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Home Blog Page 65

JHS Pedals Colour Box

By
Bryan
-

Now you’re probably wondering, “You usually don’t post about guitar pedals. Why starting all of a sudden?” Well, because a pedal manufacturer got it right. I see all of these kids on forums and whatnot saying they want “insert famous guitarist… usually the Egde” tone. They go out, spend hundreds of dollars on pedals only to get close to the sound they’re going for. What most of these people fail to remember is it’s not just the gear that defines what they’re hearing, it’s both the medium it was recorded on and the equipment used. Josh Scott, founder of JHS pedals gets this and he has made a pedal modeled after one of the most used pieces of studio gear in rock next to the 1176 compressor, the Neve 1073 console. Now you can take the iconic tone of thousands of rock songs’ studio recordings and have it in your rig, getting you one step closer to that sound you want.
On a separate note, don’t let the hype associated with thousands of “churtarists” (phrase coined by Peter Kendall Warren) steer you away from JHS pedals. Yes these kids tend to have too much fervor for certain brands and seem to give them a snotty rep, but JHS is anything but this. They’re actually a very down to earth operation with extremely helpful people who know what they’re doing. Now back to this awesome pedal I hope to review soon.

In 1961 a British engineer would start a company from a spare room in his England home that would permanently change the history of the Pro Audio industry. This company set a trajectory for musical tones that spanned across genres and impacted every generation that followed. We are talking about the infamous piece of gear known as the Neve* recording console. From “Love Me Do” by The Beatles to the famous sounds of Led Zeppelin, U2, Spoon, Pink Floyd, Motown, Quincy Jones, Nirvana, Steely Dan, Neil Young, Tears For Fears, and Tom Petty (the list is endless), The Colour Box is our tribute to the legend and application of how a piece of gear can change music.
Have you ever heard songs like the Beatles “Revolution”, or Motown classics like Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, or even the modern Radiohead’s “Bodysnatchers” and thought, “How are they getting that guitar sound?”  Well, the answer is sort of clothed in obscurity, but it’s actually created by the simplest practical application……plugging a guitar directly into a vintage studio console and recording “direct in.” The JHS Pedals Colour Box is designed and created to allow you to recreate these infamous guitar tones with your live rig, or in a studio environment by using 100% analog circuitry true to the design and schematic of vintage Neve* circuitry. The Colour Box is completely free from any digital modeling. Never before have “direct in” tones been available from your guitar amp in the way that the Colour Box delivers them. Aside from creating these “direct in” tones, the Colour Box covers all the ground that you would expect a high quality studio preamp to cover. From your microphone, bass, keyboard, or even your acoustic guitar, it does it all.
Whats Inside? 
We have gone to great lengths to bring the color and character of a real vintage console to your feet or desktop. We started with two gain stages in series that produce beautiful clean tones but that can also destroy any signal into a beautiful fuzzy mess, full of rich harmonics and body with over 39db of gain on tap. The local feedback of each gain stage makes for a very unique type of distortion. We used the same topology and discrete gain stage found in the Neve* 1073, but we have two gain stages in series instead of one.  We use a high quality Lundahl transformer that adds weight, heft, and a 3D quality just like preamps that you will find costing much more. The transformer fattens the lows, adds harmonic complexity and richness to the midrange (kinda like stirring flour into your drippings to give you gravy) as well as smoothing and rounding of the high frequencies. It also blocks all DC voltages, adds electrical isolation, and blocks RF frequencies ensuring super quiet operation and noise floor.
The Controls and Jacks?
Think of the controls as three separate sections:
1. Gain (RED)
The gain structure is made up of three parts:
–The Pre Volume (labeled “Pre-Vol”) can be used the same as you would a Drive knob on an overdrive pedal. In this circuit, the Pre Volume is between the two gain stages, and the setting of the Pre Volume determines how much signal continues to the second stage.
–The Master Gain (labeled “Master”) is what would typically be considered as a Volume control. Other terms are “master volume” or the “output trim.”
–The Step Gain (labeled “Step”) changes the gain of each preamp stage in five stages. Rotating the “Step” knob from left-to-right will increase the gain by the following:
1 is X 18 db
2 is X 23 db
3 is X 28 db
4 is X 33 db
5 is X 39 db
2. Equalizer / Tone Control (BLUE)
The tone control section is a highly modified Baxandall type that is tuned for less control interaction and more boost/cut capability.  The center frequencies are Treble 10kHz, Middle 1kHz, and Bass 120Hz, with +/- 17dB of control.
3. Highpass Filter (YELLOW)
The Highpass spans from 60Hz to 800Hz with a 6dB per octave slope. This control allows you to only let high frequencies pass. In return you will find a vast palet of tones that sit perfect and inspire textures that you have never heard from your rig. The toggle switch will turn the Highpass on or off.
In and Out Jacks 
You will notice that in addition to the normal 1/4″ instrument input/output found on a guitar pedal, we added an XLR input and output so that The Colour Box can be used as a vocal, bass, acoustic, or keyboard preamp live or in the studio. The 1/4″ mono output and the XLR output are independent and allow you to run parallel outputs to two destinations. For example, run the 1/4″ mono out into your guitar amplifier and at the same time run the XLR output to your front-of-house mixing board. Another example of using parallel outputs would be to track amp tones and the “direct in” sound of your performance onto two separate tracks. We achieved the parallel output by way of a discrete shunt-feedback circuit.
Input Selector Switch
The input selector switch located above the input jack lets you choose line or microphone input. In the down position it is in mic mode. In the up position it is in line mode.
Power 
The Colour Box runs on 18v DC negative center power. We supply an adapter but you can also use any standard 18v DC pedal power supply or voltage doubling cable like the Voodoo Lab found here: http://www.voodoolab.com/shop/index.php?cPath=22_24_32.
Some Noteworthy “Direct In” Guitar Tones To Check Out:
“Revolution” The Beatles
“Black Dog” Led Zeppelin
“The Beast And Dragon, Adored” Spoon
“Cinnamon Girl” Neil Young
“Highway 61” Bob Dylan
“Reeling In The Years” Steely Day
“Strange Brew” Cream
“Another Brick In The Wall Part 2” Pink Floyd
“Bodysnatchers” Radiohead
“Engines Of Creation” Joe Satriani
“LA Woman” The Doors
“Territorial Pissing’s” Nirvana
“Sgt. Peppers” The Beatles
“Get Lucky” Daft Punk
“Im Coming Out” Donna Summer
Phantom Power
http://www.sweetwater.com/c959–Phantom_Power
The Colour Box does not supply phantom power so you will need to purchase one these quality phantom power supplies to run in line with your Colour Box if you intend to use a phantom powered microphone or other device.

