Better, faster, stronger for sure. The iPhone update that the rest us have been waiting for is set to drop in the US and in many other countries July 11. It will go live in 70 countries by the end of the year.
Besides having 3G networking, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the original iPhone and lets you use the phone worldwide easier, the new iPhones will have built-in GPS and will tax you one bill less: they’ll go for $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB. Woot! In the US, the iPhone 3G will still only officially support the AT&T carrier, unless you unlock it at your own risk.
But what’s also exciting for musicians is that the iPhone 3G will rock the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be able to run applications created on the iPhone Software Development Kit that has already been downloaded 250,000+ times since its release in March. There’s not much hard data yet on what sort of music applications will be coming for iPhone 3G, but at Apple’s WWDC this week, there was a quick demo of an app called Band:
While Band is squarely aimed at casual or non-musicians, it nonetheless looks fun and hints at the kind of potential the iPhone 3G has for hosting drum machines, simple synths, sequencing, effects and other utilitarian music programs. Once the iPhone 3G launches, you’ll be able to scour Apple’s iPhone AppStore, which will also be accessible from the phone itself, for all the latest goodies.
Show me a person who disrespects Moog synthesizers, and I’ll show you a schmuck. But when the company announced the new Moog Guitar, I was a bit like, “Wh-whaaaa?”
Moog long ago entrenched itself in the hearts of creative guitarists with it’s stellar MoogerFooger series of stompbox-like effect processors. And at first glance, it looks as if the Moog Guitar is a regular guitar with some MoogerFooger synthisis and/or effects processing built in. But after watching Moog’s video on its homepage, and with the company’s insistance that this is not a MIDI guitar, not a guitar synthesizer and not an effects processor, I’m not exactly sure what the Moog Guitar is. It’s clear that you can control the sustian and muting of the strings like on no other guitar, but not being guitarist, the true implications of that may be lost on me.
Moog will be publicly debuting the Moog Guitar at this year’s Summer NAMM in Nashville June 20-22, so we should have more answers after that.
Invented and produced DIY-style using recycled materials in a garage in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Garrahand electro-acoustic hand/mallet percussion instrument stood out from my normal daily plague of useless emails today.
The Garrahand is meant to give you metallic percussion sound of the UFO-shaped Hang Drum, but in a smaller size that’s easier to re-tune. It uses a built-in, internal microphone, and the new Standard 2 model has an audio output with level knob, so it’s ready for use onstage or in the studio. The new model also has improved tuning, so you can tune it to any number of 6-note scales or get a pair to tune to a full 12-note chromatic scale. Prices range from $300US for the original model ($500 for two) or $400 for the Standard 2 ($700 for two). Check out their Website for audio and video clips.
Every year, the NAMM Show is like a case of good news/bad news. The good is that there is always a butt load of new stuff to discover for making and performing music. And the bad news is that the show is so big, it’s all we can do to see everything there in the time allowed, without getting much opportunity to play with the goods. However, such is our duty, and without complaining, we scoured the Anaheim convention center Jan. 17-20 to track down the most promising gear for electronic and hip-hop producers, musicians and DJs. We already reported on the Urban music-focused products, and a special DJ-gear report will follow this week. So without much more ado, here’s a list of the overall Remix show hits.
Access Virus TI Snow
Legendary Virus TI power is now available in a small tabletop box with a stylish wooden front panel as the Virus TI Snow ($1,350). The Snow works with all TI-series patches and has a 50-note synth engine with four multitimbral parts, multiple oscillator models, a Moog cascade filter emulation and a deep effects section. While the front panel offers full programming capabilities, you can also edit and store sounds using the included Virus Control plug-in for VST/AU/RTAS hosts that, among other things, offers an intensely cool Easy Edit mode that adaptively assigns multiple parameters to the three Value knobs for quickly making sweeping changes with a single knob. With analog stereo inputs and outputs, MIDI I/O and USB, the Snow has Access Total Integration that can route sounds from a DAW to the Snow‘s filters and envelopes and back.
