PC and Music News

After the latest NAMM show, we decided to rank the new hardware products (keyboard, interface, others...)! This year, we posted over 80 NAMM related news and here is our selection in the Hardware corner. Manufacturers: Shame on you! Please stop listening to your marketing dpt...

And the Winloosers are:
1) Nord Piano 2. What's the use of ?

2) Akai MPC Renaissance. What's new since 80'?

3) Teenage Engineering Opelab. Too expensive just for Do it Yourself...

4) Korg Mini Kaoss Pad 2. The biggest new product at Korg Booth and just one more item in Kaoss series.

5) IK Multimedia iRig MIX. Who wants to mix with that fucking toy?

Not Soon Reviewed...

After a year since the latest update, MidiPads 1.5, the universal drumpad controller for the iPad, has been finally released with these new features:

- Presets (interchangable with other users)
- Virtual MIDI: Trigger other iOS apps capable of virtual MIDI
- Bouncing mode for touch pads and sliders
- Multiple senders for each axis and knob
- Buttons in bottom view
- Resizable pads and resizable pad area (4 to 64 drum pads per page)
- MIDI connection overview (tap on midi section)
- Finger up / down message for touch pad and sliders
- Settings reset feature
- White color for sliders and drum pads

After the latest NAMM show, we decided to rank the new audio software (Virtual Instruments, DAW, Audio...) for Mac and/or PC! This year, we posted over 80 NAMM related news and here is our selection in the software corner.

The 5 winners are:

1) MOTU Digital Performer 8. Finally, Digital Performer 8 goes 64bit and Windows!

2) Nomad F actory Magma. An advanced plug-in suite in a user-customizable rack interface.

3) Toontrack EZmix V2. New intuitive user interface and a large amount of new presets with instruments template.

4) Rob Papen Blade. This new product is a 16-voice additive-based virtual instrument.

5) Waves NLS. NLS brings users the analog summing sound of three legendary consoles.

Soon Reviewed...

Following its EQ3 and EQ3-D predecessors, the EQ4 provides unparalleled transparency and top end presence while maintaining the true natural sound behind the mix.

EQ adjustments are obtained with minimal phase shift and detent controls allow for easy recallable settings.

The EQ4 offers the legendary AIR BAND and five other sonically superior band passes.

MachFive Biosphere is a crazy synthesis sounds collection, created with the new synth engine included in the award-winning MOTU MachFive 3.

2,2 GB, 500 presets of Synthesis Sounds to be used in any kind of today's electronic music genre, from Dubstep to Electro, from ambient to modern rock.

MachFive Biosphere features hundreds of ambient pads, rich textures, morphing layers, and atmospheric resonances, ready-to-use under UVI Workstation 2.

Arturia announces the release of the 1.1 update for the Oberheim SEM V, their latest software emulation of the legendary Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module.

The 1.1 version comes loaded with more than 100 new presets by world class sound designers, as well as powerful new features :

Two modes have been added to the 8-Voice Programmer ('Reassign' and 'Forward Retrig') for even richer timbral sequences and easier use in conjunction with the arpeggiator.

Polyphony is now adjustable just like on the original multi-SEM models.

The update also brings enhanced performance on all DAWs, notably on Logic and Pro Tools, as well as faster preset management.