Never before has a guitar pedal crossed into this territory to bring the tones of pro audio to your pedal board.

Price: $399
For more info, visit http://www.jhspedals.com/products/guitar-pedals/colourbox/

Arturia Vox Continental V

By
Bryan
-
Arturia keeps cranking out the hits with this new addition to their Analog Classics bundle offering their take of the VOX Continental V. This is a recreation of the iconic organ you’ve heard in countless hits in the 60’s and even in modern music. You may remember hearing it on some of The Doors and even a SmashMouth song or two. Now you can use the same sounds that these guys use for a fraction of the price.
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: having opened many eyes and ears when being premiered at Musikmesse 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany, music software and hardware company Arturia is proud to announce availability of VOX Continental-V — bringing back the coveted classic sounds of the Sixties-vintage VOX Continental 300 organ as an authentic software emulation for Mac and PC — as of June 5…
As a high-end software recreation of the Sixties-vintage VOX Continental 300 transistor-based combo organ, VOX Continental-V is the latest addition to Arturia’s acclaimed Analog Classics lineup where it sits alongside an authentic recreation of another archetypal Sixties staple, Wurlitzer-V (based on the classic ‘Wurly’ electric piano). Introduced in 1962, the VOX Continental — or ‘Connie’ as affectionately it became known — was originally designed to address the needs of touring musicians, but became musically much-loved in its own right. As such, it prominently featured on many hit records of the time, including The Animals’ classic ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ in 1964 and, a little later, ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors. Onstage, The Beatles performed a memorably frenzied version of ‘Help!’ B-side ‘I’m Down’ during their August 1965 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium with John Lennon playing a VOX Continental using his elbows at times!

