PC and Music News

SonicCouture has released GuZheng, a new sample library for Kontakt, EXS24 and Live.

The Guzheng is a traditional Chinese instrument dating from the Qin dynasty (c. 200 BC to the rest of us). It is the ancestor of the Japanese Koto as well as several other zither-like instruments found across east Asia. Generally the notes are plucked with the right hand, on which the player wears tortoise-shell finger-picks. The left hand is usually bare, but sometimes used to pluck accompanying notes as well as providing pitch bend and vibrato effects behind the bridge. Sometimes virtuoso performers will use finger picks on both hands. Other playing techniques include tremolo (very fast repeated notes), harmonics, and sweeping glissandos.

The SonicCouture Guzheng has been extensively recorded in 24 bit 44.1khz stereo. Three articulations were sampled : right hand (finger picks), left hand (flesh), and harmonics (finger picks). Up to ten velocity levels, three round robin alternations for the right hand, and two round robin alternations for the left hand. This ensures natural attack transients with no 'machine-gun' repetition. Across all 21 strings this amounts to 1027 samples totaling just over 2 gigabytes. We provide a method to play the Guzheng in it's original tuning, or in chromatic tuning, for each format. The Kontakt version of Guzheng contains extra tools for recreating the natural response of the instrument (KSP Scripts).

Features :

- 2.25 GB Sampled Instrument.
- 24 bit Stereo 44.1 Recording.
- KSP 'Last Note Standing' PitchBend Processor.
- KSP Glissando and Tremolo Processors.
- Right (Picked) and Left Hand (Finger) + Harmonics Sampling.
- 3 Round Robin Layers + Up to 10 Velocity layers per note.
- Kontakt 2 / 3, Logic EXS24 or Ableton Live 7 required.

Guzheng is available now and is priced at $99 (download) / $104 (DVD).

Effective immediately, through December 31, 2008, Moog Music is offering a free CP-251 Control Processor ($399 value) with the purchase of any Minimoog Voyager, Old School or Little Phatty synthesizer from an authorized Moog dealer.

The CP-251, which offers a four input CV mixer, lag processor, multiple waveform LFO, two attenuators, four-way multiple, noise source, and sample & hold circuit, is an historical link to the original, large Moog modular synthesizers from the '60s, like the one used in Switched-on Bach. Based on Control Voltage technology, The CP-251 expands the sonic potential of all Moog instruments; from the Minimoog Voyager to The Moog Guitar.

Nord and UK distributor Sound Technology are very pleased to announce the next generation Electro - the Nord Electro 3.

With the introduction of the Nord Electro 3, the legacy of the original Electro and the knowhow that have shaped some of the other Nord models have been combined. The Electro 3 features a new organ section, a new piano section, new effects and also a new exciting feature that allows the Electro 3 to use any samples from the Nord Wave library.

The Electro 3 comes in two sizes, a 61 and a 73 key version with semi-weighted waterfall keys.

Nord Electro 3 will ship in the UK in December 2008 priced at £1399 and £1599 RRP inc VAT for the Electro 3 61 and Electro 3 73 respectively.

Akai unveils the EWI USB, a new plug-and-play USB wind controller.

Features :

- Electronic wind instrument controller
- Easy to play, easy to use, and easy to own
- Powerful, flexible, and reliable
- Plug-and-play USB connection to Mac or PC
- Custom Garritan Aria Player software, contains wind instrument sounds
- Multiple fingering modes: sax, traditional EWI, flute, oboe, and EVI brass
- Expandable sound palette
- Removable, dishwasher-safe mouthpiece

Includes :

- EWI USB wind instrument
- Neck strap
- Cleaning cloth
- USB cable
- Software DVD
- Quick start guide
- Safety instructions

The EWI USB is available now for $499 MSRP.

On occasion of the Valvet's 10th anniversary Brauner is releasing a new version of this very popular tube microphone: the Valvet X - escpecially designed to excel in delicate vocal and solo recordings. The Valvet X has a pure cardioid pattern and its overall tonal character was optimized to fit this very task.

TechSpecs :

- Equivalent Noise < 9 dB A (IEC651)
- Signal to Noise > 85 dB (1 Pa/1 kHzCardioid)
- Sensitivity 28 mV / PaCardioid
- Pattern Cardioid
- Frequency Range 20 Hz 22 kHz
- Maximum SPL 142 dB SPL @ 0,3 % THD
- Power Supply 115 V or 230 V

The Valvet X will be available for a special offer price (toward €2100) during a limited period of time, as will be the regular Valvet.

Line 6 has begun shipping POD X3 Pro. Like all members of the POD X3 family, it offers two discreet signal paths. Split your single-input guitar or bass signal through two different amp and effect chains simultaneously to create new hybrids, or use its dual inputs to individually process two instruments—a microphone and a guitar, for example—at the same time.

Computer-based studios will want to exploit the USB 2.0 connectivity provided by POD X3 Pro for multi-channel recording as well as its S/PDIF or AES/EBU Stereo Digital Audio I/O for sending a direct digital signal to their DAWs. For additional recording and processing flexibility, it also includes software plug-in functionality for integration with DAW recording applications.

POD X3 Pro MSRP: $979.99