Producer's Edge Magazine / Producer's Edge Magazine Forums / Music Production

Cakewalk VST Rapture Video Tutorial and over 661 Free Patches

xodus phoenix — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:19:56 GMT

Celebrate Rapture in the month of August
Rapture is the 2008 MIPA winner for best software instrument for good reason. It is one of the most exciting instruments on the market today, capable of producing rich, hypnotic, and rhythmic basses, leads, and pads. Rapture is perfect for performing and designing the modern synthesized sounds igniting today’s pop, dance, and electronic music.

This month we have new add-on products available at the Cakewalk Store that will help you get the most out of Rapture:

SWA Rapture In-Depth Video Tutorial
Get the most out of Rapture with the new SWA Rapture In-Depth video. This video tutorial will guide you through the vast feature set that is included in Rapture and will give you the expert knowledge you need.

Download it today for $24.99.

Galbanum Piscis Expansion Pack for Rapture
Hot off the presses, Galbanum has released a new expansion pack for Rapture called Piscis. This expansion pack offers lush ambient pads, evolving atmospheres, and novel textures that were designed exclusively for Rapture and Rapture LE.

Download it today for only $59.95.

Z3TA+ and Rapture video tutorials now available on GearWire.com
New Cakewalk product video tutorials have been posted by Bill Holland at Gearwire.com featuring Cakewalk’s Rapture, Z3TA+, and more.

Watch the videos here

Free patches for Rapture now available
Francesco Silvestri has created a huge set of free patches for Rapture. The collection, entitled Muz3um, includes:

661 presets organized in categories: Basses, Keys, Leads, more
573 waveforms
36 impulse responses

You can download Muz3um at PatchArena.

New library from Ueberschall: Chillers Joint

xodus phoenix — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:34:28 GMT

Chillers Joint

http://www.ueberschall.com/en/products/details/view/chillers_joint.html

Downtempo Triphop & Jazzy Flavoured Chillout

Step in the Chillers Joint

From the Nouvelle series of Ueberschall comes yet another fresh and

exclusive collection. 20 over one minute long construction kits, all

including intros / outros verses and refrains and

over 1100 loops. A lush offering of vintage drum and Instrumental

phrases, grooves and atmospheric textures. Chillers Joint is heavily

influenced by 60?s and 70`s soundtracks, Soul, Funk, Dub and Jazz.

Garnished with Downtempo Hiphop and electronic flavours. A trip

through seductive deep and soulful vibes surrounded by warped

atmospheres and altered

sounds. Chillers Joint contains a huge variety of vintage drum

grooves, electric piano licks, live played basslines, guitars, vibes

and percussion, strings, horns, synths, athmospheres and fx. Also

including separated drumloops (bassdrum, snare, hihat loops) and lots

of singlesounds.

Turn on - tune in - chillout

Ideas and production by Danya Vodovoz

(Loungeorama, Brazil Electro, Easy Listening, Rhodesattacks, Da nu

RnB Hiphop, Big Beat)

1.5 GB, 20 construction kits (1165 loops and single sounds)

Elastik Soundbank for Mac/PC/AU/VST/RTAS

Elastik Player included - no sampler required!

Chillers Joint is available for

119,- USD / 99,- Euro / 17.800,- Yen / 69,- GBP

IK Multimedia NY Interest Saturday, August 9th

xodus phoenix — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:43:00 GMT

Come and join IK Multimedia at Alto Music’s Gibson Day

Saturday, August 9th
Alto Music
180 Carpenter Ave,
Middletown, NY 10940
From 12pm - 5pm
For directions, call 845-692-6922

Come early to grab some free food and talk tech with Local Product Specialist, Tony Grund.

PLUS
- Get a FREE copy of AmpliTube Duo and Ampeg SVX Uno just by stopping by the IK Booth
- Get an in-depth StompIO demonstration from IK product specialist and try the StompIO for yourself!
- Gibson's Custom Shop Trailer will also be on hand for you to tour
- Live bands all day!
- Great prizes to be given away including:

Gibson Montana C100 Acoustic Guitar
Epiphone Les Paul Chameleon Studio w/ Case
Epiphone DR200 Acoustic w/ gig bag
USA Gibson Les Paul traditional in Desertburst
USA Gibson Reverse Flying V in Ebony

