PC and Music News

Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH today announced significant updates to its award-winning music production systems, Cubase and Cubase Artist, available in December.

Version 7.5 incorporates important workflow enhancements, version updates to its instruments and new effects to further the impressive feature set of Cubase and increase professionals' productivity when producing music.

Cubase 7.5 and Cubase Artist 7.5 feature Groove Agent SE 4, a powerful MPC-like drum sampler with detailed sound editing capabilities and pattern playback. Groove Agent SE 4 also provides automatic alignment of drum maps with the Drum Editor and Beat Designer, and includes 30 new drum kits and more than 200 grooves. HALion Sonic SE 2 is the updated compact version of Steinberg's acclaimed workstation, featuring the new Trip virtual analog arp synthesizer plus eight new effects. Bringing the sounds of HALion Sonic SE 2, Padshop, Retrologue and Groove Agent SE 4 to life, Cubase and Cubase Artist now include the EDM Toolbox with 30 fresh construction kits of 25–30 MIDI loops each.

Both updates highlight three great new effects: LoopMash FX comes with new style breaks, tape-stops and stutters that can easily be triggered in real time with any MIDI controller; REVelation is an algorithmic reverb for an outrageous degree of depth; and Magneto 2, the rejuvenated tape saturation processor, delivers true analog character to any track.

Exclusively available in Cubase 7.5, VST Connect SE 2 adds MIDI recording to its comprehensive remote recording capabilities via the Internet.

Availability and pricing

From December 4, 2013, the Cubase 7.5 update will be available from Steinberg resellers worldwide and through the Steinberg Online Shop for EUR 49.99, including German VAT. The Cubase Artist 7.5 update will be available as download through the Steinberg Online Shop for EUR 49.99.

From December 4, 2013, both Cubase 7.5 and Cubase Artist 7.5 full versions will be available from Steinberg resellers worldwide and through the Steinberg Online Shop. The suggested retail price for Cubase 7.5 is EUR 599, including German VAT. The suggested retail price for Cubase Artist 7.5 is EUR 299, including German VAT.

Customers who have activated previous Cubase 7 and Cubase Artist 7 versions since October 15, 2013, are eligible for a free, downloadable Grace Period update to version 7.5.

Through Black Friday week and Cyber Monday up to 46% Discount on all AudioThing Kontakt Bundles.

Bundle: All - €99.90 instead of €186 (46% OFF)
Bundle: Acoustic - €49.90 instead of €84 (40% OFF)
Bundle: Synth - €29.90 instead of €50 (40% OFF)

Offer ends December 2nd, 2013.

KV331 Audio has updated SynthMaster to version 2.6.9 on both Windows and Mac OS X.

This update adds 50 new presets to SynthMaster's factory library, created by Ufuk Kevser. The presets are suitable for electro house, dubstep, progressive house and many more genres. Audio demo of the presets are available at:

https://soundcloud.com/kv331synthmaster/synthmaster-factory-presets-by

There are also critical fixes in this update:

1. Moving the last point of distortion curve crashes SynthMaster.
2. When multiple SynthMaster windows are open, switching between tabs might crash SynthMaster or can cause areas drawn in red.
3. Resetting settings of a section doesn't refresh the user interface correctly.
4. Pasting settings of a section from clipboard doesn't refresh the user interface correctly.
5. Keyscaler view doesn't draw piano keys correctly.

All users of SynthMaster (demo or registered) are strongly urged to update SynthMaster to v2.6.9.

Around Bridges features the inner sounds of bridges.
The steel components of a bridge transmit vibrations caused by passing cars or pedestrians in a fascinating manner.
Around Bridges contains the sounds of excited beam barriers, noise barriers, expansion gaps and a lot more steel components that bridges are made of. Also included are takes of footsteps, rain and wind - ordinary noises that get a certain magic when recorded on a handrail.
To round up this library several high quality AB-stereo ambiences of the acoustical surroundings of bridges are included.
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uUt7gMtKGE
Soundcloud Demo: https://soundcloud.com/detunized/around-bridges-library-live

Around Bridges Live Pack contains 70 takes that are accessible as Instrument Racks, as Clips or directly from a well structured Live Set.

Around Bridges Universal WAV library contains 70 takes with loop points that are organised into 10 categories:
Ambience Below / Ambience Top / Beam Barriers / Expansion Gaps / Footsteps Handrails / Noise Barriers / Rain / Steel Structures / Wind

Around Bridges is available to purchase as download for 9.00 Euro

Sounds And Effects' Hidden Objects Percussion is now 25% OFF until the end of November,
and in addition to the versions for Reason and Kontakt, there are now versions for EXS24 and .wav audio.

AudioThing has released Pipes for Mac OS X and Windows in AudioUnit and VST formats.
Pipes is a collection of instruments derived from a variety of cardboard tubes, aluminum spray cans, dreamcatchers, and PVC pipes. Even if the pitch of most of the sources is not stable, all instruments were manually tuned. Each instrument features from 3 to 6 Round Robin samples and up to 3 velocity layers. One of the main instruments is a sampled Wah Wah Tube (aka Vibratone): bell-like sound with a very long release and a dedicated control for overtones.

Details:
- 34 Instruments
- Up to 6 Round Robin samples
- Up to 3 Velocity layers
- 188 Samples (44.1kHz / 24-bit)
- Size MAC: 215 MB / PC: 128 MB
- Formats: AU and VST (32/64-bit)
- Platforms: OS X, Windows
- Sample sets including: beer cans, cardboards, corrugated pipes, dreamcatchers, long PVC pipe, spray cans, vibratone

Requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.6 Intel or later
- Windows XP or later

Price: €12. Pipes is available for the introductory price of €10 until November 27th, 2013.