Taking a closer look at U-he tape machine – Satin
MESSE13: U-He Satin Tape Machine We take a look at the new tape simulator and find out that you can really get under the hood
At Musikmesse, u-he is showing Satin – Tape Machine, a new plug-in for Windows and Mac OS X offering “authentic tape simulation and beyond”.
Features:
- Continuous tape speed control from 7.5 to 30 ips.
- Saturation with realistic bias and hysteresis, wow & flutter.
- Rec/repro equalisation, selectable industry-standard curves.
- Tape delay with up to 4 repro heads, on-the-fly flanging.
- Head adjustments, various coating formulae.
Pricing and release date TBA
New LSD-525 amplifier and parallel EQ plug-in
Acidgrooves has announced the LSD-525 amplifier and parallel EQ plug-in with Entropy technology.
This is the first of a new breed of Plug-Ins developed by Acidgrooves that feature the Acidgrooves Entropy Technology™.
This patent pending technology brings to the Audio Plug-In world one of the characteristics of analog hardware that provides them with some of their unique sound qualities: the passage of time.
With time, capacitors, resistors, transformers and other analog components will decay and lose some of their original specifications which will effectively change the sound and personality of that particular unit.
Our technology tries to recreate exactly that.
LSD-525 features
- 4 channel parallel equalizer: bass lift, low, mid and highs.
- Mix knob for dry /wet control.
- 2 Entropy Sound Technologies: TAD & USP.
- A / B Setups, Presets, Undo & Redo capabilities.
- Designed from day one with low cpu usage in mind.
- Ideal to be used along virtual synths.
- Up to 64x oversample.
- Built-in limiter.
- Lifetime updates.
The LSD-525 for Windows and Mac (VST/AU) is available to purchase for the introductory price of $39 USD until May 11th, 2013 (regular $49 USD).
conTRAPtion – Turns Any Song Into Trap! New VST Plug-in
conTRAPtion is one of the most innovative VSTs to come out in recent memory, a plug-in that can take any song and convert it into trap! Created by Icelandic software company Polarfoils Industries, conTRAPtion combines elements of Southern rap music with EDM synths and sounds.
conTRAPtion opens up new directions in trap music production! This VST is guaranteed to meet the demands of today’s DJs and trapaholics everywhere.
Load any song you want and after a brief analysis conTRAPtion slows down the tempo, rolls off the low end and adds distorted 808 kicks. Then it adds syncopated hi-hats alternating between 1/8th-note and 1/16th-note patterns. The final layer is classic trap sounds like gun shots, air horns, explosions, and of course “Damn Son, Where’d You Find This?”
conTRAPtion has multiple settings. If you want a subtle track spin on it, simply apply the first setting SWAG.
If SWAG isn’t cutting it and you need to get more hard in the paint, that’s what TURNT UP is for.
The next setting, MAYBACH MUSIC, adds flair, snares, and track IDs. And when there’s no turning back and you need to turn the trap up to 11, simply apply “Damn Son, Where’d You Find This?”
conTRAPtion also has a “chopped and screwed” feature, simply flip the CHOPPED & SCREWED switch to apply the effect.
MicroShift – creating wide stereo tracks from mono sources
Soundtoys has just released Little MicroShift, the latest in their new Boutique plug-in series, and it’s free for a limited time.
The company tells us that Little Microshift is based on a simple, but effective studio trick for creating wide stereo tracks from mono sources. Originally done using hardware pitch shifters, as well as the original SoundToys SoundBlender plug-in, this technique has been used in pro studios as a “secret weapon” on countless vocals, guitars and more for a widening, doubling and interesting spatial effect that adds focus or power to tracks run through it. Soundtoys says that, now, three of the most popular versions of this effect are available at the touch of a button.
The Contest
As in years past with Devil-Loc and Little Radiator, Little MicroShift is available free to anyone who can find a friend with a “sharing code”. They’re all over FaceBook and forums like GearSlutz and KVR Audio. Once you’ve got Little MicroShift, you can share it with your friends by using your own unique sharing code. The top share-masters win more cool stuff. The grand prize is an autographed original H3000 D/SE Ultra-Harmonizer from our Gear Closet. The promotion ends on March 29th.