E-MU Announces FREE Proteus VX

xodus phoenix — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:38:01 GMT

http://www.emu.com/promo/proteusvx/welcome.asp

	E-MU Announces FREE Proteus VX download along with Included v2 Proteus X Composer Bank!
Yep, that's right! As we release and launch E-MU's next generation Emulator X3 Streaming Sampling Synthesizer software, E-MU celebrates and is pleased to announce that we will be providing the full version of our Proteus VX Software Sound Module software which includes the enhanced v2.0.1 Proteus X Composer Bank. (a special E-MU tweaked version of the Composer bank) that can be used in all versions of our Proteus X or Emulator X software. Proteus VX is not copy protected or card locked like other versions of our instrument and sampling software, and can be used either as a VSTi or in stand alone mode. You can get to the free download by clicking on the Proteus VX logo on the front page of www.emu.com Note: We are unable to offer tutorial support for Proteus VX. We only have very limited technical support available for basic setup and install issues for Proteus VX. Proteus VX will install and function for most users on Windows Vista, but is only officially tested and supported for Windows XP.
Proteus VX Install Instructions Download and save the Proteus VX software to your PC. (save to Desktop is ok) Unzip/extract the Proteus VX folder to your preferred folder on your PC. You may be able to just open the Proteus VX folder and subfolders without extracting. Open the Proteus VX Folder. Open the ProtVX Folder and double click the file: Setup (Setup.exe Follow the install instructions and prompts. We strongly suggest you let the installer use all the default folders for installing. For install problems, please contact us through Tech Support: http://www.emu.com/support/custsup.asp

Reason users Line 6 free Refills till 2009

Griffin Avid — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:33:48 GMT

Expand your arsenal of sounds with a FREE ReFill or artist-created Artist Patch each month until 2009! Incredible artists, like Propellerhead Guru Kurt Kurasaki aka Peff, and amazing ReFill manufacturers, like Sonic Emulations, will unlock their sonic secrets and let you pack even more power and versatility into your Reason rack.

http://www.line6.com/club/promos/reasonpacks/index.html?utm_source=Line6

How will I get my Refills and Artist Patches?
Each month you'll receive an email from line6promotions@line6.com featuring either an Artist or ReFill manufacturer, and a link to your new ReFill or Artist Patch. (Make sure to add line6promotions@line6.com to your address book so the email doesn't end up in your spam folder!)

How else can I access the ReFills and Artist Patches?
If you've already signed up and want access to the Refills, sign into your account and click on "My Account". On the left hand side will be a link taking you to the "Expand your Reason Rack".

FAQ for Line 6's ReFill Promotion

Q. Does the "Expand your Reason Rack" promotion cost anything?
A. No, the "Expand your Reason Rack" promotion is entirely FREE.

Q. Do I need Reason version 4 to use the ReFills and Artist Patches offered in this promotion?
A. Yes, you need Reason version 4 to use the majority of ReFills and Artist Patches offered in this promotion.

Q. How do I sign up to receive the free ReFills or Artists Patches each month?
A. Go to www.line6.com/ExpandyourReasonRack to sign up.

Q. If I already have a Line 6 account, do I still need to register to get the ReFills and Artist Patches?
A. Yes. You can get to the registration page by signing into your user account, clicking "My Account" and clicking "Expand your Reason Rack".

Q. How will I be notified when a new ReFill Manufacturer or Artist is featured?
A. At the beginning of each month, Line 6 will send you an e-mail detailing which ReFill Manufacturer or Artist is featured.

Q. Can I still get access to a ReFill or an Artist Patch after it's no longer featured?
A. Yes, it will be placed in the "Expand your Reason Rack" archive. Sign into www.line6.com and click "My Account". Then, click "Expand your Reason Rack" on the left-hand side.

Q. How long does the promotion last?
A. From April 1 until December 31, 2008.

Q. Are the ReFills and Artist Patches available only as downloads?
A. Yes. The ReFills and Artist Patches will be available only as downloads.

Big Fish Audio 4th of July Sale!

xodus phoenix — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:45:38 GMT

I usually keep this stuff to myself, but...at 50% off....

CHECK OUT OTHER NEW TITLES!
New titles... Click here.

STOP BY AND CHECK OUT OUR MONTHLY HOT TITLES!
Blazing hot titles... Click here.

The Big Fish Audio Customer Service Team
Big Fish Audio
http://www.bigfishaudio.com/

Japanese Magazine ships with Analog Synth

Griffin Avid — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:33:30 GMT

There was a bit of buzz on VSE about a music mag that ships with DIY music gadgets. The most recent issue shipped with an analog Synthesizer so I ordered a bunch, after having the page translated by a friend. I just finished assembly which took about 20 minutes. You'll need a very small phillips screwdriver. It takes 4 AA batteries and has an audio In and Out along with built in speakers. I couldn't get the Output to work, plugging it in kills the onboard speaker (as expected) but nothing coming from the outs. It takes 'motherboard soundcard' jacks. I'll keep troubleshooting (or jack into another units audio outs) and get some kind of AC adapter. I'm also contemplating bending it with that Radioshack experimental lab joint.