Despite being phased out of production in the early-Seventies, the VOX Continental has stood the test of time, too, playing a pivotal part in generating many of the distinctive keyboard sounds supporting later musical genres, including almost everything ever recorded by British Ska revivalists Madness, as well as New Wavers like Elvis Costello and The Attractions and American counterparts Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. However, VOX organs have become increasingly difficult to acquire due to the high prices that they can command, compounded by the limited supply of working units. Today, VOX Continental-V gives contemporary, computer-based musicians instant access to those same hit-making sounds of yesteryear, and much more besides — and all without breaking the bank!

 
This breakthrough is far from lost on the present-day brand owner, a representative of which who was moved to kindly comment, “At VOX, we are happy that Arturia is bringing back to life the VOX Continental, one of the great instruments of the Sixties. Arturia’s software instruments are known for their sound quality and attention to detail — which is exactly what the VOX Continental deserves.”
 
For his company’s considerable part in the proceedings, Arturia President Frédéric Brun is equally enthused at VOX Continental-V being blessed by VOX themselves: “The VOX brand has been synonymous with sound quality for many years, and the VOX Continental is a true icon that was used by bands such as The Doors, The Beatles, and Madness. Today we are adding an organ for the first time to our collection of software recreations and are thrilled that this is in partnership with VOX.”
Like the transcontinental history of the original VOX Continental, the road to creating VOX Continental-V was a long and winding affair. Arturia started its latest software developmental journey in the company of a rare VOX Continental 300 dual-manual model, capturing every nuance of the original right down to key contact timing and background noises — no elbows needed! Next, Arturia acquired a rare Jennings J70 — developer Tom Jennings’ VOX organ forerunner — and added a J70 Mode to the VOX Continental-V voice engine. End users have effectively ended up with two ultra-rare organs for the price of one as a direct result. Indeed, the end result is surely the most authentic dual-manual VOX Continental 300 emulation that money can buy — complete with upper manual, lower manual, and bass pedal sections with independent channels per manual; multiple output effects processors with several popular effects, including LeslieTM and guitar amp simulator outputs; individual pitch tuning; alterable key contact timing; and authentic noise bleed control, to name but a few edited highlights.
VOX Continental-V works as a plug-in with popular DAWs and is also available as AAX, AU, VST, and VST3 standalone versions for Mac (OS X 10.7.5 or higher) and PC (Windows 7 and 8). Tight integration with Arturia’s acclaimed range of KeyLab professional MIDI keyboard controllers makes for the perfect performance pairing with which to light your musical fire — from those coveted classic sounds of the Sixties and beyond.
VOX Continental-V is available to buy as a software download for €99.00 EUR/$99.00 USD from the Arturia online store (http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/buy/online-shop.html) or as a boxed product for €119.00 EUR/$129.00 from the Arturia online store or any authorised dealer.
 
Check out the dedicated VOX Continental-V webpage for more detailed info here: http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/products/Vox-Continental-V/intro.html
 
Watch Arturia’s ‘vintage’ VOX Continental-V trailer here: http://youtu.be/kmyWEB0ya5Q
 
Watch Arturia Vice President of Product Management Glen Darcy’s visionary VOX Continental-V tutorial video here: http://youtu.be/7ebomGXZn40

Slate Raven 2.0

By
Bryan
-

Even though I prefer my trackball and 2 screen configuration, the Raven gets more and more enticing each time I see it. It seems Steven Slate has become the Steve Jobs of pro audio, and now his award winning DAW control surface Raven, has been given an upgrade. The other plus is if you buy a Raven MTi or MTX before September 1, you will get one of the most anticipated plugins this year for free, Slate Digital Virtual Mix Rack (Review coming soon).

