PC and Music News

XLN Audio has announced the Funk AD Pak for Addictive Drums, focusing on contemporary funk beats and sounds.

Features :

• 12 Piece Pearl Reference Funk Kit.
• Cymbals from Sabian and Paiste.
• 400 Live Recorded Rhythms & Fills.
• 30+ Production Presets.

The Funk AD Pak is set to be released at the beginning of December with pricing TBA.

AcousticsampleS has updated DrumTaste Brush, VibysM and A-Pian.

The DrumTaste Brush now features a Multi-output patch to really be able to mix and apply the effects on every element of the drums.

The VibysM is now available in v3 :
• The Kontakt Version has been improved and now features a better voicing and a build in motor simulation (tremolo effect).
• Two new formats are also available: Halion and Mach5 and the existing EXS and SFZ versions have been improved..

The A-Pian is now available in v2 :
• The Kontakt Version has been completely rewritten, voiced and adjusted.
• It now uses the script of the Kawai-EX PRO.
• Two new formats are also available: Halion and Mach5 and the existing EXS and SFZ versions have been improved.

These updates are free for the library owners, you can download them from your user account in the "My account" page. Note that the update of the A-Pian is a little different as it also includes file modifications, so you'll have to contact AcousticsampleS and they will send it manually.

Blue Cat Audio has announced the release of a new version of Blue Cat's Freeware Pack, its free audio plugins bundle. This new version introduces RTAS plugin format support for Pro Tools. It also includes several fixes and enhancements for the other formats, on both Mac and PC.

RTAS support is in final beta stage, so the company welcomes feedback about the usage of these free plugins in Pro Tools.

What's new in this version :

• Factory presets are now available from the plugin menu.
• RTAS plugin format support (final beta stage - currently available with
the Free Pack only)
• Mac: fixed keyboard/mouse focus issues in some hosts.
• Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts, when used with particular
display settings.
• Mac-AU: fixed user ...

Operator by 9 Soundware is a collection of presets for the EFM1 synthesizer within Apple Logic Pro. These settings harness the noise making capabilities of FM synthesis, a synthesis method often associated with the ubiquitous bell-like sounds heard in music from the 1980s.

The sound set consists of 30 inharmonic sounds and 20 tonal sounds. Examples include settings for impacts (e.g., Breakdancrrrrrrrrr.pst, Creepy-crawly.pst, Hair Metal.pst, and Piñata.pst), noise (e.g., Chop Suey.pst and Fluff Assasin.pst), and backdrops (e.g., Chernobyl.pst, Crop Circle.pst, and Snarl.pst), as well as those which are designed to be played with heavy use of the mod wheel (e.g., Country And Western.pst). Also included are a few presets which are characteristic of quintessential FM sounds (e.g., Mullet.pst and Menthol.pst).

The 0.2 MB download includes 50 .pst files.

Operator is available now for $14.99.

"Ethnic Panpipes" is a sampler instrument, made from an extended set of Lithuanian national panpipes. As in Soundprovocation previous release, multiple samples were recorded to recreate natural feel of the instrument.

The set contains 25 panpipes (2 octaves). There are three articulations recorded, selectable by modulation wheel - mezzo (normal), piano (soft & silent), sforzando (sharp & rude attack). Each note of the articulation presented has 9 variations. Every time you press a single note, you will hear a different variation. There are 675 individual samples total recorded.

"Ethnic Panpipes" is dedicated to ambient, folk, neo-folk music composers, movie, theatre soundtrack producers and composers with special needs to add something unordinary and extra natural to their creations.

"Ethnic Panpipes" is available for samplers EXS24 and Kontakt. You can get it for the introductory price of €9.99 instead of €19.99 (Offer is valid until December 31). Here is a link to demo sounds and more info :

Superior Drummer v2.2.1, is now available free from the 'Downloads' section of your Toontrack account.

Version 2.2.1 includes the latest EZX and SDX kit pieces definitions support, including the upcoming Electronic EZX.

Fixed in version 2.2.1 :

• iMap MIDI preset offset fixed.
• The Memory Limit pop-up warning should no longer appear when the memory limit is off.
• The solo state of articulations is now fully restored when loading a project.
• Soft Vel and Pitching are now restored properly when loading a project.
• Setting a Time Correction value should no longer affect playback detrimentally.
• Changed the MidiNode broken link to all caps 'MISSING TARGET'.
• Drag and drop of MIDI grooves should now work even when UAC is on.
• Groove ...