PC and Music News

Virtuasonic has just released Choir Breath, a new sample library consisting exclusively of choral breath samples, produced for composers that already own a choir library and are in search of tools for improving the impact of their MIDI mock-ups with additional details.

Specifications :

- Mixed Choir, Women, Men, Young Choir.
- Close/Far presets.
- Sampling rate: 24-bit / 44.1 KHz.
- Total size: 190 MBytes (over 420 samples).
- Formats: KONTAKT 2 / 3, WAV 24bit.

Pricing : €17.95 (excl. VAT), $24.95

SPL has announced that their first Analogue Code plug-ins are available in VST, Audio Units and RTAS version. TDM versions are soon to follow.

Pricing :

- Transient Designer: €200
- EQ Rangers Vol. 1: €239.50

Note that demo versions are also available (requires iLock).

Native Instruments has released Reaktor Animated Circuits, a new Kore Soundpack that explores the world of complex self-generating soundscapes, textures and rhythms.

Reaktor Animated Circuits is based on 200 KoreSounds that take advantage of the capabilities of the Reaktor engine embedded in Kore 2 and the free Kore Player. The unconventional Reaktor sound generators "Newscool", "Metaphysical Function", "Spacedrone" and "Skrewell" are utilized to produce deep, constantly fluctuating soundscapes that range from dark to meditative and from moody to abstract.

Reaktor Animated Circuits also introduces the new sequencing instrument "Spiral", the latest creation of Reaktor builder Lazyfish, based on an unusual approach to pattern generation. Spiral uses concentric sequencing lanes and advanced algorithms to create continuously shifting, kaleidoscopic melodies, and can be routed into any sound source that accepts MIDI input.

All sounds in Reaktor Animated Circuits offer sound shaping options through eight "morphable" Sound Variations per preset, with crucial sound parameters also conveniently assigned to the unified Kore user interface. Owners of Reaktor 5 get full access to the panels of the individual ensembles for full control of every single sound parameter.

The Spiral ensemble is also available separately as a free download for all owners of Reaktor 5 through the NI Service Center application.

Reaktor Animated Circuits is available now for a suggested retail price of $59 / €49.

GenoQs has released v1.60 of the operating system for their hardware sequencers Octopus and Nemo.

The new OS is a significant leap forward and it includes numerous new features, and workflow improvements. Too many to list here really, but all minutiously captured in the latest release notes document. Their main page links to all that information and more.

Discover what those units are able to do on these videos at 440tv...

Continuing in the tradition of creating unique and useful tools for the pro audio engineer, Little Labs introduces the Redcloud 8810U8ERS balanced attenuator pack. Born out of necessity for recording engineer Don Smith, aka Redcloud (Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks), who liked lots of gain on his mic pre amps but needed a simple flexible way to attenuate the post mic pre signal.

The Redcloud 8810U8ERS is a rock solid and very compact, 8 channel balanced attenuator pack utilizing the now universally popular db25 connector (tascam type) in/out pin out. The highly flexible unit can be button selected for stereo or mono attenuation in groups of two. The Redcloud 8810U8ERS can be utilized as eight balanced mono attenuators or up to four balanced stereo attenuators or even externally wired as eight stereo unbalanced attenuators. The special attenuators used are a 5kΩ impedance, allowing devices to easily drive the attenuator but also able to drive relatively long cables without high frequency loss. The Redcloud 8810U8ERS can also be rack mounted, making it possible to have up to 32 channels of attenuation in a 1U rack space. Uses include, simple analog faders pre or post pro tools, volume controls for multiple speaker systems, or any job that needs a stereo or mono rotary attenuator. Plug it into your db25 modular patch bay and patch it in anywhere you need high quality passive attenuation (more places than you might initially think). The Redcloud 8810U8ERS will be a must have accessory in any engineers tool
box !

The Little Labs Redcloud 8810U8ERS will be shipping November 1 2008 for a suggested retail price of $400.00.

The d16 Group has just released the latest addition to its "Silver Line" of products : Decimort, a a bit crusher plug-in.

Electronic music producers have always been aware that classic samplers had a character and sound of their own. They added a "grit" and "colour" to the samples and loops they played back which made them sound "Fat" and sit well in a mix. This sound colouration was due to the encoding techniques, lower sample rates, lower bit rate and conversion circuits which these early samplers used. Decimort aims to recreate this colouration in order to add the vintage sampler magic to any loop, bass line or sound played through it.

Features :

- Ultra accurate resampling algorithm (ADC emulation, no harmonics above 22kHz).
- Anti-alias lowpass filter conjugated with resampler.
- Analogue-like filters with adjustable resonance and cutoff.
- Two independent process paths in stereo mode with different parameters per each channel.
- Presets organised into groups.
- MIDI learn function.
- 64-bit internal processing.
- No harmonic distortions at output (unwanted).

Decimort is available now for both PC and Mac in VST and VST/AU formats respectively. It has a retail price of €35.