Major updates on Arturia’s soft synths – The Prophet V and the CS-80V
Arturia announces a major update to two of its classic synthesizers: The Prophet V and the CS-80V. Furthermore version 1.4 of the Spark Creative Drum Machine is released as well.
These two recreations of some of the greatest analog synths are now fully compatible with 64-bit hosts and also include better MIDI control assignment.
2.5 upgrades are free for all registered users.
Main Features
- Support for 64-bit VST and Audio Unit
- Support for Pro Tools 9 & 10
- Support for Mac OSX 10.7 (Lion)
- Improved MIDI control assignment
The upgrade is free for all registered users
More info at www.arturia.com/prophetv and www.arturia.com/cs-80v
Spark 1.4.
Version 1.4 brings 50 new kits / 448 instruments built by 5 contemporary electronic and hip hop producers. Ranging from deep electro house to the finest urban sounds, the expanded 1.4 library also integrates new faithful recreations of vintage drum machines.
To complete this arsenal, Spark embeds 5 new powerful FX’s such as the Destroyer, the Space Pan and the earth shaking Sub Generator.
Spark beat makers will also benefit from the advanced MIDI out functions, a full range of hardware shortcuts and the XY pad latch mode that will considerably speed up their workflow.
1.4 upgrade is free for all registered users.
Main Features
- 50 new kits / 448 instruments including Hip Hop, Techno, House, Minimal, Glitch, as well as vintage drum machines emulations (TR-606, Linn 9000, KPR-77, Drumulator, and more)
- 5 new effects : Destroyer, Flanger, Limiter, Space Pan and Sub Generator.
- Advanced MIDI Out Function
- New Hardware shortcuts
- XY Pad Latch Mode
The 1.4 upgrade is free for all registered users. More info at www.arturia.com/spark
Full Celldweller album to arrive in 2012
The mastodon project of creating “Wish upon a Blackstar” – the follow-up to the self titled debut album – started in 2009, when Klayton of Celldweller decided to release it in small installments. We’ve since seen 4 chapters of his exquisite blend of electronics and metal. We still haven’t seen the finished product though, but that is about to change in 2012 when the album will be released in full. There will be 15 songs in total, so you’ll get your money’s worth.
Klayton hasn’t been idle though, he’s released the song “Kill the Sound” for the “Dead Rising 2” soundtrack – together with Nivek Ogre no less. He’s also released “Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol 1” (a collection of shorter more experimental tracks and some songs made for commercials etc), a whole bunch of remix singles and more. Now, Klayton is also focusing on creating a DJ set with reworked songs which he’s touring in the US, and he’s also preparing “Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 2”, a new remix collection called “The Complete Cellout”, and creating remixes for others like Pendulum, BT and Alexandria.
You can check out his stuff on http://soundcloud.com/celldweller – including an awesome free download of a mashup of Metallica and Black Sabbath infused with electro and dubstep.
The sound of archeological experiences
Belgian atmospheric electronic project IC 434 released its fifth album “Anhedonia” on Infacted Recordings on December 9. It deals with “society criticism, animal abuse, archeological mysteries and astronomical descriptions”. IC 434 is Geert de Wilde and bases all music on one machine, the Korg M1. Dirk Ivens (Klinik, Dive, Absolute Body Control) discovered IC 434 shortly after the birth of the project in 1994.
Robert Fripp – “Silent Night” a la Frippertronics
Originally released as a flexi-disc with the Chicago based Praxis Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 3 December, 1979. It was also an aural Christmas card from EG Records. This recording is from the King Crimson “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream” 5 track EPCD (1995).
Review: Tempest Analog Drum Machine – Dave Smith Roger Linn
A review of the latest partnership between two of the most well respected synth designers around. This is a 6 voice analog drum machinesynthesizer.
Synth Tutorial – Keyboard Tracking
More at KNOBZ.NE. KNOBZ.NET is a place dedicated to sound effects, audio engineering, sound design, analog synthesis, field recording and everything related to audio-visual production. We specialize in experimental music for picture, sound effects and post-production.
