Spanner surround software for Pro Tools
Maggot software has just released a new ProTools plugin called SPANNER that is a no-brainer for anyone working in 5.1 or 7.1 surround!
Introduction to maggot software’s new AAX plugin “Spanner”. explains the basic layout and features.
spanner is a powerful surround channel manager, panner, remapper and folddown plugin for AVID Pro Tools.
it is the result of years of personal frustration with the Pro Tools panner and bussing setup and solves many of the common complaints about the surround workflow in Pro Tools.
if you ever work in surround you’ll appreciate this plugin I’m sure, but if mixing-in-the-box is your thing you’re going to see this as a major step forward.
How to create effective transitions – Reason Sound Design
Propellerhead’s product specialist James Bernard shows you how you can create effective transition sounds so that your build up really does build up! Get that sweep right and people will know when you’re about to drop the bass.
Download James patch here: http://www.propellerheads.se/stuff/transition.zip
Tips and Tricks with RX 2 – Editing Dialog, Reducing Mouth Noises
In this video, learn how to use RX 2 for removing and reducing unwanted mouth noises, plosives and other artifacts common in dialog recording. In this example, we reduce the sound of some wet clicking and several plosives.
Download the free RX 2 trial here: http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/download.asp
n this video, learn how to use RX 2 to restore recordings transferred from old records by reducing clicking, crackling and noise. In this example, we reduce the clicks, pops, time-variable wear variations and general noise without harming the character of the music, which was originally from a 78rpm shellac record.
Celemony Capstan updated to v.1.1
Capstan – An end to wow and flutter
Celemony Software GmbH releases version 1.1 of its professional recording restoration software Capstan. Starting from the analysis of just one audio file, the new version makes it possible to remove identical wow and flutter from an unlimited number of additional audio files. At the same time, the introduction of a rental model brings Capstan 1.1 within the budgets even of home studios.
Capstan 1.1 is now capable of transferring the correction of wow and flutter from a mono or stereo file to additional files, thereby removing identical wow and flutter from multi-channel or multi-track recordings. This new feature is seamlessly integrated into the Capstan interface and there is absolutely no limitation on the number of files that can be repaired in this way.
Background info:
For over 100 years, music has been recorded on mechanical storage mediums, and for over 100 years such recordings have been plagued by the same problems: wow and flutter. Who isn’t familiar with the wobbling and warbling, the droning and dragging? Mechanical degradation caused by defective devices or sticking tapes, by aging or defective storage. Furthermore, wow and flutter were for the most part irremediable.
Countless recordings of renowned orchestras, big bands and rock groups are currently slumbering deep in archives because precisely this problem has rendered them unusable. The tapes worthless, the recordings lost to posterity. Until now.
For with Capstan there is now for the first time a program capable of removing wow and flutter from musical recordings — whether on tape, compact cassette, wax, shellac or vinyl. Capstan detects wow and flutter by analyzing the musical material itself, so the medium is of no relevance. In this, Capstan is clearly superior to solutions such as bias tracking, because Capstan still works even if the tape has already been copied several times or digitized only in low resolution.
Being musically intelligent, the Capstan algorithm is capable of recognizing not only the minutest amounts of wow and flutter but also continuous speed variations within the musical material itself and makes possible detailed editing that extends even to drawing in the curve manually. It is based on the patented DNA Direct Note Access technology made famous by the award-winning program Melodyne, which is used worldwide in all major studios for the editing of pitch and timing.
Whilst the precise detection of the wow and flutter represents the actual technological revolution, repairing the recording is easy: the musical material is simply played back with the velocity curve inverted. Pure varispeed — guaranteed free from artifacts.
More info:
http://www.celemony.com/cms/index.php?id=capstan
Video featuring the new iRig Midi v2
http://youtu.be/go3WcS2Bckw
New version of the popular iOS system
Cycler Looper – new powerful set of looping tools
A pre-release version of Cycler Looper has been announced. Its makers tell us that the software has been created to support all aspects of sound performances (playback, looping, remixing) and gives musicians a simple yet extremely powerful set of looping tools. Here’s their press release wih all the details:
Cycler Looper software gives musicians a simple yet extremely powerful set of looping tools. Created to support all aspects of sound performances (playback, looping, remixing), it can be learned in one hour, and does not require expertise in digital audio. Nicolas Lacoumette, a musician who designed award-winning audio software like the GURU rhythm system and the Krishna synthesizer, is behind this bold new product. Cycler Looper excels by providing musicians with an extraordinary sense of freedom, far surpassing other computer-based solutions. Users create their own personalized loop station (like a turbocharged RC-50), with clear, engaging on-screen visual feedback. Refined and field tested at numerous live shows, Cycler Looper speeds and facilitates the set-up and sound check. It eliminates trouble-prone connections between the sound board and the stage and automatically sets levels for all recorded loops. A built-in playlist system automatically manages loading, sequencing and fades while eliminating the risk of computer-related operational errors. It comes with a full range of standard looping functions. In addition, users can explore the musical potential of a particularly comprehensive suite of new functions: double, half, infinite undo/redo, resample, as well as full control over loop time. Cycler Looper’s effects are specifically designed to solve problems that occur in live performance situations. Its practical library of stock effects, executable in real time with a single command, can be augmented with modular user-defined effects. A brilliant innovation, Cycler Looper’s “temporal effects” modify a loop’s timebase, yielding effects like slowdown, repeat, scratch, reverse and time stretch. In brief, Cycler Looper is an instinctive creative tool that enhances the pleasure of performing live, while freeing the user from technological constraints.
