PC and Music News

After years of theoretical and applied research, technological changes, hardcore software development and even experiencing a few setbacks, the Vienna Symphonic Library Team finally unveils Vienna MIR. This software solution incorporating a complete reverberation and mixing stage is about to launch, with its first incarnation being ready for download in early 2009. An advanced DVD product will follow several months later.

Vienna MIR Highlights :

- A multi-impulse response convolution engine.
- An all-encompassing, holistic orchestral mixing solution with a pioneering graphical user interface.
- A stereo or multi-channel output stage that revolutionizes your arranging and mixing work-flow.

Technology :

- Highly specialized impulses of line arrays in 60° steps in six horizontal directions as well as upwards and downwards.
- Up to 40 sectors per stage for instrument placement, with interpolation between sectors for seamless transitions.

Source Distribution today announces its appointment as the new distributor for the legendary Moog brand, covering the territories of the UK & Ireland. Effective immediately, Source will supply all Moog products to the market - including the Minimoog Voyager & Little Phatty keyboards, the Etherwave Theremin, the Moogerfooger effects processors and the innovative Moog Guitar.

Commenting on the appointment, Source's Director of Distributed Brands Howard Jones said: "We've always greatly admired Moog and are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Moog team. For Source, this is an important step in our development, since Moog is our first 100% out-and-out musical instrument line, but one that dovetails perfectly with our existing pro audio brands. With so many "me-too" products out there, there is something refreshingly unique and individual in each and every one of Moog's offerings. We're really looking forward to raising the Moog profile even further in the UK & Ireland."

Moog's President, Mike Adams added: "With the considerable financial turbulence we've seen in the UK market over the last 12 months, we're delighted that our new partnership with Source means that we'll now be working with the most stable and professionally run distribution outfit in the UK. We're all looking forward to a long term and very fruitful relationship together."

One lucky customer who buys any sample pack from Goldbaby between 31st of January 2009 and the 28th of February 2009 will receive Goldbaby's very own Jomox Mbase 01. The Mbase01 is an analog drum machine designed to create phat analog bass drum sounds...

The customer will be chosen randomly on the 1st of March 2009 and will be notified by e-mail on that very day.

Orange Tree Samples has just released CoreBass Pear, an upright bass sample library for Kontakt 2 and 3.

Using Kontakt's scripting engine, CoreBass Pear intelligently interprets the input from your MIDI controller (or sequenced MIDI data) in order to produce realistic upright bass tracks. The library was sampled both using a mic and directly from the output of the bass pickup—two separate signals which can be mixed to create a variety of different upright bass tones. You can select between the presets CoreBass Pear comes with, or create your own, all within the sample library's interface.

The library features :

- 400 MB of hand-tuned 24-bit samples
- Full sustain with natural decay and release samples
- Separate mic and DI samples
- Individually sampled strings
- 2x intelligent round-robin sample cycling
- Seamlessly slide from one note to any other
- Variable pre-pluck noises
- Dynamic vibrato
- Harmonics, string slaps, mutes, and other special effects

CoreBass Pear is available for an introductory price of $54.95 (normally $64.95) as a direct download. The introductory discount ends on February 15th, 2009.

The human auditory system is sensitive to a wide range of sounds, both in terms of frequency pitch and intensity loudness.The lowest sound in pitch we can typically hear is about 20 Hz, and the highest sound 20kHz. However, we are not all equally sensitive with all differing frequencies...

Find out just how far your ears can hear ranging frequencies with Audiometry, an iPhone app which is a must have for all audio enthusiast.

With Audiometry, you will test your frequency threshold, using static volume tones. Using the iPhone headphones, you will be asked to adjust the iPhone volume, for clear and effective playback tones. Your left and right ear will be tested alternately with every frequency, from the above frequency ranges. After the test has been completed, you will get a report of your hearing frequency response.

Audiometry costs $0.99 / €0.79 and is available through

Cytomic unveils "The Glue" Bus Compressor effect plug-in.

Features :

- 4 in / 2 out stereo compressor (second stereo input for external side-chain processing)
- Accurate analog model of famous British mix bus compressor of the 80's
- Ultra-fast attack time of up to 0.01 mS
- Range knob to naturally control the maximum compression applied
- Peak Clip to optionally hard limit transients
- DSP coded using C++ and assembler, Interface coded using the Juce framework (C++)
- VST, AU and RTAS plug-in formats for Mac OS X and Windows

This plug-in is expected to be released Q1 2009 at a price of $99 (+VAT where applicable).

About Cytomic
Cytomic was formed in December 2007 by Andrew Simper as a company dedicated to producing DSP plugins using analog modelling based on quality algorithms, with a focus on ease of use and reasonable pricing. Andrew has been Head DSP Developer for FXpansion for the past 4 years, where he coded the effects for Guru and BFD2, and created the D-CAM: Synth Squad (to be released Q2 2009). Cytomic software is currently in use by top musicians and has already featured on number one singles on Beatport.