PC and Music News

RealTraps has announced the new educational video All About Diffusion as the latest release in their "See and Hear" video lecture series. Most people have no way to hear what diffusors do or how they sound in a room. So this video explains diffusion in plain terms with no math, then lets you hear an acoustic guitar recorded in close proximity to five different surface types — a QRD diffusor, a poly diffusor, absorption, a bare wall, and a typical bookcase.

Find this video and more at :

The d16 group has just released Fazortan, the new plug-in in their "Silver Line" of effects.

Fazortan is a controllable space phaser based on a retro phaser from the 70s but it has been expanded to take advantage of the flexibility software can provide.

Features :

- True emulation of classic analog all-pass phase shifter.
- 2 full controllable LFOs.
- Unique sound different from the others digital phasers.
- Presets organised into groups.
- MIDI learn function.
- 64-bit internal processing.
- No harmonic distortions at output.

Fazortan is available now for both PC and Mac in VST and VST/AU formats respectively for a fee of €29. Note that audio examples are available.

Propellerhead announced it has recently supported the Bob Moog Foundation with a monetary contribution. In addition, to raise awareness and entice others to donate, Propellerhead is releasing a free Moog-inspired ReFill to registered users.

With this donation to the Bob Moog Foundation, Propellerhead wishes to help pay tribute to the enormous contribution Bob Moog made to the music industry. The Foundation's overall mission is to document, celebrate and teach innovative thinking and to support and honor the legacy of synthesizer pioneer Moog. Presently, the Foundation seeks to raise awareness and funds to preserve Moog's extensive archives.

Industry pro's (and Reason experts), Craig Anderton, Mark Vail and Gordon Reid, donated their best Moog-style patches, built using Reason's Thor polysonic synthesizer, with the aim to shed some light onto the world of music synthesis that Bob Moog pioneered. Those patches have been assembled into a single Reason ReFill and are available free to registered Reason users on Propellerhead's website.

Livid Instruments has released Livid Looper, a new free audio looping software.

Features :

• Up to six files loaded in each looper for quick recall and playback
• Loop is automatically pitch shifted to match the BPM
• Automatic segmenting for slicing up a loop
• Interactive waveform display for arbitrary loop selections
• Assignable to crossfader
• Record live audio and instantly loop it
• Multiple audio effects, including a VST effect
• Granulator for scramble or time-shift effects
• Record up to 8 synced sequences of knob turns and effect changes
• Record up to 8 synced sequences of segment and file changes
• All actions are quantized to the master BPM
• Easy MIDI learn function
• Tight integration with Livid's Ohm controller
• Free of charge and open source (developed in Cycling 74's Max/MSP)

Livid Looper is available now for both Mac OS X and Windows.

Event Electronics unveils the Opal, a new nearfield monitoring system which provides a raw response of 30Hz-10KHz and a power handling of 1000 watts.

After purchasing Event Electronics in 2006, Peter Freedman set upon a quest to redefine the nearfield studio monitor, to provide sound recording artists and engineers with a truly reference monitoring system. He approached experienced product designer Marcelo Vercelli, formerly of Mackie, RCF and KV2, with his plans for the future of Event.

After two years of engineering, Marcelo and his R&D team presents the Opal. Its high-power neodymium motor offers 24mm of linear excursion which results in up to four times the output of some of the most expensive studio monitors. This gives the listener a more detailed and high level of high-speed b ...

Alien Apparatus Company, Inc. announces the release of The Alien Hand Microphone Stand, a microphone stand designed specifically for miking speaker cabinets.

The Alien Hand was designed to overcome the inadequacies of the traditionally used floor-mounted microphone stand. Its design consists of a plastic spring clip with an extended arm to hold a microphone. The spring clip is simply inserted into the gap between an amplifier and speaker cabinet. The flexing of the clip between the amplifier and the cabinet provides friction to hold The Alien Hand in place, but yet it can be easily positioned by lifting up one side of the amplifier. Because of the unique spring clip design, no permanent attachments or modifications need to be done to the music gear.

The Alien Hand Microphone Stand retails for $24.99 and can be purchased though Alien Apparatus Company's online web store and through their reseller network.