Introducing the Slate Media Technology RAVEN 2.0 Control System for the RAVEN series of Multi-Touch Production Consoles.
If you are a professional who creates music and audio, prepare to be amazed as you watch this video. Steven Slate takes you through the numerous new RAVEN 2.0 features that will allow you to work faster, smarter and more efficiently. Even if you’ve seen previous RAVEN videos in the past, you’ll see an entirely new workflow and feature set that was designed by music professionals, for music professionals.
While this video focuses on RAVEN Control for Pro Tools, RAVEN Control also supports Logic X and will soon support Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One and Digital Performer.
FREE SLATE DIGITAL VIRTUAL MIX RACK
If you purchase a RAVEN MTi or MTX before September 1st, you’ll get a FREE Slate Digital VIRTUAL MIX RACK PLUGIN. This amazing processor includes four world class analog modeled classics that are optimized for touch!

 

Price (Slate MTi) : $2499.00
For more information visit http://www.slateproaudio.com/products/raven-mtx/

Review: Eisenberg Einklang Extended

By
Bryan
-

Soft-Synths are a dime a dozen. Everywhere you look, companies are emulating classic gear, making improvements upon existing technologies and creating new concepts all together. Needless to say, if you’re going to turn heads in this business, you better come with something new and innovative. German company Eisenberg has a great concept behind their Einklang soft synth. This soft synth is very versatile in application and can work as either a stand-alone, AAX, RTAS, VST, and AU. You’re basically covered on all fronts. Installation is very simple and activation is a breeze.
 
Einklang translates to many things in German (like “unison”, “harmony” and “equilibrium”) and that is just what this synth’s framework is built around – taking three different models of instruments and allowing them to interact and blend in different ways. They have even gone as far as developing their own proprietary AIST technology, which powers the synth. This allows true modeling capabilities and in depth interaction with changes to parameters as well as other instruments you blend in the “Morphing Triangle.” The interface is laid out extremely straight forward with the triangle on the right side that allows for you to load 3 different patches and blend between all three models in almost limitless combinations. On the left you have a set of controls that are used as overall controls for the blended sound. You are given timbre, loudness, and modulation.
 
Operation could not be any more simple. Load 3 patches into the morphing triangle and start dragging. Einklang is a perfect concept for people who just need to throw together combined sounds without in depth editing. I’m afraid that if you like sound design, this may not be the synth for you due to the limited nature of its interface, but if simplicity is your mantra, you’ve come to the right place. Not only do you get a standard set of sound packs with Einklang, the extended version gives you 5 extra tone packs with models based on colors (red, green, blue, black, and white). Each are created to evoke certain feels based on the emotion of the color spectrum… but do they really follow through?
 
Although the interface looks great, I feel that the models of instruments are very primitive sounding. They sound nothing like the instruments they are trying to model. I almost get a feel that I am using a very old inexpensive keyboard sampler. Now if this is what you’re going for, then you’ve hit pay dirt. I just find myself really having to fight to get any quality sounds. Another issue I have is with the controls on the left. There needs to be a way to either control each preset in the triangle as well as a master control for each individual setting in the morphing triangle. I feel that this would give you a little more variety in shaping your final product. (Right after this review was published, Einklang 1.2 was released and has added a master volume slider as well as a visual meter to help match your levels with other content in the mix. They have also added a preset manager and browser for both plugin and stand alone use. One of my favorite new additions in 1.2 is the ability to make Einklang function as a monophonic synth, perfect for those leads and basses.
 
