PC and Music News

RealTraps has announced a new high-performance line of acoustic treatment products that are modular and require no permanent mounting. All of the modules are six inches thick and can be stacked free-standing up to a height of eight feet. A special soft non-slip material is provided to hold the traps securely, and protect them from scratching.

Although this system is intended for high-end mixing and mastering engineers working in smaller spaces, it is also ideal for regular 2-channel hi-fi listening and even home theaters.

Three module types are offered, each resting on a 2'x'2x6" MondoTrap base :

• The corner bass trap modules use a 2'x4'x6" MondoTrap.
• The reflection absorber modules use a 2'x4'x6" HF style MondoTrap.
• The wall modules use the RealTraps Diffusor that is also a bass trap.
• 2'x4'x6" MondoTraps rest above each module to treat the wall-ceiling corners.

Although the pieces are used as a modular system, they are sold individually and priced as shown on the RealTraps Prices page ranging from $199.99 to 599.99 each with quantity discounts applied for ten or more pieces of any type.

Voxengo has just updated its bass enhancer plug-in LF Max Punch to version 1.1.

Changes :

• Crossover filter steepness parameter added.
• "Radial" knob mode can be now disabled completely.
• "Off-Line Render" indication added.
• Global level metering parameters added.
• Knob read-outs now require a single click for keyboard entry.
• Occasional crashes in WaveLab and other hosts fixed.
• Host sample rate switch-related problem fixed.
• Minor visual improvements implemented.
• Plug-in initial loading time reduced.

This update is free for all registered users.

LF Max Punch is available for both Mac OS X and Windows in VST and AU formats at a price of $69.95.

Focusrite proudly launches the new Saffire PRO 24 DSP, a 16 Input / 8 Output FireWire audio interface that features VRM, a breakthrough monitoring technology, in addition to real-time DSP-powered tracking plug-ins, all tailor-made for the modern recording environment.

Alongside DSP-powered Compression and EQ for latency-free tracking, there's also a 'Comfort' Reverb and Focusrite's patented VRM – Virtual Reference Monitoring – technology that lets you hear your mix in different acoustic environments, through different speakers and from different positions – all just using standard monitoring headphones

All DSP-based signal processing and effects are derived from the 'Focusrite Plug-in Suite' (also included as VST/AU plug-ins) and are integrated within the Saffire Mix Control software ...

SPL unveils a new design for their channel strips Track One and Channel One.

The new design features include a horizontally brushed aluminium front panel with the controls seated into new smooth milled rounded openings, the brushed aluminium also has the practical advantage of retaining its classic look for longer as it will repel marks such as finger prints. The control knobs are sculpted from massive aluminium giving them a quality look along with much improved haptics.

Note that technically nothing has changed and the recommended retail prices remain unchanged, too :

• Track One - €699
• Channel One - €1099

Rob Papen is one of the world's leading sound designers. He started off with a number one hit in Benelux aged just 18 and has subsequently created patches for the Access Virus and EMU.

Now Rob has a whole range of software instruments which are used by some of the biggest names in contemporary music production, including Armin Van Buuren, Junkie XL and Teddy Riley to name but a few. They are truly unique because of the concepts, sound quality and most of all, the musical and usable nature of the presets. Rob Papen's very first virtual instrument 'Albino' was released in 2002 and quickly became a massive hit with many leading producers.

Since then, other award winning virtual synths have been added to the Rob Papen line including 'Blue', 'Predator', 'RG' and most recently, 'SubBoomBas ...

A new page dedicated to tutorial movies for XILS 3 is available on the XILS-lab web site.

XILS 3 is an exciting new matrix style virtual modular synthesizer. Based on the architecture of the legendary EMS VCS3 synth, the XILS 3 is capable of creating both 'classic' sounds and totally new ones.

Features :

• Three aliasing-free oscillators: sine, ramp, square, triangle.
• One 2/4 poles low pass filter (a 3 pole self-oscillating mode is also planned).
• One envelope, based on two different designs, trapezoid and ADSR.
• One spring reverb.
• One ring modulator.
• One 128 steps sequencer.
• Two output static filters.
• One joy-stick.
• Three connection matrix.
• One input gate.
• One input envelope follower. ...