Propellerhead Software has officially released Reason 5 and Record 1.5 and FutureMusic has the first comprehensive Reason 5 and Record 1.5 reviews.
The new versions introduce new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.
Hip-Hop producers who are already familiar with the Reason production environment will positively rejoice with the introduction of the Kong Drum Designer.
Audio Technologies, Inc. recently released a 24 bit / 192kHz, two-channel sample rate converter with three independent A/D, D/A and SRC signal paths. The company is trying to enhance their industry reputation by developing versatile audio utility products that will appeal to studio owners on a budget. Unfortunately…
Toontrack Music has released EZmix, a channel-strip Happy Meal for Mac and PC. Toontrack, in collaboration with DSP developers Overloud, has developed a simplified plug-in that gives the noob an array of presets for several basic mixing scenarios.
Simply call up EXmix on a specific track in your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), select an appropriate preset and Wha-La! You can now call yourself a bonafide Mixing Engineer. (Kinda like calling yourself a doctor because you watch ER. —Ed.) The problem with this product is that it doesn’t do anything to teach an enthusiast about the art of mixing, using compression, effects, panning, etc. Nothing.
Toontime’s EZmix costs €49 and is available now for Mac and PC in the AU, RTAS and VST plug-in flavas. More information on the end of the world Toontrack Music EZmix.
Livio recently released the Livio Radio Featuring Pandora, Five of FutureMusic’s staffers took the Livio on a TestDrive to see how it worked as stand-alone Internet radio, as well as a music discovery tool….
More information on our Livio Radio review
Violet Designs, a boutique microphone manufacturer from Estonia, recently sent us their Wedge large-diaphragm condenser microphone for review. Violet has been in business for a little over 13 years and has made some nice headway in the market by providing well-constructed microphones with quality components.
Violet Designs aimed for a mass-market, large-condenser with their new Wedge microphone, but missed the target trying to be quirky and popular at the same time. More!
Read the entire Violet Wedge Microphone Review.
The new APC40 from Akai and Ableton has caused quite a stir within the tight-knit community of Live users since it was first announced at the 2009 NAMM show. We recently had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the APC40, and have determined, for the most part, the controller lives up the hype. But, don’t call it a controller. What Akai has produced in some ways is really move of an instrument, than merely a MIDI controller. In fact, the APC40 brings back Live to its roots as a performance application, and not a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), a moniker that Ableton tried to adopt in order to shoehorn the dynamic application into a retail product category… More!
Read our entire Akai APC40 Review.
Stanton is back. After years of lackluster new product announcements, strictly cosmetic product polishing and recovering from their very public breakup with Native Instruments, the seminal DJ company finally has something to smile about, their new SC.3d. The 3d, also known as DaScratch, is an economical, multi-touch MIDI DJ controller.
The 3d is a well-conceived, lightweight DJ controller that easily connects to your Mac or PC with USB 2.0 connectivity. Measuring just 5″ x 8.5″ x 1.5″ – you can easily drop the 3d into your gig bag without having to hire a sherpa… More!
Read the entire Stanton SCS.3d Review.
After putting Arturia’s Analog Factory Experience through one of our longest product tests to date, we have concluded that there is a lot to love about their economical hardware/software virtual analog solution.
Although it is rare to put the words economical and quality in the same sentence these days, Arturia’s Analog Factory Experience can easily be described as such, and at a retail price of $349 this could be one of the biggest bargains currently on the market… More!
Read the entire Arturia Analog Factory Experience Review.
TestDrive, our gear reviews section, has cooked up another extensive evaluation. This time we’ve turned our attention to the Sony PCM-D50…
Whether or not Sony was planning to debut a more budget minded recorder, or is now responding to this vibrant sector, is unknown, however, the Japanese company recently launched the PCM-D50, an affordable 24-bit / 96-kHz recorder with built-in condensor microphones and 4 GB of internal Flash memory. The PCM-D50 also features a Memory Stick Pro HG-Duo slot for additional storage, S/PDIF digital I/O, high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity and standard AA battery power. However, what makes the PCM-D50 a standout is the savvy and sophisticated technical features… More!
Read the entire Sony PCM-D50 review.
With more and more DJs and electronic musicians employing computers in their live rigs, emergency backup solutions have become mandatory.
Some companies have even developed dedicated emergency kits just in case a cable goes bad, or an adapter is needed for connectivity to the house PA. However, if your sound card decides to kick the bucket just prior to showtime, you’re going to need a stereo interface that will work with a club system. Enter the Rapco LTI-1… More!
Read the entire Rapco LTI-1 Review.
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