PC and Music News

Thermionic Culture unveils the Little Bustard, their second valve summing mixer which has been designed to complement the Fat Bustard valve summing mixer by increasing the number of inputs channels. The new 19" 2u Little Bustard can also be used independently by itself as a stand alone mixer.

Features include 16 input channels arranged as 6x stereo pairs with fixed gain at unity level with on/off switches, 4x mono inputs with mute switches and pan pots which can be defeated by another switch adding an extra 6dB of gain. The master output section has independent left & right 31 position output indented pots with a gain range from –17dB to +2dB.

The valve stages use a pair of ECC83/12AX7 on the gain stage, and a pair of PC86's for the output stage. The master section will also have a simple output level indicator. To create a monster-summing mixer, The Little Bustard's outputs can be plugged into the Fat Bustard's AUX inputs increasing the number of channels to 28.

RME presents the Fireface UC which is basically a Fireface 400 with USB interface.

Based on a newly developed RME Hammerfall core, the Fireface UC (USB Compact) uses the USB 2.0 high-speed bus and provides ultra-low latencies even with multiple channels. The smallest buffer offered under Windows Vista has 48 samples, under Mac OS X 14 samples.

The optimization for Windows and Mac OS X is partly based on a double firmware within the unit, realizing an optimized functionality and operation according to the currently active OS. Under Mac OS X the unit's MIDI ports are even class compliant, the Operating System therefore automatically uses its included MIDI driver.

Features:

- 18 inputs / 18 outputs
- 8 x analog I/O
- 1 x ADAT I/O or 1 x SPDIF I/O (optical)
- 1 x SPDIF I/O (coaxial)
- 2 x MIDI I/O
- Sample rates up to 192 kHz on all I/Os
- Two digitally controlled Mic Preamps in high-end quality
- Two balanced universal inputs for line and instrument signals
- SteadyClock for maximum jitter suppression and clock refresh
- Enhanced stand-alone operation with rotary encoder and front panel operation
- 54 Level Meter Peak/RMS, hardware-calculated
- TotalMix: 648-channel mixer with 42-bit internal resolution

The Fireface UC will be available in June 2009.

* Minimal latencies are not guaranteed as they depend on the specific computer and application.

Teenage Engineering presents the OP-1, a pocket size controller for your favorite software sequencer but also a synthesizer.

OP-1 stands for Operator 1. When you connect it to your laptop, it lets you control your sequencers transport with the common play, stop, rec, forward and rewind. You can use it to control your software synthesizers with the 4 rotary encoders and 16 dedicated quick keys for fast selections.

When you disconnect the OP-1 from your computer you suddenly have a stand-alone portable wonder-machine with 8 synthesizer models, 8 samplers and effects like Delay, Flutter, Filters and EQ all built in. Use all that synthesizer power to record your work with the truly unique (at present time, secret) sequencer. Teenage Engineering promises you a really cool and creative way to record your sounds and tweak them in a completely new way. Use the magic step sequencer/arpegiator to get the notes right. If that is not enough use the built in motionsensor that sense every shake or move you make and turn it into really cool sounds. Then relax and sample a beat from the built-in FM radio or memorize a tune by whistle it into the built-in microphone. Play your piece to your friends through the built-in speaker. Or...convert it right away to mp3 and mail it to them.

On the right side of the case you'll find all the neccasary connectors.

• 3.5mm input for audio/external microphone
• 3.5mm output for line out /headphones
• 3-pole power-connector for charging the internal battery or for use with power adaptor.
The power connector itself is the same as used in robotic automation applications
• USB 2.0 port for hooking up your OP to your computer transferring your recorded music
• Two holes special machined for carry strap
• Turn the machine upside-down there are two M6 holes for use with our Studio System parts.

Clavia has just announced that the OS of the Nord Wave and the Nord Electro 3 have been updated to version 2.02. Besides a few bugfixes, those new OS also include some new features as well as well as the compatibility with the Nord Sound Manager application.

For more informations, please visit their website.

Mixer Feedback by 9 Soundware is the third and final release in a series of sample packs featuring DJ Shiftee, the winner of the 2007 DMC World Championships. The WAV format loops of mixer performances are intended to complement the mixer feedback samples found in DJ Shiftee: Extreme Turntablism.

These loops showcase DJ Shiftee's innovative techniques, in which he uses nothing but a mixer to create an astonishing variety of textures. By manipulating a feedback loop with the mixer's onboard controls, he performs phrases ranging from simple feedback rhythms to blistering walls of noises and bassline-like phrases. The ingenuity behind the unique performance is simply extraordinary and gives new meaning to the phrase "mixer as a musical instrument". Created in the spirit of experimental music traditions with the artistry of a world class DJ, these unusual samples would surely make for interesting additions to loop libraries in need of something different.

The set consists of 131 loops (1 to 4 bars in length) at tempos 70, 80,90, 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 BPM. The 212 MB download contains files in WAV format (24-bit/44.1 kHz).

Mixer Feedback is available now for $29.99 at :

To celebrate its 11th anniversary, Thermionic Culture has announced the Culture Vulture Anniversary Limited Edition. The Anniversay model will be based on the companies current standard Culture Vulture but it has far more radical possibilities, in particular for guitar and bass applications. The production will be limited to 80 units and will have the front panel finished in Thermionic red instead of black.

MULLARD & PHILPS VALVES
The valves selected for the anniversary edition are Mullard and Philips NV, who owned 50% of Mullard.