All of that being said, I absolutely love the concept, I just wish the sounds were more contemporary and realistic. Also throw in the fact that you’re paying $239.00 for very primitive sounds, I’m just not sure the public is going to go for that. I’m hoping that their proprietary modeling system expands and we can truly use all cylinders of this soft synth. I mean… who wouldn’t want to realistically pitch down a harpsichord and blend it with an electric guitar while layering it with a nice pad? I’ll definitely have my eyes on this company in the future and be waiting for more soundpacks to be released that better use this very unique and spectacular concept.
For more info and to purchase, visit http://www.eisenberg-audio.de/einklang

Vermilion Audio ION 8

By
Bryan
-

Most of us don’t have the scratch to just throw 8 of our favorite 500 series modules in a chassis all at once. This modular rack comes just with the chassis and power supply and as you buy more 500 series modules, you can buy more 500 series cards (in pairs). This gives you the opportunity to get into a good 500 series rack at an initial lower price and then pay gradually to have it grow with you. Novel idea actually. You can also stereo link your channels. The gear is proudly made in the USA too.

The ION 8 is a unique and flexible 500 series rack designed for professional and project recording studios. By adding ION M2 adapters, you can expand your rack two slots at a time, at the pace you choose.
This unique design allows your rack to grow alongside your gear. You can rest easy knowing that when you need to add 500 series modules to your studio, you will be able to do so quickly and efficiently.
The ION 8’s build quality is second to none; it is designed, engineered, and manufactured entirely in California, USA. Our goal was to build the highest quality rack, as a compliment to the investment you’ve made on your 500 series gear.
• 2 to 8 500 series slots (Up to four ION M2s)
• 2.4A of total power, 300mA per slot
• Stereo link & channel link allow you to create your own channel strips
• XLR & DB-25 Inputs & Outputs
• Heavy duty steel chassis
• Internal 100-240VAC power supply with ultra-low noise components
• Made in the USA
• Patent pending design
• Card guides included
*By default, the ION 8 does not include any 500 series slots. Each ION M2 adapter you purchase adds 2 slots to your ION 8.

 
Price: $595.00
For more info visit http://www.vermilionaudio.com/ion-8

Tone2 Deep Space Soundset for Rayblaster

By
Bryan
-

We all need some dimension in our tracks. Rayblaster has a great synthesis engine for creating sounds for the backdrop to your next hit. Tone2 has even made the easier for you by doing the heavy lifting and creating sounds for you.

Exploring the experimental and atmospheric side of Rayblaster’s Impulse Modeling synthesis,
the Deep Space set is filled with 200 intricate sound impressions that will help you set the mood
perfectly.
Featuring otherworldly soundscapes, transcendental pads, organic drones, interstellar effects,
abstract synths and comprehensive arpeggios.
Created by professional sounddesigner Massimo Bosco, Deep Space is mysterious, evolving and
packed with a wealth of creative twists for you to explore.

Highlights

* 200 superb presets created by a professional designer
* Unique sounds using the innovative IMS synthesis
* Comfortable installation
* Perfect integration into the user interface
* Many patches can be ‘morphed’ using the modwheel.

Perfect for many genres, such as Electronica, Cinematic, Soundtrack,Trance, Ambient, Space,
Dance, Industrial, Synthpop, IDM and a wide variety of other music genres.

Price $49.00
For more info please visit the Deep Space product page: https://tone2.com/html/deep%20space.html

Review: Antares Auto-Tune EFX 3

By
Bryan
-

No need to introduce this one. This product has made its way into pop culture nomenclature and has been responsible for more television reality stars’ music careers than just about any network executive. You’ve guessed it, we’re dealing with Antares Auto-Tune. Although a lot of people have blamed this tool on the decline of music, I feel that Antares isn’t even a fraction as liable as the public believes they are. It is the overuse of the tool by individuals that has given Antares the bad rap. I don’t see people blaming Paul Mitchell for all these obnoxious faux-hawks, so why blame Auto-Tune. There have been plenty of examples of this plugin being used for extremely innovative projects. We’ve all seen the Double Rainbow video… I mean… c’mon.
 
Auto-Tune EFX 3 is obviously Antares’ third revision of the lighter version of the full blown AutoTune7 software. It is a scaled back version that can be used in either live or post environments and acts more as tool for either polishing vocal tracks’ pitch or as an effect. I’ve owned Auto-Tune EFX 2 and found it to be used more as an “autopilot” effect based plugin, but EFX 3 seems to have improvements and more controls. It has also included an AAX64 version to move it on up to ProTools 11 standards.
 
