Synapse Audio Software have released the EKS-9 Kick Drum Synthesizer. The VST and AudioUnit plug-in for both Mac and PC is dedicated to the synthesis of electronic bass drum sounds reminiscent of vintage hardware, while adding plenty of additional controls to expand the sonic possibilities.
Synapse Audio Software’s EKS-9 is available now for $39 in the VST and AudioUnit plug-in flavors for both Windows and Mac OS X. The OS X version is a universal binary and thus functions with Intel-based Macs as well as with older PPC-based machines. More information on the Synapse Audio Software EKS-9.
A new documentary on Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has been announced. Johnny Depp has been tagged to direct the video bio, which begins next week. Depp and Richards have been friends for more than a decade, and the guitar legend even played Depp’s father in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
Depp last directed 1997’s “The Brave,” starring Marlon Brando. He’ll be seen next in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Richards agreed in 2007 to pen an autobiography to be published by Little, Brown & Co. in the U.S. and Weidenfeld & Nicolson in Britain in the fall of this year.
Part of the documentary will center on Richards’ punishment-defying biological makeup, which has enabled him to keep on going like the Energizer Bunny despite the man’s repeated efforts to do himself in…
DJMixersoft has released DJ Mixer Professional for Mac, or what they call a “Mac DJ Mixing Product.” Seriously guys, if you’re going to take the trouble to develop a software product, spend the extra 50 bucks and hire someone who can read, speak and write English fluently.
DJ Mixer Professional a software DJ solution for amateur and professional DJs alike, which enables you to mix digital music in various formats such as MP3, M4A, WMA, AAC, OGG, WAV or aiff in real time. DJ Mixing software also allows you to mix video clips.
DJ Mixer Professional integrates with your iTunes library and is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
New Zealand based designer Grier Govorko has created the Somnus-Neu, an advanced, multimedia bed that features state-of-the-art surround sound, a retractable video screen, Wi-Fi, an iPod dock, motorized curtains, and three different kinds of LED lighting turned for specific activities, reading, ambient, and “don’t trip while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night” with a halo of floor lighting.
The whole dealio is controlled by two 17″ touchscreen monitors on either side of the bed. So what’s up with that name? Somnus is the Roman god of sleep, and neu is German for new.
Govorko, a set designer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hopes to have the Neu’s installed in several hotels during 2010.
Details are pretty slim on this one, but BassDas Productions has announced the 4MIDILoop Traktor DJ controller. Looking like more of a Controllerism DIY project at the moment, the tweakers at BassDas have dropped a dynamic video on YouTube demonstrating the 4MIDILoop (catchy, right?) in action.
Features:
» Optimized for Native Instruments Traktor PRO
» Clearly arranged, control of 4 decks
» CNC shaped aluminium case
» All controllers are full size, high quality faders
» 90 buttons, 5 faders, 13 push encoders, 22 turning knobs
» All MIDI controllers are freely assignable
» USB bus power: via USB
» Compatible with Mac OSX and Windows XP/Vista
BassDas has no real plans to produce the 4MIDILoop, and in fact, they may create a whole new concept with a Mac Mini built-in. However, as the DIY controller moment gains momentum, the plausibility of this launching as a limited run or as a proper kit appears quite possible.
iConnectivity has announced iConnectMIDI a new iPhone to MIDI device. iConnectivity claims that you can simply plug your electronic instrument (synthesizer, guitar, whatever) into iConnectMIDI and you can play and control your music, using your iPhone or iPod, your instrument, or both at the same time.
iConnectMIDI can connect up to 16 devices in a chain, controlling all of them with an iPhone or iPod Touch. iConnectMIDI’s USB port allows you to plug a USB-enabled electronic instrument into your iPhone or iPod Touch. Put on some headphones, load up an appropriate sequencing app on your phone, and you have the perfect mini-studio for travelling.
The USB port also allows you to plug your instrument into a Mac or PC laptop via iConnectMIDI. Your iConnectMIDI device is compact and tough, roughly the half the size of a paperback novel. With its brushed metal casing it can take a beating on tour, and its rubberized feet keep it from sliding around on stage or on your desk.
The iPhone’s unique interface takes the music world’s standard electronic protocol, and brings it into the new millennium. A whole new world of MIDI controls have been opened. Instead of knobs and wheels, the iPhone’s touchscreen and accelerometer controls will change the may you make music.
The device is still in its infancy, but there’s a lot of dynamic possibilities. More information on iConnectivity.
Our web-challenged pal at Analogue Solutions, Tom Carpenter, has just informed us that his new dedicated hardware sequencer, Europa, is now available.