Novation Nocturn
To accompany the new Automap Universal 2.0 software at the NAMM Show, Novation announced the Automap-capable Nocturn ($199), the smallest device to support Automap. It sports a pro-grade 45 mm crossfader, eight rear-illuminated buttons and eight rotary encoders, each with bright 11-LED rings. There is also one of Novation‘s awesome Speed Dials, which can take control of anything your mouse pointer rests over, from DAW controls to other apps and OS controls. As you switch from DAW to plug-in and back, Automap automatically reassigns Nocturn‘s controls to the currently active program. Users can make their own MIDI Maps just as easily and then find them using Automap 2.0‘s browsing. Maps can be traded and shared, and Novation will undoubtedly have a growing downloadable collection. A side-mounted USB socket helps the Nocturn sit directly in front of your laptop‘s keyboard without a cable jutting out of the back.
Eurphonix MC Control and MC Mix
Using its EuCon control protocol with eight times the resolution and 250 times the speed of MIDI signals (using Ethernet), Euphonix has brought the power of its high-end large-format consoles to its Artist Series of incredibly thin and portable controllers. The MC Control ($1,999) and MC Mix ($1,399) create a modular editing/mixing system capable of controlling any software–DAW or otherwise. The MC Control offers a unique customizable touch-screen interface with 12 assignable soft keys that can send keystrokes–and customizable macro commands–to the foreground application, auto-switching between banks of assignments as you move from program to program. Four touch-sensitive motorized 100 mm faders can control any number of tracks, and eight touch-sensitive, push-button rotary encoders offer even deeper control. The MC Mix loses the touch screen and Transport section in lieu of a set of eight faders, as well as eight rotary encoders. Both devices are compatible with EuCon, HUI and Mackie Control protocols and can be chained for as many as 36 total faders (four MC Mix units and one MC Control). The included Studio Monitor Express matrix system controls your system‘s monitoring connections from the control surface, and there is full control integration for Apogee Ensemble, Symphony and Duet interfaces, as well as native Apple Logic Pro support. The MC units can control multiple applications and multiple workstations via Ethernet, a first for a small-format device. Like a full-size pro console in a tiny box, the MC Control and MC Mix can help you produce with speed and precision.
MOTU Digital Performer 6
This $795 DAW focuses on user-requested features. In addition to a full interface redesign, subtle but powerful improvements to DP6 include resizable tracks in the Tracklist, new “floating” Inspector palettes, window tabs and more. The powerful new Comp Track feature is similar to Logic‘s Quick-Swipe comping, and the new ProVerb convolution reverb is drastically more CPU-efficient and includes a cool Dynamic Mix feature that ducks the wet signal as the input level increases for a wetter mix without losing clarity. The new MasterWorks Leveler contains four LA-2A models (two classic, two modern) for smoothing out tracks beautifully. XML file import/export tightens up integration between DP6 and Final Cut Pro, making it easy to see changes to a new video edit from inside your DP6 session. DP6 also shows massive performance gains when using virtual instruments. Audio Units plug-in support has been expanded, now offering 100-percent sample-accurate timing, sidechaining and ramp-based automation. RTAS plug-in support, native AIFF and WAV file compatibility, support for interleaved audio files (stereo and surround), enhanced plug-in management and Direct-to-CD burning all demonstrate MOTU‘s commitment to its users.
Roland Fantom-G6
Composers looking for a single unit for writing, recording and performing can look to the quickly evolving keyboard workstations. To stay on top of the game, Roland updated its flagship line of Fantom workstations with the 61-key Fantom-G6 ($2,899). Featuring a brand new audio processor, the G6 doubles the available wave-ROM space of previous versions and expands the color LCD screen to a luxurious 8.5-inch widescreen. ARX card slots for two of Roland‘s unique SuperNatural behavior-modeling emulator expansion boards come packed with sounds. A revamped effects engine offers as many as 22 multi-effect routings per multitimbral patch group, plus global reverbs, choruses and mastering effects. Roland‘s new Power Sequencer is capable of 128 tracks (24 audio tracks) inside a fully integrated environment with mouse support. Assignable performance controls include eight sliders, four knobs and 10 buttons, and the performance-enhancing arpeggiator, D-Beam and Dynamic Pad section with 16 Velocity-sensitive drum pads afford you extended interaction with your sounds. The new line of Fantoms is also available in 73-key G7 ($3,349) and 88-key G8 ($3,999) versions.
