PC and Music News

Native Instruments today introduced ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER, a new KONTAKT instrument featuring the sound of two classic drum kits from the 1950s.

The kits provide the distinctive drum sound of the era, which was necessary to compete with the electrified instruments gaining popularity at the time. Recorded with both state-of-the-art and period equipment at Abbey Road Studios in London, 50s DRUMMER also includes a groove library, mixer presets, and a new set of brush articulations, delivering the authentic feel of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country, and jazz from the 1950s.

It is a free upgrade (as usual) and to many people the most interesting news is probably 64-bit compatibility.

It also features new MIDI controlling possibilities (including pattern edits via MIDI CC) and a beautiful new skin with spacier layout and crispier pixels.

Zero-G and Xfonic present The London Sessions - 1700 royalty free samples from some of the best session players around all recorded in glorious 24bit audio and delivered in multiple formats including Acid Wav, Apple Loops, EXS24, Kontakt, Halion and Reason NNXT.

Imagine that you had the pick of the best session musicians in London. Musicians who have played for artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Chaka Khan, Robbie Williams, Lily Allen, The Specials, Whitney Houston, Ronnie Wood, Tiny Tempah and Kathryn Williams.

Then you record them in one of the best known studios in the world, Dean Street in Soho, London. A studio that has played host to the likes of David Bowie, T-Rex, Thin Lizzy, U2, The Smiths, Robert Plant, Pink Floyd, Tina Turner, Black Eyed Peas, Noel Gallagher, Tinchy Stryder, Plan B, Frank Sinatra and Dusty Springfield to name but a few.

Paper Stone Instruments is a new Kontakt Library development company formed by the team at Paper Stone Recording Studios in Nottingham, UK.

Working from studio 2, a converted cinema auditorium dating back to the early 1900s with incredible acoustics, we have have taken our time to experiment with microphones, preamps and positioning to create the best possible sound quality. The resulting close, stereo and ambient room recordings can be blended on the Kontakt interface to tailor make the sound that suits your needs.

Some features:
- 4 Patches in NKI format.
- 1737 stereo samples recorded at 24bit 44.1 KHz.
- Original user interface and advanced custom scripting engine.
- PMP Full.nki (Complete with all articulations and dynamic keyswitching)
- PMP Staccato.nki (Lighter version with just the Staccato articulation loaded)
- PMP Pedalled.nki (Lighter version with just the Pedalled articulation loaded)
- PMP Sustain.nki (Lighter version with just the Sustain articulation loaded)

UVI has released 4 free presets from their latest library Digital Synsations. The presets can be auditioned with no iLok required.

Digital Synsations includes over 500 presets expertly programmed on a fully restored Yamaha SY77, Korg M1, Roland D50 and Ensoniq VFX‚ used by many of the greats including Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Vangelis, Brian Eno, Toto, 808 State, Jean Michael Jarre and more., If you’re looking for a new take on the 90?s sound or just some new classic synth inspiration then look no further.

Andris Nelsons has been appointed the 15th Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since its founding in 1881.

The announcement was made today by Chairman of the BSO Board of Trustees Ted Kelly, BSO Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Stephen B. Kay and Robert O'Block, and BSO Managing Director Mark Volpe, following a meeting of the orchestra's Board of Trustees earlier in the day at Symphony Hall. At 34 years old, Andris Nelsons is the youngest music director to lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra in over 100 years; he is also the first Latvian-born conductor to take on the post.