PC and Music News

Beilfuss unveils the worlds first step synthesizer.

Unlike any analog or digital synthesizer's controls, the patented tone control consists of sixteen steps simply outlining the waveform as set by the Signal Controls you see at the left of the control panel. Similarly, the envelope and filter contour transients and their time intervals are also set by the Signal Controls for rhythms or extended notes. You may easily add prompted, parallel voicings, combining settings of both sides for complex notes.There are 32 controls and 142 pushbuttons for direct programming. Dedicated LED pushbuttons always read out their side of the full eight octave, split keyboard. Five octaves of transposition are possible.

Price and availability TBA.

QuikQuak has announced the release of version 2.0 of its freebie UpStereo plug-in.

Changes :

• Completely 3D user-interface
• Retains usability of traditional 2D design
• Movable camera and light - alter the mood of the plug-in
• New metallic GUI.
• Overdrive option for saturated distortion effects.

UpStereo v2.0 is available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST and AU plug-in formats.

Here's a new Pro Tools Corner issue by our VIP Moderator Brian White from audioMIDI.com. This time he focuses on the new MIDI editor in Pro Tools 8.

"The MIDI editor in Pro Tools 8 is one new feature that has certainly been turning heads, especially those of other "sequencer heavy" DAWs. While many users have been making comparisons to Logic's flavor of MIDI editing, the Pro Tools MIDI editor features a few unique tricks that are sure to speed up your sequencing workflow. This week at the Pro Tools Corner I will walk you through the basics of the MIDI editor and help you unlock the true sequencing power of Pro Tools 8."

if you have a Pro Tools related question that you would like Brian to take a shot at answering or have any feedback, please post-it in our Mac ProTools Forum or Pc ProTools Forum. Brian will do his best to select the questions that seem to stump the most people.

According to FutureMusic.com, Propellerhead will use their upcoming Producers Conference on May 9th to announce a new Digital Audio Workstation product.

This will not be an update to Reason, which will retain its own product category, but will be a new standalone product that will have full-on audio recording capabilities.

Wait and see...

Softube also presents Amp Room Bundle, containing native versions of Bass Amp Room, Metal Amp Room, and Vintage Amp Room at a reduced price of $549 (web price, excl. VAT). That's a massive saving of $178 (24%) compared to buying each title individually. Note that Bundle upgrades from previously purchased Amp Rooms are also available.

Softube has just announced the release of Bass Amp Room.

Bass Amp Room was designed to handle all your bass amp needs, from dirty rock to modern clean, keeping two equally important goals in mind. The first was to give the user the best possible sound quality. The latter was to create an intuitive plug-in which allows for a really fast work flow. Time is money, but cutting down on time shouldn't mean you have to accept poor results.

Bass Amp Room consists of a model of a classic bass amplifier, three distinctive speaker cabinets with click-and-drag mics, and a blendable DI section with tone controls and a limiter.

Bass Amp Room is available for Mac OS X and Windows in VST, RTAS and AU formats at a price of $199. Audio examples and a fully functional 10 day demo are also available.