PC and Music News

Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH today released the 1.1 update to its popular LoopMash app as well as presenting a free version of LoopMash for iPhone and iPod touch users with iOS4 to try out the eminently entertaining approach to mangling beats and tunes. Available through the App Store, LoopMash is available for EUR 2.99, GBP 2.39 and USD 3.99 while LoopMash Free is free of charge.

LoopMash compares and replaces similar musical elements, blending up to four two-bar loops together. The app comes with over 250 audio loops from different music styles plus more than 50 factory presets as well as an unlimited number of user presets. Each preset includes eight scenes; each scene blends up to four loops together.

Kreativ Sounds announces a major update of the popular ABYSS Pro-53 Sounds to Version 3.
ABYSS Pro-53 Sounds - Version 3 Features:
- 202 outstanding presets in NATIVE (p5p, p5a), FXP and FXB format for Native Instruments PRO-53
- the same 202 presets in KSD format for Native Instruments KORE 2 Workstation
- Each KORE2 preset has macro knobs assigned and all 8 pad variations (202 presets x 8 variations = a stagering 1616 sound variations)
- PRO-53 KORE2 template for creating very easy your own sounds with pad variations
- Each preset features velocity and modulation wheel information for more control over the sounds.

Propellerhead Software today unveiled Balance, its first audio interface and foray into hardware. Integrated with Reason Essentials Software, Balance is at the heart of Propellerhead's complete music making solution.

Balance, a two-in by two-out audio interface for Mac and Windows, is designed for the single person operated home/project studio. Fully USB 2 powered with separate volume controls for monitors and headphones, it contains 8 input connections to keep all instruments, mics and devices connected and ready to record with the press of a button—without software pop-ups or control panels. The included Reason Essential packs in all the recording editing, effects, instruments and mixing tools needed to create great sounding tracks.

Stylo is a library dedicated to Kontakt 4 owners. It is built on two layers with samples recorded from my original Stylophone: vibrato on and vibrato off.

Stylophone is a very basic pocket electronic organ but this library gives you the possibility to tweak the Stylophone sound with
one LP filter, LFO, volume envelope, reverb, delay and voice control (switchable between monophonic and polyphonic).

Propellerhead Software today announced Reason 6, a major update to the award winning music software. At the same time Propellerhead debuts Reason Essentials, the successor to Record, that packs all the recording, editing, effects, instruments, mixing and mastering necessary to sound great in a streamlined package. Now all Reason products have complete audio recording and editing.

New in Reason 6
Combining all the features from Record, Reason version 6 adds audio recording and editing, along with Propellerhead's acclaimed mixing console with masterfully modeled EQ and dynamics on every channel, multiple parallel racks, Line 6 amp models, new effect devices plus additional features. New creative effects designed for inserting directly into instruments and tracks include: Pulveriser, sound crushing effect with crunchy compression, dirty distortion and flexible modulation; The Echo, advanced stereo echo with modern delay and analog tape echo emulation: and Alligator, a three band pattern gate for complex rhythmic texturing. Interface enhancements, high definition audio transpose and true 64-bit compatibility highlight other new feature improvements.

Analog Experience THE LABORATORY + V collection bundle comes with a high quality 49-key keyboard featuring multiple hands-on controls, velocity and aftertouch. It also brings all Arturia emulations of the most legendary and sought after synthesizers (Moog modular, Minimoog, CS-80, Prophet 5, Prophet VS, ARP 2600, Jupiter 8).$649 $948

Analog Experience THE PLAYER includes a portable 25-key MIDI keyboard and a compilation of Arturia's best analog sounds.
Combined with "Hip Hop producer", which includes Ableton Live Lite, Analog Factory Hip Hop Edition, Lounge Lizard Session and a library of 1200 samples, it's the ideal solution to get started in Hip Hop music production. $199 $298.