PC and Music News

Digidesign has unveiled the third and newest member of its Digidesign 003 family : the 003 Rack+ Factory. Featuring 8 high-quality microphone preamps, the 003 Rack+ Factory is a powerful option for those needing additional mic inputs to handle more complex recording projects.

With 18 simultaneous channels of I/O, 003 boasts the most extensive array of analog and digital audio I/O ever available from a Pro Tools LE system. Topping the I/O list are eight studio-quality mic preamps, which each feature switchable 48V phantom power and 20 dB pads, high-quality analog high-pass filters, and front-panel trim controls. For instruments and line-level connections, it offers eight analog DI/line inputs and outputs, including one DI/line input on the front panel for quick and easy plug-and-play recording. Digital connections include eight channels of ADAT optical I/O and two channels of S/PDIF digital I/O, along with 16 channels of MIDI I/O.

Dedicated studio monitor outputs and alternate control room outputs allow for connecting two sets of speakers, and dual discrete headphone outputs are ideal for providing separate mixes for the artist and recording engineer. Also included are a host of professional features, including BNC Word Clock I/O and alternate source input for external device monitoring.

003 Rack+ Factory comes bundled with Pro Tools LE 7.4 software ; initial purchasers will be eligible to receive a free software upgrade to Pro Tools LE 8 when it becomes available. 003 Rack+ Factory also includes over 80 professional effects and virtual instrument plug-ins (valued at over $3,000), supports a wide variety of third-party plug-ins and software options, and allows for powerful expandability through Digidesign toolkit software options.

003 Rack+ Factory is available for pre-order, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,695. Digidesign has also reduced the price of the 003 Rack Factory to $1,495 (reflecting a $200 price drop). In addition, Digidesign offers a unique hardware exchange program, allowing legacy Pro Tools LE and select competitive product owners to trade in their hardware for a discount toward the purchase of a new 003 system; the program will be extended to include the new 003 Rack+ Factory as well.

Audio-Technica introduces the AT8022 X/Y Stereo Microphone and the BP4025 X/Y Stereo Field Recording Microphone. Designed for broadcast and professional recording, these two new stereo condensers are perfect for use with professional audio and video equipment. Each offers an innovative coincident capsule configuration that allows for a smaller housing while producing a stereo image with the spatial impact and realism of a live sound field.

Both the AT8022 and the BP4025 are ruggedly constructed to protect against damage from day-to-day use during field recording. The microphones are also fully RoHS-compliant (free from all substances specified in the EU directive on the Reduction of Hazardous Substances). Each mic offers an 80 Hz high-pass filter for easy switching from a flat frequenc ...

Noteflight officially launched its new online music software today, dramatically changing the way musicians create, edit and share musical compositions.

Now available as a free public beta release, Noteflight is a Web-based application requiring no software installation that enables anyone with a standard Web browser to create a score using standard music notation. The score can be played directly from the browser, shared with individuals, published online or printed as sheet music for use by live musicians. Scores may also be embedded in other pages such as blogs or personal websites.

For more information, please visit the link below :

Tascam has premiered the TM-ST2 and TM-STPRO X/Y stereo microphones at this 125th AES.

The unbalanced TM-ST2 is an affordable microphone with both a 10' cable for live recording and an 18" cable for video camera connection. The TM-STPRO adds a balanced output, includes a 16' stereo xlr cable and has the ability to run on phantom power. Both microphones feature a switchable low cut filter and come with a mic clip, battery, wind screen and protective carry bag.

The Tascam TM-ST2 and TM-STPRO are available for $149 and $179, respectively.

Dbx Professional Products introduces two new direct injection boxes into their product line : the dB10 Passive Direct Box and dB12 Active Direct Box.

The dB10 Passive Direct Box includes all the basic features you would expect from a work horse direct box : input and parallel "thru" jacks, transformer isolation, balanced XLR output, and ground lift switch but provides additional value not found in budget direct boxes. Its 3-position pad switch easily accommodates instrument, line level and speaker level signals, while further versatility is added with its selectable polarity invert and high-cut filtering functions. Premium chrome toggle switches and a gold-plated Neutrik XLR output jack, as well as a first-class custom dbx mu-metal-shielded isolation transformer, ensure the highest-quality signal path. All switches are recessed to provide protection from accidental operation or damage.

The dB12 Active Direct Box includes all the features of the dB10, but in an active version. Driven by phantom power supplied by a mixing console's mic input, the dB12's active circuitry operates from 20V to 48V. A green power LED is included to show status of the phantom power source. The dB12's high input impedance and low-noise buffered active circuitry faithfully preserve the tone and signal characteristics of the instrument source. It also includes a custom dbx mu-metal-shielded isolation transformer, tailored to complement the active circuitry and provide a clean balanced output signal.

The dbx dB10 Passive and dB12 Active Direct Boxes are now shipping with an estimated street price of $99.95 and $129.95 respectively.

Prosoniq and GenAudio have announced a strategic partnership to combine state-of-the-art technologies from both companies creating the next generation of "truly immersive multi-dimensional audio".

GenAudio's AstoundSound and AstoundStereo technologies, both of which are upcoming industry standards for processing tracks during or after mixing, respectively, deliver true 4-dimensional sound localization processing. Combining this unique 4D spatial audio software based processing with Prosoniq's sophisticated RayVerb software based processing, which uses an advanced inverse ray tracing algorithm for precise analysis and room simulation processing, offers mix engineers the ability to create a totally new, extremely immersive, high fidelity audio experience for music, video games, film, Broadcast, and many other applications.

Fully integrated into any compatible host software this technology allows the user to create static or moving sound sources localized around the listener's position without requiring specialized encoding/decoding hardware. It can be experienced with 2-channel audio (stereo) or by integrating it into multi-channel audio delivery formats (Surround Sound).

Already used in the production of 6 bonus tracks for the latest album of singer/songwriter Robin Thicke, this technology truly redefines what can be done with 2-channel audio.

Listen to an audio example at :