In case you missed TLC‘s reality show, Street Customs, on Nov. 15, Snoop Dogg had his old Sprinter van converted into a mobile recording studio. It was a first for the car-remodeling company, West Coast Customs, featured on the show.
“We‘ve done a lot of projects involving extreme high-end car audio, and a number of mobile stage trucks with performance and DJ rigs, but professional recording gear has a whole different set of requirements,” West Coast Customs‘ Chad Utt says.
The van went from a beat-up shuttle vehicle with six rows of seats to a kick-ass mobile studio. First things first, West Coast Customs called Mackie, who outfitted the van with a Sony Vaio SZ491 2.16 GHz dual-core laptop running Mackie Tracktion 3 Ultimate Bundle software; Mackie Control Universal Pro, Extender Pro and C4 Pro control surfaces; Onyx 1200F FireWire interface; and 1521Z 15-inch active loudspeakers.
The van also does double duty as a video lounge. To that end, there‘s a Sony 46-inch Bravia flat panel display, Blueray DVD player, PlayStation 3 console, HR624mk2 studio monitors and an HRS120 12-inch studio subwoofer. And people sitting at stop lights next to Snoop won‘t be complaining from the racket, either: West Coast treated the entire van with Dynamat acoustical sound dampening material.
“Snoop is totally stoked,” Utt says. “He was looking around the van and saying ‘man, I gotta shut down my other studios and go on the road.‘ Everyone who sees it is just amazed. It‘s not some all-cosmetics project, just for TV. It‘s fully functional and it sounds awesome. This is the real deal.” Check it out!
Traditionally, the annual (American) convention of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) has been the playground for the recording industry elite, who labor behind Lexus-length SSL and Neve boards in multi-million dollar studios, rather than tiny MIDI controllers tucked into cramped bedrooms. You could think of AES as a luxury box at the Kentucky Derby as opposed to a NASCAR parking lot (which would represent, say, clearance day at your local pawn shop).
However, in the last few years, the AES show has been gaining steam as the “other NAMM” for computer-based project and home studios, an epicenter of music technology as companies such as the aforementioned SSL and Neve have started to adapt their products for the smaller-studio, computer-centric world.
DJ gear may be all but absent at an AES congregation, but there was plenty for elctronic-based producers and performers to drool over at this year’s AES convention, held October 5-8 in the Javits Center of New York City. Here are the top 13 products that rolled up a towel and snapped Remix in the ass.
ABLETON LIVE 7
Ableton previewed Live 7 ($599), which includes improved audio and MIDI engines to minimize jitter. Other upgrades include a new compressor effect with three compression models and side-chaining. The Gate and Auto Filter effects also have side-chaining, while the EQ Eight plug-in has an enhanced user interface and a 64-bit mode for greater accuracy. A new spectrum analyzer provides visual feedback for any audio.
Most interesting may be the new Drum Rack, which streamlines beat-making with a drag-and-drop interface and REX file compatibility for slicing and dicing.
Ableton is also stepping up its virtual instrument offering with featured add-on instruments based on Applied Accoustic Systems’ technology called Analog, Tension and Electric, as well as a larger comprehensive instrument suite.
APPLE LOGIC STUDIO
Apple updated its flagship Logic music/audio production software as a bundle called Logic Studio ($499), including Logic Pro 8, which includes a redesigned interface that speeds production; Soundtrack Pro 2, Studio Instruments, Studio Effects, including 80 plug-ins; Studio Sound Library, with 18,000 Apple Loops and 1,300 sampled instruments; and the new program MainStage, a new live performance rig that simplifies using software instruments or guitar/keys/bass onstage.
ARTURIA ANALOG FACTORY EXPERIENCE
Analog Factory Experience ($349) combines a 32-key MIDI keyboard with Analog Factory 2.0, a software instrument offering 3,500 acclaimed synthesizer sounds. You just plug the keyboard via USB and launch the software to play and easily control the plug-in instrument from the keyboard.