Pricing and Availability:
Free
More information here:
Nectar Elements – latest addition to the Nectar family of vocal plug-in effects
iZotope has announced the release of Nectar Elements, the latest addition to the Nectar family of vocal plug-in effects. Built on the same award-winning DSP as Nectar, Nectar Elements features an easy-to-use interface designed with the singer-songwriter, podcaster, or home recordist in mind. iZotope says that, with ten vocal processing effects working behind the scenes, Nectar Elements simplifies vocal production, allowing users to focus on their sound, not their set-up.
iZotope Product Manager, Brett Bunting, told us, “By introducing Nectar Elements, iZotope is pleased to offer single-click vocal production to a broader set of users. Our vocal product line is focused on great sound and simple workflow. With Nectar Elements, anyone can quickly explore a wealth of complete vocal sounds, each with unique and intuitive control.”
Nectar Elements features dozens of Style presets that let you choose between a variety of classic and creative vocal styles, from Motown to Grunge to radio-ready podcast. Easily and quickly adjust the simple controls to find your voice and make it shine.
Key Features:
- Rapidly audition different vocal sounds with professionally-designed Style presets in a wide variety of Genres.
- Personalize your sound with easy-to-use controls that drive sophisticated vocal processing.
Even more:
- Levels: Quickly get punchy vocals with the loudness you need for consistency across your tracks.
- Space: Help settle your vocals into your mix with delays and reverbs that add ambience and “smoothing.”
- Dedicated per-Style controls: Adjust intelligent sliders that perfectly complement the Genre and Style of choice.
- EQ: Enhance and sculpt the tone of your voice, or adapt any Style to suit your sound’s needs.
- De-Esser: Easily remove unwanted “ess” sounds and sibilance using just one intelligent slider.
- Gate: Remove room tone and other unwanted noise quickly to get vocals crisp and broadcast-ready.
- Automatic Pitch Correction: Fix out-of-tune notes so you can keep those “almost perfect” takes.
Pricing and Availability:
Nectar Elements is now available for MSRP $129 USD or €99 EUR.
Additional preset packs for Nectar and Nectar Elements are available for free at www.izotope.com/nectar/presets
New free pan modulation plugin
CableGuys has released PanCake 2 – an plugin that allows you to create flexible pan modulations.
Key Features:
- Free, and available for both PC and Mac.
- Creative Modulation Tool: Create complex pan modulations with ease.
- Unique Waveform Drawing Capabilities:Construct your own modulation curves in a very intuitive manner. Waveforms can be easily drawn using soft or hard control points, thus producing gentle transitions or sharp bends in the waveform.
- Customized Waveforms: Up to 10 customized waveforms can be stored.
- LFO Speed: LFO speed can be set free-running from 0.02 Hz to 5.24 kHz. It can also be set in rhythmic units synced to the host sequencer, from a fast 1/128 note modulation up to 32 bars.
- Always in Sync: The LFO will always stay in sync, even when you make tempo changes in your host software, or jump ahead to different parts of your track.
- Complete Parameter Control via Automation: Absolutely everything in PanCake can be automated. Even the shape of the modulating waveform can be automated. And if you want to use more than four modulation curves in a song, you can automate the plugin to switch between them.
- New in version 2: A precise display of channel left/right volume for helpful visual control, an option to trigger the LFO via MIDI notes, a dry/wet control, plus a redesigned interface.
Torsion – new monophonic Audio Unit instrument plugin for Mac
Sinevibes has announced Torsion, its new monophonic Audio Unit instrument plugin. They tell us that Torsion is built upon a unique combination of multiple synthesis technologies and modulation sources, wrapped into an intuitive interface which makes working with it as fun as playing a game. Sinevibes believes that it has a very distinctive, original sound character – and is ready to push your musical creativity in a fresh new direction. Here’s the details in Sinevibes’ own words…
Reinvented classics
At first glance, Torsion’s sound structure is similar to a traditional subtractive synthesiser – three oscillators going into a low-pass filter and into an amplifier – and it’s certainly as easy to use. But Torsion’s oscillators are completely different: they produce simple additive waves based on just a few partials, which are then enriched with lots of new spectral content using a technique called waveshape modelling (which literally “curls” the wave in real time). To further spice the sound up, there is a ring modulator and an audio-range oscillator for filter FM.
