PC and Music News

Soundprovocation "Sweeps & Whooshes" is a collection of creatively recorded, generated, played and carefully selected sound effects. These pure sounds were ment to assist audio professionals : musicians, sound designers, radio and TV producers, DJs. Effects are dedicated to blow-up expressivity and power into your music and production.

Collection contains four categories of 179 royalty-free effects total :

• Noise sweeps (23)
• Short sweeps (77)
• Tone sweeps (29)
• Crunchy sweeps (25)
• Whooshes (25)

Format : Aiff, 24 bit, 44100 Hz / Package size : 280 MB.

Sweeps & Whooshes is available now as a downloadable product at an introductory price of €9.99 instead of €19.99 until the end of this month.

Applied Acoustics Systems has just updated its virtual electric piano Lounge Lizard EP-3 to version 3.1.2. This is a maintenance update containing the following changes :

• Fixed Recorder crash on Windows;
• Fixed automation from plug-in window in Logic 8;
• Fixed audio cuts when the plug-in window was displayed;
• Fixed MIDI Link crash on "Default" channel;
• Fixed Cubase 5 crash on Windows;
• Now works with Cubase 5 64-bit VST Bridge;
• Now works with Sonar 64-bit BitBridge;
• New solution for volume build-up on repeated notes with sustain pedal;
• Fixed "Fatal Error 417" during authorization on Mac OS X;
• Fixed Edit MIDI Link dialog values glitch;
• No more clicks when changing Pickup Type;
• Fixed MIDI Link on Pickup Type.

This update is available now, free of charge for all Lounge Lizard EP-3 registered users.

Waves introduces the Grand Masters Collection, an all-inclusive set of mastering tools. Featuring the complete original Masters bundle (L2 Ultramaximizer, Linear Phase Equalizer, Linear Phase Multiband Compressor), the Grand Masters Collection adds ten new plug-ins :

• MaxxVolume
• PuigTec EQP-1A
• PuigTec MEQ-5
• Waves Dorrough Meters
• Stereo Edition
• Waves Center
• L3-16 Multimaximizer
• L3 Ultramaximizer
• L3 Multimaximizer
• L3-LL Ultramaximizer
• L3-LL Multimaximizer

Waves Grand Masters Collection is available for both Mac OS X and Windows in Native (VST/AU/RTAS) ($2,200) and TDM ($4,200) formats, it requires iLok authorization. Upgrades are available. All purchases and upgrades include one full year of Waves Update Plan coverage.

Waldorf has just announced the release of Largo, a virtual instrument offering the same powerful synthesizer engine as found in the Waldorf Q-, MicroQ- and Blofeld-synthesizers.

Largo offers three fat oscillators, two of them with sub oscillators. These oscillators include models of classic analog waveforms as well as a selection of waves from the PPG and Waldorf Wave stored in two Wavetables. All these run through two Waldorf multimode filters with steep cutoff, resonance up to self-oscillation and a drive stage to add even more punch and grainyness to the sound. Ultra-fast envelope generators and flexible LFOs as well as an easy to understand, yet extremely versatile modulation matrix make for a sound designer's dream.

Largo contains a flexible arpeggiator with 16 freely programm ...

Humanoid Sound Systems has released a VST/AU version for Mac of Scanned Synth Pro.

Scanned Synth uses a unique new form of synthesis inspired by advances in digital music theory. It is designed to create rich complex digital tones and fantastic sound effects, while using simplified controls and traditional synths techniques such as filters, LFOs and effects.

Perfect for biting metallic growls, movement filled pads, and weird modular-like sound effects, Scanned Synth Pro provides a unique sound that is constantly changing and new every time you press a key. Featuring a "revolutionary" synthesis engine, combining the powers of both Physical Modelling and Wavetable synthesis, with simplified controls and full MIDI automation, Scanned Synth Pro is both simple and complex, powerful and easy to use.

Scanned Synth Pro is available for both Mac (AU/VST) and PC (VST) using the "pay-what-you-like" model (with a minimum donation of 30 US cents).

VSL has announced that its new virtual grand piano plug-in instrument, the Vienna Imperial, is now shipping. The venerable Bösendorfer Imperial 290-755 that the VSL team hosted at the Silent Stage for two months was equipped with the famed piano manufacturer's CEUS technology, which allowed for precise and extensive piano sample recordings.

Features :

• Up to 100 velocities per key, 1,200 recorded samples per key.
• Audience, player, and close microphone recording positions.
• Powerful proprietary piano engine.
• Multiple release samples for different note lengths (supports authentic staccato/staccatissimo performances).
• Repetition samples for pedal-sustained notes.
• Sympathetic resonances for sustain pedal up and down positions.
• Adjustab ...