PC and Music News

Modartt releases Pianoteq add-on Xylo (€49) which includes a Xylophone and a Bass Marimba. Simultaneously, Modartt announces two new add-ons collections: Chromatic Percussions (Vibes, Celeste, Xylo / €99) and Rock collection (Electric Pianos, Clavinet, Rock Piano / €89).

Xylophone and Bass Marimba are similar to the vibraphone but are using wooden bars instead of aluminium. Each bar, that vibrates when hit with mallets, is paired with a metallic resonator which is tuned to amplify the sound.

The origin of the xylophone dates back several thousand years in Africa and South East Asia. The marimba appeared at the same time and is today the symbol of Guatemalan music. Due to its huge size, the bass marimba sounds more than two octaves below the xylophone. Very popular both, they are used in various musical styles from classical to Latin and rock.

The Pianoteq virtual copies of these two instruments are respectively modelled after a modern 3½-octave French brand xylophone and a modern 5-octave French brand bass marimba. Thanks to the sophisticated Pianoteq physical model, they come in several variants and benefit from the recently developed humanization feature which allows varying the strike point, adding to the musician's interpretation a vivid and stunning realism.

Both instruments are part of the new Chromatic percussions collection (including add-ons Vibes, Celeste and Xylo) which is announced together with a Rock collection (including add-ons Electric Pianos, Clavinet and Rock Piano).

Produced in conjunction with Allen Morgan, this pack of presets for Superior Drummer 2.0 picks up right where Allen's last pack left of. Giving you yet another great set of tools to spice up your Superior Drummer 2.0 mixes.

Rock, pop, country or metal - whatever the project, these audio gems will help you bring your drum mix to life. Just download, install and mix - it really couldn't be much simpler.

Available now at a price of €7.

Ultrasone has released a new open-backed headphone in its PRO Series, the PRO 2900.

Ultrasone is releasing both a standard, single cable version and a balanced, double cable version of a pair of headphones.

While standard, single cable headphones are commonplace in most pro audio and audiophile applications, a balanced headphone coupled with a balanced amplifier is said to offer unique advantages over the former such as increased audio performance due to a doubling the slew rate and voltage swing power, while reducing distortion components & eliminating crosstalk.
PRO 2900 Features

Ultrasone's PRO 2900s has a black design, velvet covered black ear pads and a diamond-cut logo insignia on the ear cup. The PRO 2900 features a 40mm titanium-plated driver and a soft USC-Cable that is ...

TC Electronic is already at the forefront of loudness metering for the broadcast industry. With LM2 TC Electronic aims to "not only delivering the tools for next generation metering, it has also been instrumental in defining what those new standards should be".

By itself, LM2 is a full-featured stereo loudness and true-peak level meter for use in post and live production, broadcast ingest, linking and transmission. LM2's front panel displays the all-important numbers that reveal whether or not a certain broadcast standard is being met. It is also possible to bring up the Stats display for even more details, or LM2 can be connected to a PC or Mac via USB to get full, realtime Radar screen picture via the included Icon application.

Price: MSRP €1,500 (ex.VAT). Shipping: At IBC (10th-14th September 2010)

Allen & Heath unveils the new GS-R24 recording mixer.

The GSR-24 combines refined analogue quality with a choice of analogue or Firewire/ADAT interface modules and MIDI control for your chosen Digital Audio Workstation or recording device. Designed to sit at the heart of a busy project studio, GS-R24 has the flexibility and audio excellence to enhance the impact of your recordings, whatever your workflow. Two versions available: GSR-24 with non-motorised faders GSR-24M with motorised faders.

Features :

• 24 mic/line input pre-amps
• 24 channels of 4 band EQ with fully parametric mids
• Choice of analogue or Firewire / ADAT interface modules
• 2 dual stereo inputs with EQ
• 2 additional valve inputs
• 6 auxes
• 4 subgroups
• Main Stereo + Mono bus
• PFL, AFL + Solo in Place
• MIDI control
• 5.1 surround monitoring
• Integral meterbridge
• Separate linear power supply

Pricing and availability TBA.

Designed in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Minimoog, the Minimoog Voyager XL is a sonic powerhouse that pays homage to important milestones in the Moog synthesizer legacy. It starts with the heart of a Minimoog Model D. Fat oscillators and warm Moog filters give it that unmistakable Moog sound and the rugged construction and intuitive user interface design immediately tells you that you're playing a high-quality musical instrument.

From the current Voyager lineage, the XL inherits a 100% analog signal path with stable oscillators, patch storage, touch surface, pot mapping and extensive MIDI control functionality. To all this, add a ribbon controller and 61 note keyboard and you have a monster analog monosynth built on a 40 year legacy of sonic exploration.

Incorporating v ...