PC and Music News

Roland announces Fantom-G, its latest workstation, with an advanced sound engine, ARX SuperNATURAL expansion bay, extra-large 8.5" wide TFT color LCD, new audio/MIDI recorder, 88-note Ivory Feel weighted keys (Fantom-G8), 76-note keys (Fantom-G7), and 61-note keys (Fantom-G6).

The Fantom-G's sound engine is driven by a new audio processor, with 16-part multi-timbre mode, up to 22 effect routings and that handles twice the wave-ROM capacity of its predecessor, made of Roland's world-famous SRX sounds. The Fantom-G serie has a new ARX expansion slot, that allows additional SuperNATURAL sound-sets and fully dedicated synth and effects engines to be added. Roland has introduced the first two, ARX-1 (Drums) and ARX-2 (Electric Piano).

The Fantom-G is the first Roland instrument to feature Roland's newly designed power sequencer, which provides 128 tracks (including 24 audio tracks) in a fully integrated audio/MIDI graphical environment.

TC Electronic announces Desktop Konnekt 6, an easy-to-use desktop FireWire audio interface with dedicated monitor control features including a tracking reverb, an ergonomic volume knob and a 3-mode high resolution meter for intuitive and instant control while recording.
The IMPACT mic preamp and the true Hi-Z inputs should ensure top-notch sound quality recordings of vocals and guitar.
Desktop Konnekt 6 will ship in March 2008 at a suggested retail price of EUR 249.

TC Electronic also announce that the Studio Konnekt 48 is now officially worldwide available.

After many years of development, Spectrasonics today previewed their brand new flagship virtual instrument Omnisphere®.
The revolutionary 'Power Synth' breaks completely new sonic ground by combining a wide variety of hybrid realtime synthesis techniques, an epic library of remarkable 'Psychoacoustic' sounds, and many innovative features that have never been seen before in any hardware or software synthesizer.
The new instrument is the first to be based on Spectrasonics' STEAM Engine, the company's newly developed core technology.
Omnisphere is set to be released September 15, 2008, the MSRP is $499 US.

Omnisphere will offer a host of hybrid synthesis and new control capabilities including Variable Waveshaping DSP synthesis, Granular synthesis, Timbre Shifting, FM synthesis, polyp ...

Scarbee today announced Blue Bass, a sample library made for N.I. Kontakt 2 and Kontakt 3. Scarbee Blue Bass has been built to take advantage of the advanced scripting technology originally developed for the Black Bass.

Blue Bass was designed to be very easy to play live. Almost all articulations can be triggered without any keyswitches. Eg. legato playing triggers hammer-on and pull-off, legato playing with sustain pedal pressed triggers slides, fast legato playing triggers grace notes.

Features
• All four strings sampled, more than 4 000 samples and up to 9 velocity layers to capture the full timbre of the bass.
• Real-time playable – with the exception of cross hammering and trills all of the articulations in the list given further below can be triggered without the ne ...

At NAMM, Applied Acoustics Systems presents on its upcoming plug-in instrument - Strum Acoustic GS-1, an Acoustic Guitar Plug-in Synthesizer.

- Keyboardist's Acoustic Guitar: Can't learn the guitar in time for your deadline. Your favorite session player is out of town. ROMplers are not quite there. Strum is the just-right solution.
- Play a folk song with open chords: Play the chords you know and Strum voices them as a guitarist would.
- Strum on your keyboard: Auto-strum chords or play them via strumming keys or MIDI loops.
- Pick a guitar from your collection: Go from nylon to steel, from jumbo to concert, or from country rock to finger-style classical.
- Create your own space: Add warmth with the EQ, lush with the chorus, and space with the reverb.

Strum Acoustic GS-1 will be available by the end of Q1 2008 for Windows and Mac OS X (Universal Binary) in VST, AU and RTAS formats.

Moog Music has announced two new product innovations, unveiled for the first time at the 2008 NAMM show in Anaheim.

The Minimoog Voyager Old School is an analog synth based upon their famous Voyager. The Old School will feature a streamlined interface for a more authentic experience. The Old School features an enhanced modulation selection and a slightly altered knob configuration, and unlike the Minimoog Voyager, there is no touch screen, pre-sets or MIDI functionality. And thanks to this streamlining, the Old School comes at a significantly lower price point than the Minimoog Voyager.

The MP-201 Multi-Pedal extends expressive control to virtually all contemporary synths (both hardware and software), as well as effects processors, laptops and DJ gear. Thanks to its MID ...