Let’s start with the improvements. Instead of just having a slider bar that lets you chose between 3 choices of pitch correction, Antares have added 2 slider bars that allow you to fine tune the exact amount of correction across the track. The “Retune Speed” is responsible for how subtle or verbose the correction attack and tune algorithm works and the “Humanize” slider adds a little leeway in the long notes, giving you more natural variation of pitch drift in longer notes.
 
Another fun feature that came about in EFX 2 was the Auto-Motion bar across the bottom that offers selectable scales and patterns, that when triggered, retune the signal in a rhythmic pattern. This was one of my favorite things to use in the studio when fatigue would set in on a session and the vocalist needed a little jolt. Just throw an arpeggio in the pattern selector and press the trigger button, and on a nice long note, your vocalist will get a nice surprise. Perfect for those times when you need to keep someone on their toes. In a more professional use, it is perfect for synth leads and even guitar solos (try it). EFX 3 carries over EFX 2’s Auto-Motion pattern editing with any software that allows editing of MusicXML files. Editing the patterns are fairly straight-forward but just be careful placing files into the database lest you overwrite all of the stock patterns Auto-Tune supplies. This can add movement to background tracks in limitless scale and rhythmic possibilities.
 
It’s a very easy to use program that does most of the work for you. I will say the performance of the pitch correction actually is a big improvement from EFX 2. I found with EFX 2, I used it more for that “poppy” sounding hard tune effect; but with EFX 3, I was frequently using it on vocalist who didn’t need Melodyne. Sometimes I would even do a fast Melodyne edit on vocal tracks and let Antares take control of the drift and attack settings. They actually pair quite nicely and now that the pitch correction algorithm is improved, it works as a great subtle polishing tool. One thing I wish they would add to the Auto-Motion pattern is the ability to harmonize the pattern, giving you a rhythmic “background harmony” track. EDM music would take full advantage of that feature, but for now, it’s easy enough to scale the single note in Auto-Motion and put it back into AutoTune7 or Melodyne and create harmonies from there.
 
Overall, I find EFX 3 to be a vast improvement over EFX 2 and well worth the upgrade. Getting AAX-64 lets you move into Pro Tools 11, editing your Auto-Motion gives you added creative use, and the improved pitch correction settings make subtle editing a breeze. If you’re looking for the ultimate in pitch correction “cruise control,” you’ve come to the right place. A word of advice would be to use it creatively so as not to have more people sending hate mail to Antares for “faux hawk” music.
For more information and to purchase visit http://www.antarestech.com/products/detail.php?product=Auto-Tune_EFX_3_65

Native Instruments Arcane Attic Expansion

By
Bryan
-

You don’t play by the rules when you’re producing tracks. You don’t want an expansion pack that does either. Arcane Attic comes from real life field recordings, and theatrical stabs as well as samples, to take your tracks to the next level. This expansion transcends the bounds of genre and gives you exclusive tools to make that stand-out hit.

Berlin, May 27, 2014 – Native Instruments announced today ARCANE ATTIC – a new MASCHINE Expansion featuring gritty field recordings. Designed for unconventional beat making across all styles and genres, this Expansion was created, recorded, and designed by BOOM Library. ARCANE ATTIC also comes with new presets for MASSIVE and MASCHINE’s Drum Synths, with a selection of sounds that perfectly complement the out of the ordinary sample material. ARCANE ATTIC is available now at the NI Online Shop and runs in the MASCHINE 2 software on MASCHINE STUDIO, MASCHINE, or MACHINE MIKRO. A compact version for iMASCHINE is also available via the in-app store.

The high-quality field recordings in ARCANE ATTIC are aimed at electronic music producers or simply anyone looking to add unconventional sounds to their productions. The range of sounds is highly diverse and organized into several categories. It represents a wide spectrum from robotic and mechanical science fiction recordings to heavy cinematic metal impacts, slams, strikes, and buzzing, percussive details. A set of elemental sounds explode with kinetic fire and water blasts. Producers looking to spice up their percussion will also find a range of pistol, rifle, and cannon sounds that have been transformed into pounding drums. Finally, a set of orchestral samples recorded with a live orchestra are included for adding rich, larger-than-life melodies to productions.

