PC and Music News

This Musikmesse is set to be Sonnox's biggest show ever, with no fewer than 10 shows a day from four different presenters. As well as mainstage shows from Fab Dupont, Robbie Bronnimann, Nils Hahmann, and Josep Maria Sola, there will be iMac stations for general public use, and plenty of Sonnox staff to ask questions and get one on one Oxford Plugins demos.

Visitors who come to the demos will have a chance to win a Sonnox Elite Collection worth around €1000, which will be presented at 17:30h each day. Also, with Sonnox's special Musikmesse promotion, purchase and register any Oxford Plugins Bundle (2 or more plug-ins) between April 1st and April 17th 2009 and receive a free Oxford Limiter with your order !

Come and see Sonnox at Booth B66, Hall 5.1 from April 1st – 4th, to find out more details.

Euphonix has announced MC Transport, the latest addition to its line of Artist Series media controllers.

Features :

- Jog Wheel : the weighted, optically encoded jog wheel provides you with professional, ultra-high resolution navigation of your timeline, and can be instantly assigned to control a host of other parameters like zooming horizontally/vertically, trimming clip head and tail, setting clip gain, cross fading, etc. by simply pressing the appropriate soft key.
- Shuttle Ring : the optically encoded shuttle ring features a revolutionary, spring-loaded design with rubberized surface for effortless one-handed operation. Shuttle ring response can be customized for each

Moog unveils long awaited and much anticipated MF-106TC Analog Time Compressor.

"-Shipping April 1, 2009-

The history of invention and innovation is replete with instances of accidental successes: Chewing gum was a bad batch of tire rubber. Penicillin came from mold growing on abandoned plates of bacteria. And we all know about Benjamin Franklin and lightning rods.

Our own musical mad scientists (who never fear failure and are constantly experimenting, tinkering and tweaking) have recently had their own kite-flying experience, and the result is the amazing and logic-defying MF-106TC, Analog Time Compressor.

"We accidentally reversed the clock phasing in the time generation on our MF-104Z Analog Delay, and discovered that it can actually work in reverse, compressing the time stream instead of expanding it. Much to our amazement and delight we began hearing sounds up to 1000 milliseconds before we played them," said Amos Gaynes, Moog Temporal Engineer.

Gaynes said that the Analog Time Compressor circuit on the MF-106TC can

Akai Professional announces the MPK88, a new addition to its MPK series of keyboard controllers with MPC pads and technology.

The new MPK88 brings the utility and creative control of its siblings to more dedicated piano and keyboard players, thanks to its fully-weighted, hammer-action keyboard with assignable keyboard split and aftertouch.

In addition to the premium keybed, the MPK88 gives the player 16 MPC pads that are velocity and pressure sensitive and can access four banks of sounds each, for access to 64 sounds at any time. The MPK88 also puts the player in command of their software with assignable Q-Link faders, knobs and buttons. The user can assign any Q-Link to control nearly any parameter in their software for hands-on, mouse-free performance. The MPK88 also has two assignable footswitch inputs and an expression pedal input.

Two technologies pioneered in the MPC series and built into the MPK88 are MPC Note Repeat and MPC Swing. MPC Note Repeat is a capability that enables the MPK to automatically play a rhythm pattern, such as 16th notes on a hi-hat, for accuracy and speed of entry. MPC Swing turns perfectly aligned sequences into human feeling time alignments. Users can specify exactly the degree and timing of swing they want to apply for the perfect feel. The MPK88 also has an arpeggiator, which enables performers to build creative riffs instantly.

The MPK88 sends MIDI values over USB and a traditional MIDI jack. The controller works with most MIDI recording, sequencing and performance software as well as sound modules, synthesizers and other MIDI-compliant hardware.

The MPK88 will be available from pro audio and musical instrument retailers in Q3, 2009.

Stanton releases the SCS.3m, the next installment in their SC System 3 series controllers.

The SCS.3m is a portable MIDI controller with a unique control surface that emulates the layout of a traditional two channel mixer, but is completely touch-sensitive and features the StanTouch® technology introduced in its deck controller counterpart, the Stanton SCS.3d.

The SCS.3m incorporates all the functions of a two channel DJ mixer, plus a host of new performance features. The touch sensitive sliders can be used to tweak EQs, allowing DJs to bring in different elements of a song during a mix, or instantly switch the sliders to control FX parameters of your software. The wide, touch-sensitive crossfader allows for seamless slow blends between decks, but is also able to detect multiple fin ...

Akai announces the MPD18 portable pad controller.

The MPD18 is the smallest-sized model in Akai's line of MPD MIDI-over-USB pad controllers. The heart of the MPD18 is its bank of 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive genuine MPC pads, an Akai Professional exclusive. Users can access three different banks of sounds from the pads for a total of 48 sounds at once. The MPD18 also borrows the MPC series' assignable Q-Link controllers, enabling users to control nearly any parameters in their software in real time on an assignable Q-Link fader and an assignable Q-Link button.

Users will find the MPD18 to be convenient, sending MIDI information over its plug-and-play USB interface for use with Mac or PC without installing any drivers. The USB connection also powers the MPD18 so musicians can use the controller with no power supply. The MPD18 can control nearly any MIDI software, as well as MIDI hardware, such as synths, sound modules, samplers, sequencers, drum machines and more.

The MPD18 will be available from musical instrument and professional audio retailers Q3, 2009.