PC and Music News

Two Notes Audio Engeneering is about to release the Torpedo VB-101 modelisation loadbox for guitars and basses. In studio, on stage or at home, the VB-101 is the ultimate solution for quick, easy and silent mikingof your bass and guitar amplifiers.

Just plug your amplifier to the VB-101 instead of a speaker cabinet, directly at the power output. You catch this way all that makes your tube or transistor amplifier's sound.

The Torpedo VB-101 replaces the usual miking process by a powerful simulation of the speaker cabinet, the microphone, the microphone preamplifier, and the studio acoustic environment. The miking process then takes place silently, with perfect control over the most important parameters : choice of speaker cabinet among many models, choice of microphone, placement of the microphone around the cabinet.

Features :

- 2U 19" rack format loadbox/DI with a maximum admissible power of 150W RMS
- Mono input, dual mono output
- DI output without AD/DA conversion (Pre Sim Out)
- Loaded from factory with 16 speaker simulations (guitar and bass, 8+8), internal memory capable of containing more than 32 different speakers.
- 8 microphones amongst the most used in studio
- One free speaker available to download on the website each month
- 5ms latency
- 24 bits, 192 kHz AD and DA converters
- 32 bits floating point, 96 kHz internal processing
- AES/EBU and S/PDIF input / output up to 96 kHz.
- Internal, AES/SPDIF or Wordclock sync
- Torpedo Remote software, PC and MAC compatible, driverless USB connexion to the VB-101
- MIDI handling (real time Program Change and Control Change)
- Optionnal Ethernet communication
- Optimised cooling system to guarantee total safety

The Torpedo VB-101 will be available this month at a retail price of 1499€.

Lexicon has released a new update for the PCM96 software. Not only this version 3.0.0.7 improves the stability and reliability of the unit, but it also brings a set of algorithms that give the user new pitch-based effects.

According to Lexicon, the new effects can be used for anything from pitch-shifting spoken voices and doubling vocals, to re-tuning choirs and vocal ensembles, and creating wacky effects. There are also useful presets for correcting the pitch of audio after common video conversions, such as when the sample rate is changed from 44.1kHz to 48kHz.

The software v3.0.0.7 is available for free on the Lexicon website.

The Vienna Symphonic Library team invites existing and future customers to celebrate the season with many special offers and new products. Promotions include free download instruments for users of the Vienna Special Editions, the Woodwind collections, the Brass collections, and the Vienna Konzerthaus Organ.

Special Offers :

- Free Fanfare Trumpets for Special Edition Users
- 15% Off on all Special Edition Extended Libraries
- New Download Instruments and Special Offer: Bassoon 2 and Trumpet in Bb
- Lower Prices for Keyboard Vienna Instruments
- Free Registers of the Vienna Konzerthaus Organ
- Free Jazz Drums for Vienna Suite Customers

The complete information can also be found online at :

E-MU Systems has announced a new white model of their 0404 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface.

This Limited white version shares the same feature with the original 0404 interface. It also comes with a new Vista-compatible version of E-MU's Production Tools Software Bundle.

Windows software bundle details :

- E-MU Proteus VX (with over 1000 sounds)
- Cakewalk Sonar 6 LE
- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition
- Waldorf Edition LE (PPG Wave 2.2, Attack, D-Pole)
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube Duo
- SFX Machine LT

Mac software bundle details :

- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- BIAS Peak Express 5
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition
- Waldorf Edition LE (PPG Wave 2.2, Attack, D-Pole)
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube LE
- SFX Machine LT

The white 0404 USB 2.0 will ship December 2008 at an estimated street price of $219/€219.

Artificial Audio unveils Obelisk, a new spectral multi-effect that combines a Spectral Delay, a Spectral Filter and a Spectral Gate together with a Spectrum Analyzer and 2-Dimensional LFOs to modulate the effect settings.

Obelisk separates the incoming audio signal into frequency bands. Each frequency band has its own Delay with Feedback, its own Filter and its own Gate. By simply drawing "effect lines" into the Analyzer Point View, hundreds of parameters can be controlled very easily and intuitively. Obelisk has three 2-Dimensional LFOs to modulate the effect parameters in ever changing and totally new ways.

Obelisk will be available as a VST plug-in for Windows XP and Windows Vista by the end of December. Priced at €99, Obelisk is currently available for Mac OS X in AU and VST plug-in formats. The Windows version will be free for all registered owners of Obelisk for Mac.

Puremagnetik has released Toybox, a collection of sounds captured from toys, gadgets and music education devices, all expertly programmed for Live, Kontakt and Logic. From squeaky plastic instruments to mini synthesizers and toy pianos, Toybox explodes with a variety of colorful sounds.

Toybox includes the following instruments :

- Lapharp - An organic 12 string plucked instrument.
- Synthjam - 6 instruments and an efx menu from toy synthesizers.
- Stylophone - Includes the "classic" Stylophone® sound as well as 2 new models.
- Junior Piano - A quirky toy piano with multi-velocity sensitivity and mechanical nuances.
- Toy Accordion - A small plastic accordion with a fun squeaky sound.
- Jamboree - Toy vibraphone with both "finger" and "plastic" variations.
- Melodica & Recorder - Legendary educational wind instruments.
- Astroblaster - A menu of laser gun sound effects.
- Drumrock - A lo-fi kit sourced from a toy drum synthesizer.

The Ableton Live version of Toybox comes with 14 multisampled instruments including 2 effect menus and a drum kit rack. Each sound has been carefully tailored with extensive Macro controls for easy editing and tweaking. Toybox for Kontakt comes complete with a customized KSP driven GUI for instant editing and effects processing. The Logic version includes 18 unique channel strip configurations for quick loading sonic exploration.

Pricing : Basic Monthly Subscription: $5.75/Month Basic Yearly Subscription: $60/Year All Access Pass - $198/Year.