PC and Music News

Tascam has announced the DP-004 Digital Pocketstudio, a new portable four-track digital recorder. The DP-004 records to SD Card media, and a 1GB card is included. It features autopunch recording, track editing and an undo function. A metronome and tuner are built-in, and the Input A jack accepts a guitar-level signal for direct recording.

According to Tascam :

"Based on 30 years of Portastudio experience, the DP-004 retains the legendary ease-of-use of cassette-based four-track recorders but updates it with CD-quality digital recording. Instead of confounding menus and windows, the recorder uses a set of dedicated knobs and buttons for easy operation. A pair of unbalanced 1/4" inputs accept mic or line signals, or musicians can employ the built-in stereo microphone. A stereo mixdown track is also included, and tracks or mixes can be transferred to a computer using USB 2.0. Smaller than a paperback book, the DP-004 is portable enough to bring anywhere."

The DP-004 is shipping in November 2008 with an estimated street price of $199.

Vital Arts is pleased to announce Plectrum V2, the new cross-platform version of their critically acclaimed virtual instrument collection. This new version is powered by Native Instruments' Kontakt 2 Player.

Overview :

• 187 original instruments
• 45 combination "Multis"
• Round robin playback, with multiple articulations under every key
• Nine easy access categories
• Fast instrument loading and selection
• Fully multitimbral, allowing custom split and layer "Multis"
• High performance audio engine, powered by Native Instruments Konatkt 2 Player
• AU, VST, RTAS, and Standalone for Mac and Pc
• Thousands of full length high resolution samples, voiced for making music

The 12 GB library which includes the Kontakt 2 Player will be available starting on November 10, 2008 for $299. Existing registered Plectrum users will be offered a $59 crossgrade price for a limited time.

Described by its manufacturer as "the jedi knight of microphones fighting against forces of the dark side and their poor clone warriors", the Vertigo VS47 is a "new" microphone which aims to be the king instead of the king : the classic Neumann U47.

The VS 47 is equipped with :

- Original Neumann M7 capsule
- Telefunken VF14 tube
- Original Haufe BV-8 transformer

The ultimate set is completed with :

- Replica PSU
- High quality leads
- OEM elastic suspension.

Pricing :

- VS 47 with VF14 and FET14 : €5990
- VS 47 with FET14 : €4990

Toontrack Music announces Drumtracker, a stand-alone, multi-track audio to midi converter for sound replacement.

Features :

• Host independent, Stand Alone software for converting drum audio to drum MIDI. Import Audio tracks, export MIDI mapped to your favourite drum sampler.
• Each trigging point graphically represented. Delete, add, move or change the velocity to your individual needs.
• Manual control over tracking and exporting, select which part or parts of a drum track that you want to export, down to each single hit.
• Set max/min velocity and threshold values for each instrument and articulation.
• Audition before and after filters.
• Save your own presets.
• Mac and PC

Drumtracker is expected for the end of the year at a price of $149 / €99.

Puremagnetik has released Digital Beatboxes for Ableton Live, Kontakt and Logic.

Digital Beatboxes is a collection of four old-school digital drum machines that helped define an era in hip-hop, rock and electronica. Included in this Micropak are models of the Korg DDD1, Alesis HR-16, Kawai R-50 and the rare Soviet "Sound" drum machine.

• Customized for Ableton Live

The "Live Ready" version of Digital Beatboxes comes with over 60 drum loops and 18 individually customized drum kits. Each loop comes in Live Clip format facilitating maximum flexibility for beat production. All kits include customized Macros for easy editing along with unprocessed "classic" versions of each machine.

• Customized for Kontakt & Logic

Digital Beatboxes for Kontakt and Logic comes with over 60 processed SIAL Apple Loops and a selection of customized kits. Drum programmers can also take advantage of the consolidated kit menus for individual sounds.

Pricing : Basic Monthly Subscription: $5.75/Month Basic Yearly Subscription: $60/Year All Access Pass - $198/Year

For more info including a video walkthrough and audio clips, please follow the link below :

Royer Labs is pleased to announce the release of the company's new microphone demonstration CD. Titled Inside the Mix, the new CD, which is available free(minus shipping charges) to prospective customers, offers detailed examples of both Royer's studio and Live Series microphones used in a wide variety of musical applications.

Inside the Mix is unique in that it enables one to hear the finished, fully mastered tracks of many of today's best-known recordings and then offers a more detailed perspective on ribbon microphones by isolating the individual tracks that were recorded on Royer microphones. In doing so, prospective customers can hear with unprecedented detail the soloed track with the individual instrument as it was originally recorded.

Royer's new demonstration CD contains a broad assortment of musical examples from an equally wide range of musical styles. Inside the Mix includes performances by jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian Setzer, the rock band Matchbox Twenty, and Allen Toussaint, one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. Additionally, numerous leading engineers/producers contributed tracks to Inside the Mix, including nineteen-time Grammy Award winning recording engineer and record producer Al Schmitt, five time Grammy winning engineer Bruce Swedien, well-known Los Angeles-based film scoring engineer/mixer Alan Meyerson, and multiple Grammy Award winning music producer Ross Hogarth.

For more information, please visit the link below :