Complementing ARCANE ATTIC’s field recordings are a new set of 40 presets for MASSIVE, which provide additional melodic possibilities beyond the orchestral samples. 43 MASCHINE 2 Drum Synth presets feature a clean sound designed to complement ARCANE ATTIC’s gritty sample set with added punch and character. In total, ARCANE ATTIC features 7 projects, 39 drum kits, and 7 special kits, plus a set of 140 pre-arranged patterns for quick inspiration.

ARCANE ATTIC was created by BOOM Library – the sound design company founded in 2010 by Axel Rohrbach, Pierre Langer, and Tilman Sillescu. The sounds are a selection from the BOOM Library product line – now for the first time directly accessible within the MASCHINE beat production environment. Their sound libraries have been featured in films like ‘Sin City – A Dame To Die For’, TV series such as ‘From Dusk Till Dawn The Series’, Games like ‘Battlefield 4’ and trailers for ‘The Hobbit – The Desolation Of Smaug’, and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

A condensed version of ARCANE ATTIC is also available as an iMASCHINE Expansion, for creating unconventional beats on-the-go. The iMASCHINE Expansion features 2 projects and 4 drum kits. Tracks can be exported to MASCHINE STUDIO, MASCHINE, and MASCHINE MIKRO for completion.



ARCANE ATTIC is available now at the NI Online Shop for $49 / 49 € / £44 / ¥ 4,800 and runs in the MASCHINE 2 software.

The iMASCHINE Expansion is available at the iMASCHINE in-app store for $0.99 / 0,89 € / £0,69 / ¥ 100.

Additional information on the MASCHINE products is available at:
www.native-instruments.com/arcaneattic

Native Instruments Lucid Mission Expansion

By
Bryan
-

I absolutely love the Native Instruments expansions. I think they’re pretty modest about their diversity as I’ve used many expansions across multiple genres. The instruments are EQ’ed and require very little mixing into tracks. Native Instruments has added another powerful tool for jaw-dropping EDM tracks with Lucid Mission. Pop music is pretty much a huge expanse of EDM genres and this expansion would be a perfect addition to any modern producer’s toolkit.

Berlin, April 29, 2014 – Native Instruments released today LUCID MISSION – the latest addition to the MASCHINE Expansion range. Inspired by the high-energy aesthetic of EDM, dubstep, trap, and modern pop, this Expansion contains elevating kits, presets, and projects ready for instant use with the entire MASCHINE family. LUCID MISSION is available now at the NI Online Shop and runs in MASCHINE 2 software. A compact version for iMASCHINE is also available for purchase via the in-app store.

Tailored to the surging momentum of EDM genres, LUCID MISSION contains an uplifting selection of 8 full projects, 40 drum kits, 32 Drum Synth presets, and 50 MASSIVE sounds. Drums, lead synths, basses, and pads characteristic of the euphoric atmosphere of the EDM movement provide the perfect material for anthemic productions. 32 pre-programmed MASCHINE Drum Synths kits deliver a wide selection of filtered and saturated drum sounds for big room atmosphere. Plus, customized percussion loops add extra flavor, and put the finishing touch to tracks.

Exclusive to LUCID MISSION are 50 new MASSIVE presets that cover a full spectrum of vibrant sounds from crisp leads, plucks, and basses, to solid bass drums and percussion. A special kit consisting only of MASSIVE lead sounds with a multitude of variations allows on-the-fly sound tweaking and quick-access workflow. For added ambience, evocative pads and effects load directly into MASCHINE through the kits and automatically map to the hardware’s display knobs for easy parameter modeling.

A compact version of LUCID MISSION is also available as an iMASCHINE Expansion, and features 2 projects and 4 kits for use on-the-go. Tracks can be exported to MASCHINE STUDIO, MASCHINE, and MASCHINE MIKRO for completion.