Summary of Cycler Looper’s main features
- Easy installation
- Quick learning curve
- Reliable and stable (Cycler Looper is a closed system, like Reason)
- Synchronized multi-user support
- Lightning fast project loading
- Efficient user interface
- Clear, elegant on-screen feedback
- Very rapid set-up for live shows
- Reduces overall equipment requirements (cables, preamps, mixers…)
Technical Features
- 8 loopers et 8 players per user
- Auto Level correction on Record
- Internal Playlist system with various crossfade modes
- MIDI Board adaptive to any controller brand
- Advanced looping functions
- Peak detection on first loop (Perfect Match)
- Free looping time, or adaptive to music (from 16th to 16 bars)
- Easy and accurate Global latency detection
- 16 ins (stéréo/mono), 16 outs (stéréo/mono) manager
- Odd signatures
- Basic and graphical side chain compression effect system
- Base Effects : Delay, Resonnant Filter (hpf/bpf/lpf), Overdrive, Flanger/Chorus,Phaser, Reverb, Volume/pan/mute, Ring/Amp Modulator, Bit/Samplerate reduction, compressor, Sample/Loop Player
- Base Time Effects :Incarn, Reverse, Smooth, speed up, speed down, time stretch.
- Modular and programmable effects
- Send/Return
Minimum system requirement :
Mac or PC, Audio sound card. MIDI controller is welcome, but Cycler Looper also supports keyboard assignation.
Pricing and Availability:
Free download.
More information:
Synchonizing Electronic Musical Equipment and Acoustic Drums
“The ability to have sequences of different devices play in time together can be a challenge. In this video, I demonstrate how I synchronize various equipment. MIDI and DCB standards can also be easily synched, but are not shown in this video. I use primarily DIN Sync and analog clocks (including the Garfield MiniDoc) for this demonstration. The Casio and the DR110 have been modified to accept a clock input. The solenoid drum triggers were built by me and allow for dynamics (accents) – the roll in the drum pattern is programmed using a pulse LFO with an S/H modulation for random variation. There is more information on modifying clock signals at www.artoftravelogue.com.”
The Miselu “neiro” – new portable, net-enabled social music device
The Miselu “neiro” is a portable, net-enabled social music device with a musical keyboard and a wide multi-touch display, and a variety of musical apps and cloud services.
This mobile companion invites users to perform, create, learn, discover and share — from anyplace they go. Social is integral to the Miselu “neiro” and permeates through all applications. The open platform environment will also enable developers and users to build their own custom apps and solutions.
Yamaha is providing the upcoming “neiro” with the Yamaha AudioEngine (TM) Series Sound Chip NSX-1. This powerful synthesizer engine delivers a quality that almost matches the sound of real musical instruments. The DSP chip offers a larger variety of sound effects such as reverb, chorus and EQs that create a rich sound experience.
More info at miselu.com
Music: ”Ken Ishii presents Metropolitan Harmonic Formulas – After The Rainstorm (feat. Jazztronik) (Yogurt & Koyas Remix)” from Sublime Records
New Analog Elemental Series to be revealed at Musikmesse
SPL has been in touch to tell us that they will arrive at this year’s Musikmesse in Frankfurt with a rack full of novelties, including 13 brand new units of its Analog Elemental Series — One single unit, two modules, one 19-inch rack space.
The German manufacturer has created 13 Elemental units combining six modules. This means you can have a Premium or Preference two-channel preamp or a single-channel preamp perfectly matched with processors like a De-Esser, a DynaMaxx compressor, a TwinTube processor, or the Transient Designer second generation. If you would rather have processing capabilities only you can have a DeEsser combined with a DynaMaxx or two TwinTubes, for example.
SPL CEO Hermann Gier, told Sonic State, “The Analog Elemental Series enhances our product line in two different ways. First of all, we now have the exceptional preamps of the RackPack modular series in the traditional 19-inch format. Secondly, this series offers perfect front end and processing combinations for any situation ranging from pure preamplification to specific processing needs for vocals and instruments. This allows for any possible configuration to come true.”
Pricing and Availability:
The prices have not been announced yet, but they will be disclosed during the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany.
More information:
Moog – The Fundamentals of Synthesizer Programming Pt. 4
Moog Music Inc. is proud to present Dr. Joseph Akins’ five part series on the fundamentals of synthesizer programming. Dr. Akins is an associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University and strives to teach his students a complete understanding of synthesizers and computers as tools for modern music production. In this five part series Dr. Akins uses a Voyager to teach the process through which a synthesizer’s sound is generated and the techniques needed to program your own sounds and sonic experiments. In part four of this five part series Dr. Akins gives an in depth lesson on the envelope generator.
DATAMASKIN