The presets were selected from the Arturia Classic Synths: the Minimoog V, the Prophet V,
the ARP 2600V, the Moog Modular V, the CS-80V and the recent Jupiter-8V. The product is compatible with Mac OS X (PPC and Intel) and Windows XP or Vista and a stand-alone program or VST, AU or RTAS plug-in.
The Analog Factory Keyboard is made of ultra-thin aluminium and wood, with 32 semi-weighted, Velocity-sensitive keys. It lets you control every aspect of the software, including selecting
Okay these these are two completely different products, but he who makes the rules breaks the rules, or something like that (see Congress for an example). Blue‘s clever new Snowflake ($79) USB mic clips to the screen of any laptop or desktop PC or folds into a desk stand.
The Joe ($499) cardioid condenser microphone is aimed at project studios. Joe’s attractive anodized design is hand-built with Blue‘s large diaphragm capsule and a Class A discrete amplifier circuit for rich lows and detailed highs. It has a unique swivel mount for easy positioning and comes with a velvet storage bag.
CAKEWALK SONAR 7
Cakewalk’s Sonar 7 software for the PC is packed with new features, such as enhanced MIDI editing with functions for splitting/gluing/muting notes, advanced multiband linear-phase mastering effects and an external hardware effects insert with automatic plug-in delay compensation. Other extras include the Z3TA+ waveshaping synth, Dimension LE, Rapture LE, DropZone and Roland V-Vocal 1.5 and tools for presenting/publishing music online.
HEIL SOUND THE FIN
For starters, just look it. Cool, right? Heil Sound‘s The Fin puts a cardioid dynamic element into a stylish, Art Deco housing, with four LEDs inside the mic that glow when connected to phantom power. It’s particularly suited to miking amps, vocals and harmonica.
IK MULTIMEDIA ARC
Accurate monitoring is one of the most key elements to creating exceptional mixes, and room ambience created by varieties of reflection and absorption can be difficult to conquer. IK Multimedia ARC ($699, Advanced Room Correction) System is designed to improve the accuracy and clarity of your studio monitoring, whatever your setting, with just a few simple steps. The stand-alone measurement program and VST/AU/RTAS-compatible EQ plug-in work together with the included 1/4-inch Omni Condenser Mic to deliver everything needed to compensate for even the more bizarrely shaped room. Simply open the measurement software, use it with the microphone to measure the acoustics of your room, and ARC will calculate an EQ correction to apply to your DAW’s master bus using the plug-in. ARC makes what can be a daunting process into a much easier one; room correction is something that studios of all sizes need, whether with ARC or in some other way. This is just the easier route.
IZOTOP RX AUDIO RESTORATION SOFTWARE
A jaw-dropper at the show, iZotope RX ($349 or $1,199 for iZotope RX Advanced) cleans and repairs audio, removes hiss/buzz, eliminates clicks/crackles and repairs clipping or gaps in audio. New technology provides noise reduction with less artifacts and a more natural sound than traditional techniques. RX‘s stand-alone environment includes an advanced spectrogram display, selective processing tools and innovative workflow features.
AES attendees gawked at impressive demos where an iZotope employee removed a door creaking sound from an audio recording. While RX may be targeted mainly toward for audio restoration and post-production professionals, musicians, engineers and sound designers could all find great uses for it.
MOTU MACH FIVE 2
Software sampling nuts, take heed. MOTU has release Mach Five 2, and it is DEEP. The attraction to the program is a combination of great audio quality, fast operation and across-the-board compatibility with all platforms and all major sample libraries. It also includes four DVDs with 32 GB of samples, including an 8GB sampled grand piano, many surround instruments and loops and the VSL Orchestra MachFive Edition: an exclusive collection of expressive orchestra sounds from the most respected name in orchestra sound libraries.
Just some of Mach Five 2′ many features include disk streaming and modular design for maximum CPU efficiency; 24/192 kHz sample playback; unlimited multi-timbral operation; unlimited polyphony; unlimited sample keygroups and keygroup layers; full-screen keygroup/sample editor with unlimited undo/redo, batch processing, and 47 DSP effects; advanced time-stretching and pitch-shifting engine; LoopLab beat-slicing editing of multi-channel loops; surround (5.1 to 7.1) capability; built-in graphic mixer with faders, FX inserts, metering; and a combination of traditional synthesis with samples.
