PC and Music News

MHC has just released Extreme, a hybrid synthesizer which plays an extensive set of extreme waveforms/samples, for example distorted, big, punchy, noisy and wicked waveforms, processing these using a filter, envelopes, an LFO, an ensemble, delays and an effect section which features 133 different effect modes, including crossfading effects and layered effects.

Features :

- 1024 presets (if all soundpacks are installed). A soundpack is an expansion which adds new extreme waveforms and presets.
- Crossfading and layered effects which feature distortion, filter banks, a resonator, flanger, sub oscillation, amp modulation, pitch shift etc.
- All knobs can be mapped to MIDI controllers with a simple "learn" function.
- Ensemble with adjustable amount and mix. Stereo delays.
- Full polyphony. Only your CPU sets the limit or you may set a fixed voice limit.

Extreme is available in VST and AU formats for Windows and Mac OS X at a retail price of $139.

Image Line has also released Edison which is a fully host-integrated audio editing and recording tool that loads into any VST compatible effects location and will then record or play audio from that position. You may load as many instances of edison as you desire, in any number of mixer tracks or effects locations.

Key features :

- Optimized for sampler use (sampler region, seamless looping)
- Drumloop slicing (auto-slicing, slice manipulation)
- Quick drag&drop support (between instances or to your sequencer/other plugins)
- Various recording modes (start/stop with host, on audio input, can also work as transparent audio logger)
- Time manipulation (time stretching/pitch shifting, scratching)
- Effects: convolution reverb, blur, linear-phase equalization,
- High-quality resampling
- The smoothest spectral analysis display
- Click-free editing
- Full undo history
- Intuitive editing with key feature tool-buttons
- (Pascal) scripted manipulation of waveforms
- Control surface support (FL Studio 8 version)

Edison will not be available as a seperate plugin but is part of the 'JUICE-pack' which costs $99.

Image Line Software released its latest audio weapon - the Multiband Maximizer Maximus. It combines high quality Maximizer, Compressor, Limiter, Noise Gate, Expander, Ducker and De-esser.

Key features :

- 3 independent user-definable High Mid Low (HML) frequency bands
- Custom look-ahead for the HML bands and Master compression envelopes
- 4 limiter/compressors: One per HML band plus a Master wide band limiter/compressor
- Each compressor has a multipoint compression curve. Create any shaped knee or special effects (limiting, compression, gating or expansion)
- Fully configurable. Any of the HML or Master compressors can be bypassed to configure Maximus to suit any limiting, compression or maximization task
- Two saturation types per HML & Master bands, with independent gain
- Phase-free mixing between the frequency dependent compressors and the master, perfect for parallel & NY-style compression
- 4 Independent stereo separation controls, one per band, for independent bass through to high-end separation shaping

Maximus is available now for Windows at an introductory price of $119 instead of the retail price of $189.

M-Audio is proud to announce the KeyRig 25 keyboard controller and software bundle, which closely follows the release of the previously announced KeyRig 49 package. The KeyRig 25 features an ultra-slim, 25-note keyboard with half-depth action, along with eight MIDI-assignable knobs and buttons while the KeyRig 49 features a 49-note, synth-action keyboard designed for users who want a more traditional approach to keyboard playing. Both keyboards also include professional features like pitch bend and modulation controls, an assignable volume slider, octave +/- buttons and sustain pedal input. The units are powered from the computer via a single USB cable and work right out of the box with Windows XP and Mac OS X systems—no driver installation needed.

Both configurations feature M-Audio's Key Rig software (valued at $129)—a single virtual rack that covers all of the basic needs of today's keyboardist. Compatible with most PC environments, Key Rig delivers four modules for stand-alone or plug-in use: SP-1 Stage Piano, MS-2 Polyphonic Synthesizer, MB-3 Tone Wheel Organ and GM-4 General MIDI Module. The master section allows users to route, split, layer and mix these four modules in whatever way best suits their performance and recording needs. A master effects section also provides for adding a common effect in addition to the individual effect section included with each instrument.

Both keyboards are currently shipping. Each keyboard carries a US MSRP of $129.95.

AlpineSoft announces VinylStudio Version 3, with enhanced audio cleanup tools. VinylStudio is a complete software solution for digitising vinyl LP's and tapes via your PC. It records, splits tracks and burns both audio and MP3 CD's, all in one convenient, easy to use package. It can also look track listings up over the Internet and copy tracks to your iPod or MP3 player. VinylStudio comes with a complete set of audio cleaning filters to remove clicks, crackles, tape hiss and more.

VinyStudio costs US$ 29.95 (around UK £15) + 17.5% VAT if you live in a EU member state. You can download a fully functional trial copy.

Oli Larkin has released version 2.0 of the Endless Series, which includes the addition of Endless Shifter and Mac OS X VST, AU and RTAS support (via the Pluggo runtime).

The Endless Series are four effect plugins based on an auditory illusion known as "Circular Pitch" or more commonly the "Shepard Tone/Scale" after Roger N. Shepard who discovered it in the 1960s. Shepard showed that using basic additive synthesis it's possible to create the illusion of a continuously rising or descending chromatic scale. The term circular pitch was used because, although the scale sounds as if it is moving in one direction, in fact, after twelve steps it returns to where it started.

Endless Tone can be used to synthesize classic Shepard/Risset tones. It can also be used as a ring modulator either using an internal sine wave or the audio input for the carrier signal. Endless Flanger is a circular pitch (barber-pole) flanger - instead of flanging up and down the frequency spectrum, it appears to continuously flange in one direction. Endless Phaser works in the same way but rather than using delay lines, it uses filters to produce its effect. Endless Shifter provides a further variation by using pitch shifting to impose the illusion of circular pitch on the source material.

The Endless Series cost £15 for the bundle (Endless Tone is actually free) and is available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU and RTAS formats via the Pluggo runtime.