“This tutorial explains the principles of Keyboard Tracking and it’s applications in a modular synthesis environment. This technique involves using the control voltage generated by the keyboard to control various synth parameters.
Filter tracking, reverse volume tracking and LFO rate tracking are covered.”
SampleTank 1.1 released – The first professional sound and groove workstation goes universal!
SampleTank® 1.1 is a universal app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. New features include an enhanced PADS interface and 4-track MIDI recorder with unlimited overdubbing. Over 500 instruments and 1000 patterns are now available as well along with increased compatibility with third party docks and accessories. The familiar drum machine-style interface lets you lay down beats easily with adjustable quantize values that you can change on the fly as well loop record and a click track that you can turn on and off at will. Put a drum kit on part A, a piano on part B, a bass on part C, sound FX on part D … anything you like! You can export your recording as a stereo audio AAC file via E-Mail or iTunes File Sharing to use it in another app like AmpliTube or VocaLive or a computer DAW like Logic or Pro Tools. You can also export a .MID standard MIDI file. SampleTank 1.1 is a free update for all existing users and is available in the App Store. Check it out today!
http://ikmultimedia.com/sampletankipad/features/
Happy Holidays from TheSynthFreq and SynthManiaDotCom
Happy Holidays everyone!! TheSynthFreq and the synths wish you and your family (and synths) a very synthy holiday season! 
Crystal and I wanted to create our own version of Silent Night (composed by FRANZ XAVER GRUBER)
Synths used: Jupiter-8- ARP 72 Roland D-50- icy tines lead Yamaha Motif-6- strings/cymbols
Enjoy
Roland TB-303 run through a self-built BYOC “E.S.V. Fuzz” pedal
A Roland TB-303 run through a self-built BYOC “E.S.V. Fuzz” pedal.
The BYOC E.S.V. Fuzz comes with a hand selected set of the extremely rare NOS Philips AC127/01. Like the E.S.V. 2-Knob Bender kit, the E.S.V. Fuzz was inspired by our recent acquisition of a large lot of pristine AC127/01. These are, in our opinion, the holy grail of negative ground vintage fuzz tone. Very thick, very wooly and very dark sounding. But with focus, clarity, sustain, and the ability to clean up into a nice grindy overdrive just like a vintage fuzz face should.
And since these are NPN transistors, as opposed to the PNP NKT275 or AC128 that work best with a positive ground, the AC127/01 works best with negative ground. So they get along with all your other pedals and can run off a normal power supply, but still produce the vintage fuzz tone you expect.
Steelberry Clones and Stereoklang wishes you all a Happy Electric Christmas !!
And what could be better than doing it together with Commodore 64
Although we must say that 2011 has truly been the year of soft synths, controllers and drum machines for the iPad. We have experienced a complete explosion of iOS based apps and not a week has gone by without new announcements and I assume this will continue during next year. I guess the two main ones were the Animoog and the KORG iMS20, but several others came into play like the 76Synthesizer.
It has also been a year dominated by KORG’s line of micro synths, like the Monotribe and the Monotron, and all competitions etc that has surrounded, not to forget those loads of circuit bending stuff that we have posted during the course of this year. The modular synthesizer guys also seem to have a stable and perhaps somewhat growing fanbase, both the MacBeth, Roland System 100 and Buchla has been frequent guests on our blog.
From an electronic music perspective we have seen a lot of great music being produced – the list of favorite artists and records will have to wait until we wrap up 2011 next year, but we here at Steelberry Clones would like to personally thank all those electronic artists that we have had the honor to interview during 2011, including acts like OMD, Alan Wilder, Nitzer Ebb, Steve Jansen and Welle: Erdball, and we promise you that we have a pretty good line up of interviews with artists already confirmed for next year (sorry, we will not reveal anything yet, but be sure that they are all pioneers in their fields).
Thanks again all faithful readers of our on line magazine and keep the spirit up for next year
PS. This does not mean we will take a break during the Holiday Season, just that we like you will make sure to enjoy spending time with family and friends.
Merry Xmas everyone – and let those synths pump nice Xmas songs all night long.
DATAMASKIN
