PC and Music News

FXpansion has updated GURU to version 1.6.

New Features and Fixes :

- Note repeat, note erase and fixed-level triggering for the pads.
- Looping and phase flip per layer.
- Patterns can now be up to 16 pages (512 steps) long (increased from 4 pages).
- 16 stereo outputs (increased from 8).
- Instant graph record from MIDI CC.
- Skinning support.
- Various workflow and MIDI implementation enhancements (improvements to MIDI remote control, layer context menus etc.).

GURU v1.6 is a free upgrade to all GURU version 1.x registered. Guru is also now available as a download only product from FXpansion's web shop, priced at £129 / €199 / $249.

Submersible Music has started shipping version 3.0 of DrumCore. DrumCore 3 sports a new "Sunburst Finish" user interface, over twice as much content and is now a plug-in (RTAS/AU/VST).

DrumCore gives songwriters and composers access to grooves and instrument sounds of over a dozen famous drummers and percussionists. It includes a library of both audio loops and MIDI grooves plus a software drum instrument for Mac and PC. DrumCore covers a multitude of styles – including rock, blues, country, metal, prog, alt-rock, pop, jazz, urban, funk, Latin, reggae and others.

New Features in DrumCore 3 :

- New "Sunburst Finish" Interface
- Vastly Expanded "Basic Beats", Urban and Jazz Sections
- Matt Cameron, John Tempesta and Stephen Perkins Content
- "LiveDrummer" Technology
- RTAS/AU/VSTi Compatible
- DrumCore Toolkit : a standalone application that can be used for importing your audio and MIDI loop libraries as well as for building drumkits using WAV or AIFF files.

DrumCore costs $199. An upgrade to version 3.0 is available to all DrumCore customers for $50. Example drum tracks, videos and more demos will be available at the company website.

VirSyn and audioMIDI.com have announced the release of iSyn Virtual Music Studio software for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch platforms.

Tremendous music creation features including two studio-quality, fully programmable virtual analog monophonic synthesizers and a fully-editable sample-based drum machine featuring eight drum "kits". iSyn lets users play music live with an onscreen piano keyboard and eight drum pads for live "jam" sessions or users can use the grid sequencer mode to easily and visually enter notes for automated playback of two synthesizer tracks and one drum track. iSyn can even play a beat and synth track while users play live over sequence tracks for a one-man "iPhone band". iSyn lets users subtly or wildly modulate sound parameters with its X/Y touch screen or by tilting front to back and left and right using iPhone's accelerometer motion-sensing technology.

Features :

• touch keyboard for live playing
• eight drum pads- tap for live beats
• three grid sequencer tracks- two monophonic synths and one drum trrack
• two fully-programmable three-oscillator virtual analog synths
• 32 song projects, each with 32 independent patterns
• incredible modulation effects using tilt and X/Y touch screen
• eight sample-playback drum machines- including 808, 909, synth drums and classic 80's drum machines
• effects generator with delay, chorus, flanger and phaser


iSyn is exclusively available through the Apple iTunes Online App Store for €3.99.

Brainworx has just announced the release of the bx_bundle which includes 8 hi-end M/S tools and all of their EQs.

bx_bundle contains bx_digital, bx_control, bx_solo, bx_hybrid 1.0 (mono), bx_hybrid 2.0 (stereo&M/S), bx_dynEQ (mono), bx_dynEQ (stereo&M/S), bx_boom!

The international net price for bx_bundle is €691,26 ($850), customers liable to German VAT pay €822,60 incl. 19% VAT (that's 691,26 EUR net as well, of course).

The Modartt team is glad to offer to all Pianoteq customers a free add-on made of Easter bells coming directly from Roma! (following Easter tradition in some European countries)... Actually, it is a virtual copy of bells and carillons that were recorded at the European Bell Institute (and the birds are not physically modelled !

Modartt has also updated Pianoteq to version 3.0.2. This update includes some minor modifications to the C3 instrument sound: more punch in fortissimo, slightly longer notes and slightly longer harp resonance.

EastWest is pleased to announce the PLAY Edition sequel to its Complete Composers Collection which includes :

- Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete
- Quantum Leap Pianos Gold Edition
- Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs
- Quantum Leap Goliath
- Quantum Leap Stormdrum 2
- Quantum Leap Voices of Passion
- Quantum Leap RA

The Complete Composers Collection - PLAY Edition is available now at a price of €1149.