PC and Music News

JBL unveils the MSC1 Monitor System Controller. It includes essential "Monitor Strip" features found in large mixing consoles so you can take control of all monitoring functions from your place at the mix position. Since the acoustics of the room can play a big part in what you hear, the MSC1 includes JBL's RMC Room Mode Correction Technology to tune your monitor system to the room. The end-result is a calibrated reference environment in which your speakers work in harmony with your room to take the guesswork out of mixing.

Features :

• Master Volume Control
• A/B Speaker Select
• A/B/C input Source Select
• Subwoofer Output with Level Control and Selectable Cross Over Frequencies
• Adjustable Low Frequency and High Frequency Speaker EQ
• Headphone Output with Volume Control
• Monitor Mute Control
• RMC On/Bypass Control
• Adjustable input gain with Signal Present and Clip indicator
• Can be used with any studio monitor system

The MSC1 will be available in October 2009 at a US Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $375.

DDMF has released its first compressor plug-in, the NYCompressor.

NYCompressor is a lightweight all-round compressor with a ratio of up to 1:10, up to four inputs to support true sidechaining and optional low-, band- or high-pass filters in the signal detection path. Arbitrary amounts of the original signal can be mixed to the output ("New York compression style").

Demo versions are available (restriction: settings are not saved). The NYCompressor is available now as Donationware for Windows and Mac OS X Universal Binary in VST and AU plug-in formats. This means that it is available for any price the user wants to pay, starting from $0.50 to cover PayPal costs.

Ableton has updated Live 8 and Ableton Suite 8 to version 8.0.5.

Improvements :

• Updated manuals.
• Updated Help Pages.
• When using the APC40 Controller surface script, we check if the selection MIDI ports are the one from the APC40.
• Improved graphic performance when using Live on Windows 7 RC 1.
On Mac OS X, Cocoa support for Audio Units.
• Having an unfolded Live set file in the browser, now the tracks from that Live set can be inserted into the current set by double clicking too. In earlier versions it was only possible via drag'n'drop.
• Controller surface support for the AKAI MPD-18, MPK-25, MPK-61 and MPK-88 controllers.
• Controller surface support for OpenLabs devices.

Focusrite presents a brand new audio interface - the Saffire 6 USB.

Features :

• two Focusrite pre-amps
• two balanced TRS outputs
• four RCA phono outputs
• a high-level headphone output
• an A/B source switch for monitoring either of two stereo output pairs
• ideal for digital DJs
• Xcite+ Software Bundle
• Focusrite VST/AU Plug-in Suite

The Saffire 6 USB will be $199.99 US MAP with October 2009 projected availability.

Novation is pleased to announce the launch of their brand new controller keyboard. The Nocturn Keyboard is based on the control surface of the popular Nocturn. With the addition of 25 and 49 note keyboards, Nocturn's controller layout has been adapted to a full control solution for DAW users.

The Nocturn Keyboard displays control information where you really need it: on your computer monitor. The Automap software graphically displays Nocturn Keyboard's entire control surface, enabling you to assign parameters by simply clicking on them. The controllers themselves also tell you what's happening: LED rings around the eight encoders show their current settings, while LEDs behind the 25 buttons show if they are on or off.

Nocturn ...

Focusrite is pleased to announce the imminent arrival of their latest eight channel pre-amp. OctoPre MkII features eight channels of Focusrite pre-amplification and a built-in 24-bit / 96 kHz ADAT output.

OctoPre MkII has been optimized for drum recording. Designed not to clip, 10dB pads are provided across each channel, and the gain range of the pre-amps has been tailored to handle extreme levels from sound sources like the kick drum. Finally, OctoPre MkII's first two channels also feature DI's, so it can also turn its hand to recording Guitar and Bass.

OctoPre MkII features everything else you'd expect from a multi- channel mic-pre solution; 5-LED input metering on every channel, switchable phantom power and a variety of internal and external clocking solutions.

The OctoPre MkII will be $499.99 US MAP with October 2009 projected availability.