PC and Music News

Akai Professional announces that its MPD18 portable padcontroller is now shipping to retailers.

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 is available from musical instrument and professional audio retailers and has a U.S. Retail Price of $199.00 with an estimated street price of $99.00.

This year at AES in New York Avenson Audio introduces two new half rack space processors, the Mid-Side and the Blend.

The Mid-Side allows conversion of stereo Left-Right into M-S and back. There is a width control to balance the M vs S as well as a dedicated variable high pass filter for the Side channel.

Blend is a stereo two channel mixer designed for stem mixing or parallel processing. It features a 100mm fader for fine blend control and stereo sixteen segment LED metering.

Pricing and availability TBA.

Ableton has updated Live 8 and Ableton Suite 8 to version 8.0.8.

Improvements since v8.0.5 :

• Updated manuals.
• Updated Help Pages.
• Control Surface support for Novation Launchpad.
• Several improvements for the AxiomPro Controllers.
• Several bug fixes

Waves has announced WNS, or Waves Noise Suppressor.

WNS is a real-time, multiband noise reduction utility specifically tailored for dialog tracks. Waves claims that WNS will offer "superior sound quality with minimal artifacts" and an interface that "will be immediately familiar to Post engineers."


Pricing and availability TBA.

Phoenix Audio is pleased to announce the release of its 8 channel mic pre amp, the DRS-8.

The DRS-8 is an 8 channel solid state class A discrete mic pre amp, each channel has its own dedicated level control, -30db pad, phantom power, phase reverse, high pass filter and mute buttons. The unit has an 8 channel monitoring output facility so all 8 channels can be sent directly to a monitor controller or a patchbay as well as having individual channel outputs.

The design is based on the current family of DRS mic pre amps like the DRS1 & DRS2, that all feature the DSOP2 output stage that offers a full coloured saturated sound. Each unit is constructed to a commitment to high quality sonic clarity whilst still offering a distinctive vintage tone.

Estimated street price :$3500.

XLN Audio announces the release of the free Addictive Drums 1.5 Adrenaline Update featuring full E-Drums Support, Beat Transformer, GM Support, New Beats, New Presets and more.

• E-Drums Support
The Addictive Drums 1.5 Adrenaline Update offers full support for your E-Drums enabling you to simply plug and play. With ready made settings for all the major E-Drum models on the market Adrenaline lets you hook up and go in a matter of minutes. All the functionality for the E-Drums Support is located in the new Map Window where you can tweak the settings to your liking. For example you can edit the velocity control, variable hihat, positional sensing, etc.

• Beat Transformer
Edit the velocity, tempo and length of the MIDI beats and grooves inside Addictive Drums with the new Bea ...