Modulation galore
Torsion features as many as four separate LFO generators – one for each oscillator and one for the filter and output amplifier. In addition to precise synchronisation, each LFO cycle can be self-randomised, which makes the modulation rhythmical yet non-repetitive. There are also two AHDSR envelope generators, as well as a two-dimensional chaos oscillator.
Interactive experience
The interface of Torsion is designed with high-contrast, colour coded elements, which lets you operate the instrument intuitively in just a few minutes. It also includes graphic representations for every building block – oscillator waves, LFO phases, envelope shapes and filter spectrum all change as you modify them, making sound design with Torsion a truly engaging, fun process.
Specifications
• Three oscillators each with four basic additive waveforms and four waveshape models.
• -24 dB/octave resonant low-pass filter.
• -12 dB/octave high-pass filter.
• Ring modulator.
• Modulation oscillator for low-pass filter FM.
• Four tempo-synchronised LFO generators with four waveforms and per-cycle randomisation.
• Two AHDSR envelope generators.
• Two-dimensional chaos modulation generator based on Lorenz attractor.
Pricing and Availability:
Torsion is immediately available as an Audio Unit plugin for OS X 10.6 or later (32/64 bit Intel), and costs $49.
More information
Element – new synthesizer instrument plug-in for Window and Mac
Waves has announced the release of Element, a synthesizer instrument plug-in for Window and Mac.
Introducing Element: The first ever synthesizer from Waves. Powered by Virtual Voltage™ technology, Element is an analog-style polyphonic instrument engineered to deliver the fat, gritty sound of the classics, with all the precision, flexibility and control of contemporary digital synths.
Element includes a vast array of convenient features and functions. Like integrated effects. A 16-step arpeggiator / sequencer. MIDI Learn for all controls. And a massive preset library, with total tweakability. Plus, all parameters are laid out right there in front of you, so when inspiration strikes, there’s no need to scroll through page after page to customize your sounds. Searing leads, booming basses, ethereal pads, electro-percussion, sequential motions, mind-blowing FX and lots more: Element does it all.
Element for Windows and Mac is available to purchase for the introductory price of $99 USD (regular $200 USD).
Electronisounds releases Red Dragon 2 synth plugin
Electronisounds has announced version 2 of its Red Dragon software synthesizer for Windows.
Changes in Red Dragon 2
- Completely re-coded engine.
- NEW GUI.
- NEW built-in FX (Chorus, Delay, Distortion, Flanger).
- 614 ALL-NEW presets, plus the original 384 presets for a total of 998 presets.
- Built-in preset browser.
- and more.
Introducing Lounge Lizard EP-4
Thiago Pinhero introduces AAS’ electric piano.
Lounge Lizard EP-4 — Electric Piano
http://www.applied-acoustics.com/loungelizard/overview/
Background description:
In the studio
When time matters, simply pick from more than 100 custom electric piano presets. But when sound exploration is on the program, players will dig the real-time controls over hammer hardness, tine color and decay, damper noise, and pickup placement for an unsurpassed level of customization.
Live on stage
Gigging musicians will appreciate Lounge Lizard’s small memory footprint, instant preset recalls, and stability. Furthermore, the huge library of Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds as well as the complete selection of effects makes it easy to build a set list and get the perfect tone for each songs.
Alive beneath your fingers
There is something quite immersive when a connection develops between the player and the instrument. Whether it’s the perfectly smooth velocity progression or the interactive reaction to your performance, Lounge Lizard makes that connection happen.
Beyond the electric piano
Lounge Lizard achieves convincing electric piano tones with less than twenty synth parameters. That’s a quite a feat by itself, but pushed further, these parameters reveal a realm of other tones. Organs, bells, chimes, leads are all featured in the preset library’s Experimental folder.
Custom tones
Even though famous players shared the same brand and models, they were all acheiving their own signature sound. Nevertheless, that usually meant spending many hours under the hood with screw drivers, wrenches, or even a solder iron. What’s fun with Lounge Lizard is that whether you’re looking to emulate a particular sound or simply find your own, all those tweaks are just a few knob turns away!
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