PC and Music News

Dave Smith Instruments unveils Mopho, a desktop monophonic analog synthesizer module based on the popular Prophet '08.

The voice architecture is identical to a single voice of the Prophet '08, but with a couple of unique twists to distinguish it from its sibling. Two sub-octave generators—one per oscillator— have been added for additional girth and crushing basses. Mopho also has an audio input that lets you process external audio and mix its own audio output back in pre-filter for feedback effects that can range from subtle distortion to extreme skronk. The Push It button is a manual trigger that lets you play a specific note or latch notes and sequences on. It can also step through a sequence to play short melodic lines without a keyboard. Of course, Mopho can also be used with a MIDI controller or external sequencer.

Mopho is fully programmable and all the parameters can be tweaked from the front panel. The four Assignable Parameters controls are assignable per program for optimum performance control. A free editor is available for Mac OS and Windows to facilitate programming. (And, if you already have a Prophet '08, most of Mopho's parameters can be controlled from the Prophet's front panel via MIDI!)

Mopho is shipping now and carries a suggested retail price of $439.00.

Discover Mopho through those 3 videos on 440tv !

Image-Line Software has released its latest synthesizer, Ogun. Named after the god of iron, Ogun is a synthesizer for creating real metallic sounds, although it's not limited to this genre. Its distinctive synthesis engine can generate more than 32,000 harmonics, modulated by 'harmonic mapping' functions, that hand tonal control directly to the user.

Features :

- Massive additive synthesis engine (up to 32,767 harmonics).
- Realistic metallic timbres through harmonic randomization or timbre analysis (resynthesis).
- Fast, precise tonal shaping through multipoint envelopes (of Sytrus fame).
- Advanced Unison engine.
- XY modulation pad for live expressive control.
- Effects: Filter, Chorus, Delay, Reverb and EQ
- Space-saving GUI.

Ogun is availabe now as a VSTi for Windows (XP/Vista) and costs $79. Note that audio examples are also available.

SSL has just launched a special promotion on most of their pluggins for the Duende platform . And needless to say that this is a real good offer:

- Drumstrip 110€ instead of 299€
- X-Comp 130€ instead of 349€
- X-EQ 160€ instead of 449€
- Stereo Bus Compressor 110€ instead of 249€

Really cool isn't it ? But hurry up, this special offer is only available until October 1st...

Pearlman Microphones is proud to announce the worldwide launch of its "Church" mic at the 125th AES Convention in San Francisco. A meticulously faithful remake of the revered microphone initially created by Stanley Church for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the mid-'50s, the Pearlman model is the only replica truly adhering to the original schematics, including the use of the authentic Triad transformer that has been out of production for nearly half a century.

Church, who served as the famed studio's chief sound engineer during that era, produced no more than 200 of his custom vacuum tube condenser microphones strictly for in-house use at MGM. However, over the years, the rare mic's reputation and resale value have skyrocketed, with originals in decent condition fetching up to $20,000 on the vintage market.

Like its venerable predecessor, the Pearlman Church mic employs a Neumann M7 (or optional K47) capsule, hand selected GE five-star 6072 dual triode (12AY7) vacuum tube, and "new old stock" Triad transformer, which is currently exclusively being made available to Pearlman.

Built into the same housing as Pearlman's TM-1, the Church microphone is equipped with a handmade power supply, custom Mogami/Neutrik tube microphone cable, heavy-duty shockmount and aluminum shipping case.

U.S. list pricing for the Pearlman Church mic is set at $4,500.00, and orders are currently being taken for these truly limited edition products, which are being hand-built by Dave Pearlman himself one at a time.

Linplug has just announced the release of RMV Drum Addiction Drum Synthesizer, Drum Sampler, Audio Loop Slicer and Drum Librarian for Windows (Mac OS X version is scheduled for release later this autumn).

Main features :

- 48 polyphonic Percussion Pads for the universal or one of the more than 10 specialized Drum Synthesizers or a powerful Drum Samplers.
- Six independent Audio Loop Modules with up to 64 slices each.
- Each Percussion Pad and each Slice features all common and many in depth editing parameters, ranging from Volume, Pan, Output Selection, Tune over Modulation Matrix, LFO's and Envelopes to Insert Effects and EQ's.
- Each Pad and Slice can belong to one of 10 Edit Groups (parameters for all Pads or Slices in a Group can be adjusted simultaneously).
- 3 insert effects racks each of which can be set to one of nine different effects units.
- A "Varizer" for unbeaten realistic humanizing.
- Almost all instrument parameters are MIDI controllable.
- Each Sampler module can hold up to 30 samples that can be layered, velocity switched or -crossfaded and with parameters for start, end, delay and more.
- The Sampler and each Slicer also features a pitch and amplitude envelope.
- The Library contains a vast selection of partly multi sampled acoustic and electronic kits, synthesized kits and MIDI (partly from Groove Monkee) and Audio Loops.
- Four specialized "Librarians" offer sophisticated search capabilities and are used for the storage and retrieval of various types of data that the RMV supports: Pads (individual drum sounds), Kits, MIDI Grooves and Audio Loops.
- Samples can be imported using the RMV Sample Browser (supporting favourite folders and pre-listening.
- Samples, Pads, Kits, Grooves and Loops can be browsed while the instrument is playing.
- Each Pad and each Slice has access to three individual Insert Effects, a four band EQ and two out of three Send Effects Racks.
- Each Send Effect Rack can hold up to 3 individual effects and a final four band EQ.
- Each Insert / Send can hold one of these Effects Units: Stereo Delay, Filter-Delay, Reverb, WahWah, Flanger, Compressor, Multimode Filter, Bit Crusher, Gator.
- 6 fully independent Audio Loop Slicers / Players are available.
- Each Audio Loop can have up to 64 Slices.
- Each Loop Player can be used to load and playback audio loops in WAV, AIF, REX and REX2 format. Samples are automatically sliced.
- Slice start and end points as well as automatic slicing sensitivity are user-definable.
- Each slice has vast editing capabilities (like filters, envelopes, modulations, effects, individual output etc.).

The license fee is $179/€139 Euro including more than 10,000 individual drum sounds, partly precompiled to 340 kits, more than 1500 pre sliced Audio Loops, mainly from Frank Yenox Neumann and 2600 MIDI Grooves, partly from Groove Monkee and a 150 page manual in English (soon also in French and Italian).

ModernBeats launches a new music production site : Hit Talk.

Hit Talk is ModernBeats' new music production website devoted to answering the question "How do you produce a hit song?". There is no single answer that covers it all. That's why Hit Talk provides the answer in a multifaceted fashion including :

- Hit Reports that analyze Billboard hits from start to finish, teaching musicians each hit song's music production techniques.
- Music Production Tips that are posted weekly, providing musicians with constant music production techniques, ideas, & learning.
- Music Production Contributions that come from Hit Talk's growing music producer community.
- Music Producer Spotlight Interviews that feature unsigned and up-n-coming music producers.

Hit Reports are offered as a download and priced at $14.95.