PRESONUS MONITOR STATION
Monitor switching is becoming more popular even in smaller studios, so PreSonus has responded with the Monitor Station ($399) a fairly compact tabletop box with three stereo inputs (two balanced TRS, one RCA Aux/Phono) and three stereo outpus (three sets of balanced TRS speaker outputs each with level adjustment). That all facilitates quick switching of several input sources (such as a main audio interface or a reference CD player) to several sets of monitor speakers. Monitor Station also has four headphone amplifiers with separate volume control and independent input source selection and a talkback section including a built-in talkback microphone with volume control to feed the headphone and Cue outputs or an XLR input for external dynamic talkback microphone.
ROGER NICHOLS DIGITAL SPL-IZER
Roger Nichols Digital SPL-izer ($129) is an adjustable 3-band 24 dB/octave FIR frequency splitter that allows three bands to be isolated/routed to aux or instrument tracks for separate processing. Applications include reverb auxes, for no reverb on the low end, the original reverb on the mids and the same reverb but with reduced decay on the high end, or an acoustic guitar with the low end muted, mids unaffected and a short echo/chorus only on the highs. SPL-izer is available in RTAS , VST an AU for Mac and RTAS and VST for Windows XP and Vista.
SSL X-EQ and X-Comp
Owners of Solid State Logic’s Duende FireWire DSP plug-in host will have a new toy to play with called X-EQ ($599). It’s a 10-band parametric EQ that SSL claims can do basically anything that’s possible to do with an EQ. Bands 1 and 10 are high-cut and low-cut filters with five selectable topographies each. Bands 2 and 9 are Shelving EQ‘s with proportional Q values. Bands 3 to 8 are bell filters with 20 Hz to 20 kHz range and nine individually selectable EQ types. In addition, bands three to eight also can be switched between standard series and parallel signal flow for classic graphic EQ style operation. The extremely flexible plug-in has MIDI control over all it parameters.
SSL will follow X-EQ later on with X-Comp, a mastering grade stereo compressor also for the Duende platform. Another very versatile plug-in with full MIDI control of all parameters, X-Comp has an A/B switch to compare two compression settings and an amplitude histogram display that gives advanced real-time pre/post signal analysis.
SONY PCM-D50
The $599 handheld PCM-D50 field recorder from Sony Pro Audio features 96kHz/24-bit recording with two adjustable mics (XY or wide stereo) and PC/Mac file transfer via USB. Its 4GB of onboard memory stores six hours at 44.1kHz/16-bits or more via a Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo slot.
At a show full of “now shipping” announcements (typically products that were announced at Winter NAMM and are now available), Roland really stepped up with a few exciting new product revelations.
SP-555 Creative Sampler
Up first, Roland’s, SP-555 Creative Sampler with performance effects showed promise as the latest advancement in the company’s line of phrase sampling/pattern sequencing workstations. It promises all the features of the Roland SP-404, including tap tempo, lo-fi sampling mode, built-in mic and analog audio I/O (see photo below), plus a truck load of new editions. For instance, the SP-555 comes with Cakewalk Sonar LE software, and it’s USB connection sends both MIDI and audio to a computer, so you can record it’s output easily into the Cakewalk DAW.
On Compact Flash cards up to 2GB (12 hours of sample time), the SP-555 can sample external sources, as well as sample/record its internal live audio, meaning you can record your own pad playing, resample with effects or record loops with the Loop Capture feature. There is also enough internal memory for about six minutes of stereo sampling.
There are 16 Velocity-sensitive pads to which you can assign samples, as well as 37 digital effects taken from Roland’s Fantom line of workstations. Effects include Voice Transformer, delay, isolator, Super Filter, amp aimulator, step ring modulator and DJ FX Looper; the SP-555 can also save cusom effects settings.
