PC and Music News

Alesis has announced the upcoming release of a new compact MIDI USB Keyboard, the Q25.

Features :

• 25-note keyboard controller for melodic control of virtually all MIDI hardware and software
• Velocity sensitive keys for expressive, musical performance
• USB MIDI and traditional MIDI for use with Mac and PC, as well as MIDI hardware
• Pitch and Modulation wheels for capturing musical expression
• Backlit Octave Up and Down buttons expand your range
• Assignable volume/data-entry slider enables you to control your most-used parameter
• Sustain pedal input for complete performance (pedal sold separately)
• Comes with Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition for recording, sequencing, and performing
• Bus powered via USB, so you won't need a power cable
• Includes: Q25 keyboard, USB cable, Software DVD, Quick start guide

The Q25 will be available from musical instrument and pro audio retailers in early Fall 2010 with a U.S. estimated street price of $79.00.

Arturia releases Analog Player, a new virtual synth which features :

• 1000 analog synthesizers sounds that have defined the sound of modern music.
• All presets are carefully selected from the Arturia Classic Synths (Minimoog V, Moog Modular V, CS-80V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Prophet VS and Jupiter-8V). These TAE® powered sounds offer unparalleled audio quality
• Fast filter the presets to your requirements: by Instrument, by Type (Bass, Pads, Leads…), and find presets according to these filtered choices
• Organize Presets view by Name, Instrument, Type, CPU usage, Favorites, or User Presets.
• Straight forward Editing, with the most essential parameters for personalizing presets : Cutoff and Resonance, Chorus & Delay mix, ADSR envelope

Analog Player is available for sale on the online store for $99/99€.

SPL has reduced the price of its Analog Code plug-ins.Get your Analog Code plug-ins from €99 (ex. taxes).

• Two worlds – one price. They now include TDM and Native installers in one license
• Prices of all Analog Code plug-ins will be even lower than their individual price in previous native bundles
• Lower-than-bundle prices allow you to create your own custom bundles at an unbeatable value
• Completely new SPL Store ... leaner, faster and simpler

You already have a native license and would like to have the TDM version, too? Just download the latest installer version 1.3 and get your TDM version for free!

NEW: iLok-free Trials
Try the Analog Code Plug-ins now.14 days, full version.

Solid State Logic presents the MADI-X8, a versatile and cost effective 8-port MADI audio router/splitter/aggregator system and the new SDI-MADI, a 4 x 16 channel audio de-embedder with four auto sensing 3G SDI inputs and 64 channel MADI fibre and AES Digital audio outputs at IBC 2010.

MADI-X8 is an affordable, powerful and versatile MADI routing system. In addition to offering simple point to point bulk routing, MADI-X8 offers Source Distribution (one source to many destinations), Device Splitting (any combination of individual channels to any destination) and Source Aggregation (a single 64 Ch. output consists of any combination of channels from various inputs). MADI-X8 is therefore a unique low-cost solution to audio distribution and aggregation challenges in a wide range of applicati ...

Sound Devices unveils a new audio interface called the USBPre 2.

Features :

• Extended bandwidth, low-noise microphone preamplifiers with 48 V phantom, limiters, high-pass filters, and 15 dB pad.
• Dynamic range greater than 114 dB (in 24-bit operation).
• Flat 10 Hz to 40 kHz (@96 kHz SR) audio bandwidth with very low distortion characteristics.
• Each input individually selectable between microphone, line, and aux level signals (both channels selected simultaneously for S/PDIF connections).
• Precision, 23-segment, multicolor LED peak/VU meter, selectable between input and output sources.
• High-output headphone amplifier can drive a wide range of headphones.
• Balanced outputs on XLR connectors with dedicated level control can be used to drive line- or mic-level inputs.
• Mix control enables zero-delay monitoring of source audio, computer audio, or a mix of both source and computer audio for multitrack recording or computer telephony.
• Phono (RCA) jacks connect Aux Output to external loudspeakers or preamplifiers.
• Bus powering via USB for convenient, single-cable connection to the computer.
• In Stand-Alone mode the USBPre 2 operates as a microphone preamplifier and analog-to-digital converter.
• Hardware loop-through for test & measurement to send computer audio directly back to an input.
• High-strength extruded aluminum chassis.
• Mac® OS X 10.4+, Windows®XP/Vista/7, and Linux, class-compliant audio device.
• Additional features controlled by hardware DIP switches on the back panel; no software-only features and no control panel.
• Available October 2010, pricing TBA

BigTick has released version 1.0 of Zen, a free universal VSTi presets manager, initially for Windows but we hope that a Mac version is on the road.

Zen is a Universal Presets Manager: It loads in any host as a VST instrument, and acts as a loader for other VSTis. So with Zen, you can search for "Rhodes piano" and get a list of all matching presets – regardless of the final VSTi (Rhino, Zebra, Absynth... whatever). When you select one of the presets in Zen, the corresponding VSTi is automatically loaded to play the requested preset.

Many popular VSTis are supported, and new ones are added daily. Eventually Zen aims to categorize all available presets, for all VSTis.

Zen is online - It constantly synchronizes its own local database of presets with a master online database hosted at www.bigtickaudio.com – users get new presets daily, delivered right into their sequencer, already categorized.

Zen for commercial presets designers - Commercial presets designers can use Zen to send demo versions of their presets to all potential customers. Users can preview the presets in Zen, directly in the context of their track, and buy the presets they like with just one click. Presets can be bought individually, as opposed to purchasing a full bank of presets.