PC and Music News

Showcased at this year's NAMM Show, Steinberg has just announced that Cubase 5 and Cubase Studio 5 are now available worldwide.

Features :

- LoopMash: Brand-new, first-of-its-kind interactive loop synthesizer
- Groove Agent ONE: Powerful drum sampling with detailed sound shaping
- Beat Designer: New beat construction plug-in, works hand in hand with Groove Agent ONE
- VariAudio: Gives you complete control over the melody and intonation in monophonic vocal recordings
- PitchCorrect: Easy and automatic intonation control and scale correction of vocal and monophonic instrument recordings
- REVerence: The world's first VST3-based convolution reverb processor with an impulse library including over 70 pre-sets
- New automation handling: More transparent and flexible than ever before
- VST Expression: Ultra-intuitive new way of working with multiple instrument articulations
- The new HALion ONE Expression Set 01 including a new set of 14 studio-quality instruments with multiple articulations for natural and expressive performances (ideal to try out VST Expression)
- The new Channel Batch Export exports the audible output of multiple mixer channels to audio files, ideal to create archives or exchange projects with other production systems
- Full support for 64-bit high performance computing under Microsoft Windows Vista 64 with up to 1 terabyte of addressable memory
- Support for the new WASAPI audio driver technology, and therefore lower latency with generic on-board sound hardware under Windows Vista
- Plus: A fully functional trial version of the HALion Symphonic Orchestra 16-bit Special Edition,perfect to exploit the potential of VST Expression in your arrangements. This trial version runs for 90 days, and can be easily unlocked online for €99 for unrestricted functionality
- Of course, Cubase 5 and Cubase Studio 5 integrate perfectly with Steinberg's innovative range of hardware, the CC121, MR816 CSX, and MR816 X.


Pricing :

- Cubase 5 : €599 (Update from Cubase 4 or Cubase SX3 : €199).
- Cubase Studio 5 : €399 (Update from Cubase Studio 4 or Cubase SL3 : €129).
- Cubase 5 Grace Period Update Process for European customers

Learn more...

The Spacebar microphone positioner from Grace Design allows for precise and repeatable setting of microphone capsule spacing, angle of incidence, and rotation around the x axis. With precision scales for angle and distance engraved on the Spacebar components, it becomes easy to make perfectly measured and repeatable stereo microphone setups.

As well as being able to precisely set microphones in standard stereo configurations (i.e. XY, ORTF, NOS, and AB 50cm), the Spacebar allows for exact settings through the entire continuum of angle and spacing. This allows the user to adjust the stereo microphone array and tailor the pickup field to suit virtually any recording environment.

The Spacebar system is precision fabricated from machined aircraft aluminum, brass, and stainless steel. Each system consists of a center stand clamp, horizontal bar, and microphone holders. The SB-30 and SB-66 are both supplied with two microphone holder assemblies and an additional tall microphone holder. The taller microphone holder body can be used to raise one microphone to avoid interference if the mic spacing requires that the microphone bodies overlap.

The Spacebar system comes in two versions – the SB-30 and the SB-66, which provide the following microphone spacing :

. SB-30 ($295) : minimum spacing 7cm (2.75") / maximum spacing 26cm (10.2")
. SB-66 ($395) : minimum spacing 7cm (2.75") / maximum spacing 61cm (24")

British mixer manufacturer, Allen & Heath, has chosen the forthcoming Pro Light & Sound show in Frankfurt to unveil an exciting new addition to their portfolio. For the first time in 15 years, Allen & Heath has designed a broadcast console, which will be introduced from the ZED range of small-format USB mixers.

More info coming soon...

Tascam has updated the DR-1 and GT-R1 Portable Digital Recorders to Version 2.0. The update offers additional features during recording, including a manual track increment for breaking a long session into individual tracks. The new pre-record buffer feature can store audio in a buffer to begin a recording two seconds before the record button is pressed.

Recording can also be delayed by 300ms to eliminate handling noise when the record button is pressed. Editing features have also been added to the recorders in version 2. "File Divide" separates a recording into two files. The DR-1 and GT-R1 automatically make a new file while recording if the file becomes too large. A new "All Delete" function deletes all of the files in the selected folder.

The free update for the DR-1 Portable Digital Recorder and GT-R1 Portable Guitar/Bass Recorder is now available on :

Novation has just announced the release of Automap 3 Standard and Automap 3 Pro, the latest incarnations of its intelligent software system. Automap is unique to Novation's MIDI controllers, and has now been enhanced with a wealth of eagerly anticipated features. Until now Automap had focused on plug-in control, but exciting developments bring a new level of DAW control.

Automap 3 PRO supports multiple hardware devices. This enables any of Novation's hardware controllers to be stacked within the Automap server (software). Mutiple Novation controllers can then work side by side to access separate parameters on different plug-ins.

The new 'Keystroke Assignment' feature enables Automap 3 PRO to assign almost any computer keyboard shortcut to hardware controls, giving you access to navigation and other features from your SL or Nocturn controller.

You can now assign parameters in the Automap Server (software) to the XY pad, expression pedal, control pedal and drum pads. This means that Automap's ultra-quick 'learn' facility can now be used on all of the above.

Another key new feature in PRO is the ability to drag and drop parameters between controls, making re-assignment incredibly simple.

When activated the 'Autoview' feature automatically displays Automap 3 PRO on-screen as soon as a hardware control is touched, and then hides the GUI after release.

Automap 3 is available in two forms, Automap 3 Standard and Automap 3 PRO. Automap 3 Standard is a free download and Automap 3 PRO (which has extra features) is available to download for £19.99 / $24.99. No matter what music software you use, Automap offers an instant controlling solution for all your plug-ins. It supports VST, AU and Pro Tools (TDM/RTAS) plug-in formats (TDM/RTAS support is currently Mac only. PC will follow soon).

Applied Microphone Technology, a.k.a. AMT, unveils its 3rd generation of Harmonica microphone systems : the HR3.

Designed and manufactured by hand, the HR3 aims to reproduce the sound of a harmonica as natural as possible. This microphone is intended to fit different sized harmonicas from diatonic to 16 hole. The HR3, unlike the former HR1 and HR2 systems from AMT has a clamp that adjusts by a thumb and an allen screw to fit different sized instruments. It also includes AMT's new DCT (Disconnecting cable technology) which allows easy replacement of the cable from the microphone as well as giving it the ability to interface with various wireless systems on the market. The included AMT inline preamp can be placed on the floor, a belt clip, or in a pocket and has a low roll-off filter as well as a dB cut.

Applied Microphone Technology begins shipping the HR3 Harmonica Microphone System in March of 2009.

Pricing : List $299 Map $239