Unfortunately, Roland does not like to give out prices or availability dates in advance, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
HD-1 V-Drums Lite
Many hip-hop and other producers have been known to flex their own drumming skills for sampling and recording, rather than relying on just programming. With Roland’s new HD-1 V-Drums Lite, you can have the best of both worlds, for less money than V-Drums have ever costed before. With this compact, all-in-one electronic kit, you can record drum parts via MIDI into a DAW and then assign your own samples to the parts and edit the arrangement of the parts from there.
In addition to 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads and 2 pedals for hi-hat and kick, the HD-1 comes with a small “brain” that holds 10 V-Drums kits, including the classic TR-808 kit. They are now available for pre-order at a list price of $999.
Boss RE-20 Space Echo
Although available as a plug-in emulation, lovers of the classic vintage Roland RE-201 Space Echo tape delay box never had a great hardware emulation to tinker with until now. The Boss RE-20 Space Echo effect pedal rebirths the tape delay has a faithful imitation in stompbox form. It includes the original 12 Space Echo modes, emulation of the tape flutter and magnetic head saturation and a longer delay time than the original. While the RE-20 doesn’t have quite as many emulation settings as the Universal Audio plug-in model, it does sound great and authentic.
Boss ME-20 and ME-20B guitar/bass multi-effects processors
Boss also came out with two new multi-effects floor pedals intended for guitar and bass. A distinguishing feature to each box is a mini-jack Aux In, for playing along with tracks from an iPod or other source. There are also 30 user memory locations on each box for storing combinations of the onboard overdrive, delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo, rotary speaker and EQ effects.
Sonic Cell
Finally, Roland showed the Sonic Cell, which appears to be a boring black box at first, but is actually a fairly intriguing and versatile device. The Sonic Cell is a USB audio interface, and it has a built-in bank of high-quality synth sounds. In addition, it has two expansion card slots for any of Roland’s reknowned SRX synth cards. Sonic Cells also includes audio playpack capability for WAV, AIFF and MP3 files (plus Standard MIDI files). These diverse features add up to a useful portable device for recording and performance. The built-in audio playback is convenient for playing backing tracks on stage or rehearsing along with recorded tracks.
Austin in the summer time, where the NAMM Summer Session has been held the last two years, is always hot. That’s no surprise. But one hot surprise at the show was Open Labs’ instroduction of the new Timbaland Special Edition MiKo LX keyboard workstation. Superproducer and hip-hop icon Timbaland has been traditionally tight lipped about the gear he frequently used in his productions, but for the release of his MiKo edition, he spills the beans and coughs up the sounds.
Anyone can see that on the outside, this MiKo rocks a new arctic white chassis and chromey silver end caps, but the real treasure is on the inside. The Timbaland Special Edition MiKo comes pre-loaded with E-MU’s new Proteus X2 Streaming Sound Module 2.5 with more than 7,000 instruments, including the new Ensoniq Urban Legends Sound Library that contains the sounds from Ensoniq‘s
ASR/EPS/MR/ASR-X/ZR instruments. These sounds were specifically requested by Timbaland, and are only available in the Timbaland MiKo, an Open Labs exclusive. Check out this list of Tim-endorsed goodies:
- E-MU Proteus 2000
- E-MU Mo‘Phatt
- E-MU Modular System
- Ensoniq EPS /EPS 16+
- Ensoniq ASR 10
- Ensoniq ASR-X
- Ensoniq ZR76
- Ensoniq MR61
- ARP 2600
- ARP Axxe
- Roland JD800
- Roland Jupiter 8
- Roland JX-8P
- Roland TB-303 Bass Lin™
- Roland Juno 60
- Moog Memorymoog
- Mini Moog
- Moog Taurus Pedals
- Sequential Circuits Prophet 10
- Sequential Circuits Prophet 600
- Elka Rhapsody
- Mellotron Mark II
- Korg MS20
- Solina
- Oberheim OB & X
- Hammond B3
- Rhodes Electric Piano
- Hohner Clavinet
- Yamaha CP-70
- Wurlitzer Electric Piano
The Timbaland Special Edition MiKo is scheduled to ship on August 15 at an estimated street price $3,899. Check out Open Labs sick new Web sit loaded with new videos and music from Timbaland and other artists: www.openlabs.com