Poor Tom hasn’t even bothered to register his own domain name or update the circa 1996 design of his website, but he is quite proud of his latest creation, the Europa. The 17 track, step-sequencer was designed to be used with the SQ8 and Oberkorn analog sequencers, and anything else with a compatible clock or MIDI input for that matter. Apparently poor Tom is even too busy to write up a proper description of the Europa, but here’s a feature set:
Features:
» Intuitive and simple programming procedure
» No sub-menus or shift keys – one function per key
» Simple to use – TR808/606 style programming
» Analog features – analog tempo clock, 7 analog trigger outs, analog sync signals
» Realtime editing features
» Transpose, Octave shift, Mute
» Steel construction
Analogue Solutions’ Europa costs £499 (exc. tax and delivery) and is available now. More information on Analogue Solutions Europa.
Evol has announced the Fucifier distortion box. The Fucifier allows you to shape your sounds in new inventive ways via a combination of amplification, distortion, analog filtering and/or EQ.
Everything in the signal chain, from the Mic Pre, the Vintage Germanium Preamp, the Filter, and the inductors in the Equalizer to the output transformer, is designed to be overdriven, saturated, overloaded or distorted in a pleasing way.
Mix and match the Vintage Germanium Preamp for a little warmth or overdrive, the Tape Saturation overdrive for a little compression and limiting or a bit of saturation, the Filter/Crossover (which in itself sounds great overdriven or even pushed into self oscillation with a sufficient amount of resonance), the Dual Band Distortion which allows you to mix many different kinds of distortion, and the vintage-style inductor based equalizer to shape the overall tone and color of the sound.
Features:
» Branded real wood front panel, custom finished by hand
» Color coded, lighted acrylic, audio responsive gain meter knobs to see at a glance where your various gain stage levels are
» Discrete mic preamp
» Low noise, high quality balanced line input
» Gain control of mic, instrument & dry mix gain in addition to control of overall input gain
» True relay bypass of each effect section using lighted indicator ring metal push buttons
» The Vintage Germanium Preamp section uses specially matched NOS vintage germanium transistors for added warmth and a great overdrive sound
» True Analog Filter:
— variable freq & resonance
— LFO with variable amplitude and speed, an envelope detector and expression pedal control which can all be used separately or in conjunction to control filter frequency
— selectable high pass, band pass, or band pass + high pass filter response modes for the high freq distortion section- separate low pass & high pass outputs on the back panel for processing each band separately with external gear
» Dual Band Distortion allows control over:
— drive, distortion amount, distortion type (6 modes), clipping symmetry & low freq/high freq blend control to blend the two distortion sections in varying degrees
— Inductor Based EQ with 5 bands of boost/cut: low, mid, high bands plus a low shelf & high shelf
— Speaker output to plug a speaker cabinet into your Fucifier for use as an amp sim or even an amp!
— Wet/Dry signal blend control
— Transformer coupled, discrete Class A output section
— Internal regulated AC power supply (no wall warts!)
— 2 space, 19 incf rack mount enclosure
Softube has released the Trident A-Range EQ plug-in, the first and only native and TDM Trident channel strip plug-in that has been fully endorsed by original designer Malcolm Toft and Trident Audio.
The plug-in is a model of a channel on one of the original Trident A-Range consoles (only 13 were ever created). We chose to model channel 15 from the console at Sweet Silence Studio ‘B’ in Denmark, producer Flemming Rasmussen’s favorite channel for recording lead vocals. Flemming also used it for the solo and rhythm guitars on Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning” and “Master of Puppets”, and Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar on the Rainbow albums “Difficult to Cure” and “Bent out of Shape”.
The A-Range channel features four bands of equalization and high and low pass filters. The sound of the bands is often referred to as “colorful” and “musical”. When running a hot enough signal through the original unit and boosting the bands, it is possible to get it to distort, the result is a hairy and effective saturation that is just right in some situations, and just wrong in others!
Overview:
» Created together with original designer Malcolm Toft
» Each and every component carefully modeled
» Same sweet sounding EQ filters that made the original legendary
» Interaction between the different bands, making this equalizer one of its kind
» Saturation control
» CPU efficient
Softube’s Trident A-Range EQ is available now in the AU/VST/RTAS/TDM/VENUE flavors from $229. More information on the Softube Trident A-Range EQ.
Future Audio Workshop is showcasing its Deadmau5 DJ app on the iPad. While we can’t be sure how robust a solution this is to take out and perform live, it certainly does look better on the iPad.
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