCore 6000 features eight FreeScale DSP engines, the same DSPs used in System 6000, and it has an SRAM memory design that supports high performance reverbs and delays. This enables users to run famous reverbs and delay-algorithms from System 6000 with popular DAWs like Logic Pro, as well as with any other VST- and Audio Units-compatible host.

PowerCore 6000 includes 7 pristine plug-in algorithms, which are ported 1:1 from System 6000 : VSS3 Stereo Source Reverb, Nonlin2, DVR 2 Digital Vintage Reverb MD3 Stereo Mastering, Brickwall Limiter, UnWrap stereo to 5.1 conversion and TapFactory.

Compatible with the latest Mac OS and Windows XP/Vista 32, PowerCore 6000 will be available at the end of October 2008 for a suggested retail price of €2999.

URS has announced the release of URS Saturation v2.0.

Features :

- Six Vintage Pre Amplifier Algorithms.
- Two Analog Tape Saturation Algorithms.
- Transformer Core Saturation Algorithm.
- Even and Odd Ordered Harmonics.
- Soft Clipping.
- 158 Factory Presets.

The two Mono Tape Head algorithms add Analog Tape saturation. This non-linear saturation produces a smoothing effect on high frequency transients. The Transformer Core Saturation algorithm adds non linear transformer core saturation as found on vintage consoles, tape machines and outboard gear. The two new vintage pre amplifier algorithms are : Tape Deck (Class A Tube Mic Pre) and 1951 (Class A Tube Mic Pre).

URS Saturation v2.0 is now available for Windows (VST) and Mac OS X (VST, AU and RTAS) at an introductory price of $199.99. The update is free for all registered Saturation v1.0 users.

Flux has just released Alchemist, a new plug-in primarily designed for mastering and re-mastering applications. However, it can also be used as a regular dynamic processor.

Based on the Flux dynamic processing algorithms, Alchemist features a state-of-the-art IIR cross-over with selectable slopes from 18 dB per octave to 54 dB per octave, with variable corner frequencies. Every band owns a complete dynamic processing section including compressor, expander, de-compressor, de-expander working in parallel with independent Angel's Share and Hysteresis parameters. A transient processor and a MS controller are also available for each frequency band. The sound can be processed from single broadband to five bands. The whole processing is completed by an adjustable soft knee brick-wall clipper.

An Auto Delay function allows producing a zero attack by introducing a delay line on the processed signal. Angel's Share is the parameter controlling the mix of an auto-ratio determined by the signal dynamic and, the manual ratio setting. Hysteresis is the parameter controlling the mix of an auto-threshold determined by the signal dynamic and, the manual threshold value. Angel's Share and Hysteresis are the key features of all Flux dynamic processors because they depend on on the dynamic range content of the signal, and not only on signal levels as standard processors do.

Alchemist is available now in VST, AU and RTAS formats for both Mac / PC and is priced at €800. Note that a demo version is also available.

Abbey Road Plugins has announced the release of the VST and AU versions of their TG Mastering Pack. This bundle comprises authentic emulations of the Tone Control and Presence/Filter modules from the TG12410 console. Built in the early 1970s, the TG12410 console was custom developed by EMI technicians for use in EMI's disk cutting rooms, and was not commercially available outside of EMI's studios. The features and design of these consoles is considered so good that they are still used today in Abbey Road's transfer and remastering rooms.

The TG12412 plug-in is a four-band, semi-parametric EQ with selectable frequencies and curve shapes on each band. The Shape control provides the shelving and variable bell curves from the original module.

The TG12414 plug-in provides a presence section and low- and high-pass filters. The presence section is the same as the presence EQ on the legendary TG12345 mixing console.

Key Features :
- Four band semi-parametric EQ.
- Selectable curve shapes on each band.
- Presence band and variable low- and high-pass filters.
- Exact replication of original TG controls.
- Automation and control surface support.

The TG Mastering Pack is available now in VST, AU and RTAS formats for Windows and Mac OS X, it costs $335. Note that a TDM version is also available at a price of $560. The AU/VST versions are compatible with the existing LE license, so customers who already own the RTAS license can simply download and install the new AU / VST software. 10-day demo versions are available (iLok required).