Sugar-Bytes have announced the Consequence Synquencer, a new product that the German concern calls a “chord groovebox.” The innovative company often takes two music concepts and fuses then together for a dynamic new product that pushes the envelop and Consequence appears no different.

Here’s how they describe the “flavor” of Consequence:

Chords are alternated, split up to custom arpeggios and turned into leg-driving basslines, amazing melodies or dreamy sound textures. The internal audio recorder keeps your ideas when they come or records loops or even full tracks. The sound library contains all possible kinds of instruments, from thick basslines to gentle violines. Combine these with individual triggering options for unheard sequences full of joy and groove! Combine sound-presets and sequencer-presets, an unlimited source of inspiration. Consequence is a composition tool which can create chordlines or whole songs on the fly, but also chords which are played via MIDI can be supersized using the innovative sequencing engine.

Now we know that this description doesn’t convey specifics, but Sugar-Bytes does have a good track record, so we’re going to cut them some slack…

Features:
» 3 sample-based oscillators with independent envelopes and gate selection for overlaying chords with arpeggios.
» 32-step sequencers for chord selection, gate, performance (arp, tie, multi-trigger, octave, glide) and modulation.
» New sound design features like polyphonic frequency-dependent sample rate reduction and oscillator aging.
» Included kick 4/4 kick drum for easy groove orientation.
» Multi-effect with 5 effects (reverse, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb).
» Master compressor (can be driven by 4/4 kick via sidechain).
» Monophonic and polyphonic 5-mode filter (lp, bp, hp, br, comp) with independent gate selection.
» Pattern change via MIDI note.
» MIDI input for sequencing chords in realtime.
» Easy chord creation via chordmaker, chord-recording and manual chord drawing.
» Audio recorder for session recording or for creating loops.
» Sound Library
» Split preset system can combine sound-, sequence- and chord-presets.

Sugar-Bytes Consequence costs €149 and will be released sometime in November 2008. It will be available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST and AU plug-in flavors. More information Sugar-Bytes Consequence.

iKlax, a slippery French concern, just sent us a press release revolving around a new product they’re launched dubbed, iKlax Creator Pro. As per their normal public communications, the release contains very little information about the product, and more about things which makes their mental stability suspect.

Here’s the title:
iKlax Creator Pro Set To Be At The Forefront of Audio Mixing Software’s Next Generation

Now that’s some serious chest-pounding, even for a French chap. Apparently, iKlax claims that their new Creator Pro is “the first professional multitrack and interactive music creation software.” Using the word “interactive” to describe music creation is not the most descriptive term, since what music creation tool isn’t interactive?

Now here’s a real gem: Owen Lagadec, the company’s CEO explains: “When we launched the lite version of iKlax Creator in March, for musicians to test the iKlax software, we weren’t sure what would come out of it. Six months later, the software has been downloaded over 7,000 times, a feat for music software!” Hate to tell you this Mr. Lagadec, but 7000 downloads of free software in eight months is no big “feat.” In fact, my sister could give away 7000 glasses of Lemonade at a corner stand if she gave it away for over 8 months.

Mr. Lagadec yammers on about other abstract notions that don’t translate well. So we’ll spare you. But here’s some features:

Features:
» The ability to import multi-format stem tracks without decompressing (wave, aiff, mp3, ogg vorbis,): the tracks remain in their original format throughout the mixing process.
» The first multi-format drag & drop virtual mixing table: the drag & drop system allows the creator to add stem tracks to the virtual mixing table, on the fly.
» The unlimited creation of mixes (iKmix) for every single file.
» The mixing and selection constraints setting
» The export of the file in the multitrack & interactive iKlax format, or in mp3, ogg vorbis and wave.

Now here’s the Kicker:
Laurent Primaux, Captain of R&D at iKlax declares: “For instance, you can create mixing rules allowing stem tracks’ volumes to be linked. Therefore, when a user moves a volume slide bar, the other volume slide bars will also move while retaining the same relation. This has never been done before.” Sorry to burst your croissant Primaux, but it actually has…

iKlax Creator Pro costs €269, is available now and comes in two flavors: electronic download or boxed. “More” information on iKlax Creator Pro.