LUCID MISSION is available now at the NI Online Shop for $49 / 49 € / £42 / ¥ 4,800 and runs in MASCHINE 2.0. The iMASCHINE Expansion is available for download in-app through the App Store for $0,99 / 0,89 € / £69 / ¥ 100.

Additional information on LUCID MISSION products is available at:
www.native-instruments.com/lucidmission

Plugin Alliance Offers Two New Bx Plugins

By
Bryan
-
We’ve all had that situation where we were in a rush and tracked the perfect take with the wrong mic or preamp and after letting our ears, hear a lot of commotion going on in the top end that we didn’t notice in the heat of tracking. Sometimes you just can’t quite EQ the artifacts out without compromising integrity of the signal. Thats where bx_refinement comes in. This new plugin can work to effectively cut the harsh sound out of a track without sacrificing too much. Another plugin Brainworx has released works as a lateral to bx_refinement and adds some character in saturation or distortion but only to targeted frequencies. Both seem very useful. We’ll have to check them out.
WILMINGTON, USA: American pro audio software company Plugin Alliance is proud to announce availability of bx_refinement and bx_saturator V2, two new native plug-ins from high-quality German software developer Brainworx, as of May 22…
bx_refinement is the brainchild of mastering engineer Gebre Waddell of Stonebridge Mastering, who designed the original prototype as a tool to remove harshness, a problem he was encountering more and more in his work due to the transition to digital and the prevalence of over-compressed mixes. “Harsh recordings are one of the most common problems mixing and mastering engineers deal with,” he notes. “The idea with bx_refinement was to create something that addressed harshness with little impact to the recording, and a great workflow. While it represents a genuine technical achievement, it’s the listening during development that was key. Working with Brainworx to make this amazing multi-platform release was truly rewarding.”
For his part in the creative proceedings, Brainworx founder and CEO Dirk Ulrich had this to say: “Brainworx grew out of my desire as a producer and mastering engineer to create tools to enhance my own work, and we always strive to maintain that practical approach in our product development. This is why we were so excited to work with a mastering engineer as experienced and talented as Gebre Waddell on bx_refinement. The end result is a plug-in which solves a key problem no other plug-in on the market directly addresses.”
bx_saturator V2 is an update to Brainworx’s popular bx_saturator. While retaining all of the key features of the original, including M/S processing, the ability to add saturation or distortion to targeted frequencies, and increase perceived volume without clipping, bx_saturator V2 adds significant improvements. “bx_saturator has been a very popular plug-in,” proclaims Dirk Ulrich. “And with the totally rewritten algorithm in bx_saturator V2 we’ve improved the smoothness of the sound and the anti-aliasing, while reducing the CPU requirements significantly. This makes bx_saturator V2 not only a no-brainer upgrade for existing bx_saturator owners, but also a must-try for those users who haven’t yet worked with it.”
Indeed, to invest in both bx_refinement and bx_saturator V2 is to take two steps towards improving your mixing and mastering toolkit and to follow in the masterful mixing and mastering footsteps of Gebre Waddell and Dirk Ulrich. Smooth out harsh-sounding recordings with bx_refinement and add saturation, drive, and distortion exactly where you want it with bx_saturator V2. A no-brainer, indeed
Brainworx bx_refinement can be purchased and downloaded directly from Plugin Alliance for $199.00 USD from here: http://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plugins/detail/bx_refinement.html
 

Watch Gebre Waddell of Stonebridge Mastering’s informative bx_refinement video walkthough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgi4DME61H0

Brainworx bx_saturator V2 can be purchased and downloaded directly from Plugin Alliance for $199.00 USD from here: http://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plugins/detail/bx_saturator_v2.html (Note that owners of any Plugin Alliance bundle that includes the original bx_saturator plug-in have received a bx_saturator V2 license free of charge; anyone who purchased bx_saturator during 2014 has received a 50% discount coupon towards a bx_saturator V2 upgrade worth $24.00 USD; and anyone who purchased bx_saturator before 2014 can upgrade to bx_saturator V2 for $48.00 USD.)
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