PC and Music News

E-MU Systems has announced its new Tracker Pre USB 2.0 Audio Interface/Mobile Preamp.

Features :

-24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters (A/D and D/A: 112dB measured SNR performance)
- Preamplified analog signals are available before the A/D converters, allowing the Tracker Pre to be used as a standalone high-quality stereo microphone preamp (using optional power supply)
- Hardware zero-latency direct monitoring (mono or stereo) with continuously variable level control
- Plug-and-play operation with hands-on control of all major functions
- Independent ground lift switches for optimal audio fidelity/flexibility
- USB bus powered (can also be powered using optional 5V power supply)
- Cross-platform support (Mac OS X and Windows XP32/XP64/Vista32/Vista64) and compatibility with mos ...

Overloud has announced TH1, a new virtual guitar amp plug-in based on 4th-generation technology that "boasts unique features not found in other virtual amplifiers".

Modeled after a wide variety of amplifiers, one of the most unusual TH1 features is its ability to "morph" between amps, so the guitar player can "build" his own personal amp. TH1's Smart Control strip is a row of 8 soft buttons, pots and switches controlling the vital parameters of the current sound. The logic beneath these devices allows the user to control more than one parameter at once. The Smart Control strip and Preset Selection can also be controlled by host automation and MIDI control.

Features :

- 15 Amps, 15 cabinets, 15 mics.
- 3D-positioning of mics around guitar cabinets and in the room.
- Virtual Cabinets.
- In-line tuner.
- At-a-glance photographic view of the signal chain.
- MIDI pedal board support.
- User-oriented amp channel switching.
- Tons of ready-to-use sounds with up to 8 variations made to fit different song sections, or a full set.

TH1 will be released in Q2 of 2008.

URS has announced Saturation, a new plug-in designed to recreate four different and distinct pre amplifiers, each featuring: a different type of input stage saturation, even and odd ordered harmonics and soft clipping.

Features :

- Four Vintage Pre Amplifier Algorithms
- Even and Odd Ordered Harmonics
- Tube and Discrete Analog Saturation
- Soft Clipping

The initial four Pre Amplifiers models include :

- Class A Tube Mic Pre Amplifier - Vintage Motorcity
- Class A Tube Mic Pre Amplifier - German
- Class A Discrete Pre Amplifier - British
- Class A Discrete JFet Pre Amplifier - Modern

Native Support only, the URS Saturation plug-in currently supports Audio Units and VST for both Mac OSX (VST for WinXP, Vista to be released soon). Note that RTAS is currently supported with a VST to RTAS Wrapper only. The URS Saturation is available now at an introductory price of $199.99 (regular price $249.99).

PreSonus has announced not less than 3 brand new products at the 2008 NAMM show, including the DigiMAX D8, AudioBox USB, and the FireStudio Tube.

The DigiMAX D8 is the newest member of the DigiMAX family, offering you 8 XMAX mic preamps, 8 direct analog outputs, and ADAT optical light pipe expansion capability.

The AudioBox USB is a portable, USB bus-powered recording interface featuring 2 mic/instrument preamps with 48V phantom power, 2 balanced TRS outputs, and MIDI in/out.

Last but not least, the FireStudio Tube expands your studio with 8 Class A XMAX microphone amplifiers, 16 analog ins/outs, PLUS 2 tube preamp channels.

The DigiMAX D8 will be available on February while the AudioBox USB and the FireStudio Tube are expected on Q2, 2008.

M-Audio unveils a new FireWire audio interface : the ProFire 2626. This new interface delivers 26 x 26 simultaneous I/O, complete with an onboard DSP mixer sourced from up to 52 audio streams.

Features :

- 26 x 26 simultaneous analog/digital I/O
- eight preamps with award-winning Octane technology
- flexible on-board DSP mixer
- up to 24-bit/192kHz for pristine audio
- features critically acclaimed JetPLL jitter elimination technology
- Pro Tools M-Powered compatible

The ProFire 2626 interface is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2008 and carries an MSRP of US$899.95.

Solid State Logic has announced Duende Mini, a 'one third rack width', all metal construction, desktop box that hooks up to your computer via Firewire. Mini makes a stack of DSP processing power available to drive up to 16 channels of plug-in processing (at sample rates up to 96kHz) within your host application. Duende Mini is upgradeable to 32 channels of processing power and you can run two Duende units on a single computer system for up to 64 channels of processing.

Key features :

- Classic SSL console channel strip features and sound.
- 4-band EQ, two shelving sections and two parametric.
- Variable low-pass and high-pass filter.
- Switchable EQ characteristics between E Series and G Series EQ.
- "Over-Easy" soft ratio compression characteristic for smooth transitions.
- Variable process order routing.
- Dynamics side-chain processing with independent side chains for compressor and expander/gate.

Mini also ships with fully functional trial versions of the growing portfolio of plug-ins available for the Duende platform.

Pricing & Availability

Duende Mini will be available from February 2008 via SSL Resellers.

* Duende Mini $799 (+Tax)
* Duende Mini 16 to 32 channel upgrade $399 (+Tax)