^ This the bookstore in Manhattan New York, where I ordered it from for ~45USD.

^There they are on the counter. They come in a box and the magazine is attached to the underside.

^^ Easy to follow instructions in Japanese.

^The box showing the board.

^^ The underside showing the few wires that need connecting.

I did leave a single unit at the store for anyone else interested and they said they could easily order more.

I had to record the audio straight into a microphone so the quality is live.

http://www.producersedgemagazine.com/mp3s/gakkenSX-150.mp3

The clicks are me juggling the unit, mic and the wand. The wand generates different pitches along the ribbon controller. I didn't get much from the attack or Pitch Envelope. The Cut off...really cut off the volume.

what's the best morphing tool. ( not LSD)

paulmpianist — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:52:49 GMT

OK you have a beat and some melodic instruments going. What do you use, hardware or software to go from your drums bass and synth , keeping the rythm in place, but morph your instrumentation to different drums bass and synth. My nephew had this toy DJ MIXER thing, that you plug into your computer and then by pushing the joystick around you would get this effect, but it was just four presets, one of each of the four corners and you didn't have any creative input.

I think one solution in a studio would be put down the tracks say, in Sonar and have midi playing a soft synth in one track and have a copy of the same midi which is playing a different soft synth in another track, ( could be a hardware synth for that matter and then route the stereo audio into another track). Then you couldl crossfade the results.

Should ABsynth4 or Reaktor have this as a characteristic of their basic functions? Or is Absynth just a patch you put in the track with not so much realtime function other than sounding as a dynamic patch?

ok thanks for any input if this is clear.

paul

ATTN: Griffin Avid or Admin or Drew Spence

Oscar Wilde — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:25:14 GMT

I sent an email to the Editor and have not heard back. I know you are busy, but I would like to get started. I also sent one while you were on myspace live.

1. I think you should make a TOP TEN software and hardware POLL that stays at the top of the forum. It should be separated by categories like bass, lead, Pad and string. Acoustic and Electronic. Maybe the best used gear buys with a costimate. Like a rap version of Vintage Synth Explorer. *I saw you on there too Griffin* :cool:

You have a list nailed at the top, but there should be one for VSTs.

I like the links page and all I ever see on forums are these long lists that no one wants to sort through. The best plug ins. I trust your judgement and even if some of them are debateable I think it would open a dialog and let the readers voice their opinons.

2. If I do run the youtube channel, would I be an intern for the magazine and can I post videos (music related) of my own choosing? Are there any perks for working for you guys?

3. I think you should give free stuff away every week. maybe a Friday Download once a week. Not just drums either. All of us (all six people on the forum ;)) could make the stuff and upload it to an FTP (I have one if you need space). That way it's building a community.

I like this forum even though it's brand new. Now the only other good forum is KVR.

Thank you for fixing my signature.

Fantom-G System Update 1.10 and ARX Expansion cards

xodus phoenix — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:43:10 GMT

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?dsection=d_downloads&ObjectId=918 And

Fantom-G8: Workstation Keyboard

This is the latest version of the Fantom-G operating system. Please refer to the "FantomG_110_Update_Procedure.pdf" document for the update instructions. Please refer to the "Fantom-G Version 110 Addendum.pdf" document for more information on the new features added with this update.
Version 1.10 Added Features:

Powerful multi-sampling feature added to Patch Edit for assigning different samples to each key
BPM calculator function for instantly determining the tempo of sample phrases
New “Favorite Play” screen added to the Favorites mode
New Undo and Record Cancel functions added to Song Mode
New shortcuts added to Single, Effects and Song Modes
Other features and general system improvements

Korg Master Class

xodus phoenix — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:35:26 GMT

M3 Sound Specials
There are so many great sounds in the Korg M3, but when you go to try one out in your local store, you'll want to cut to the chase to hear the coolest and hottest of the bunch. Check out our M3 Sound Selects, hand picked by Korg Product Specialists. You'll want to print our suggestions out and bring them with you – they’ll help you really hear the best flavors of the M3!

Apparently from user feedback, these are the hottest sounds in the M3.

DELICIOUS PROGRAMS

Program I-A000 Stereo Grand 4-Way…our chefs have spent countless hours on this one – velocity layers bring realism – just dig in and play it! Enjoy!
Program I-A006 Acoustic Bass1…This one’s too hot to handle! Sample the VELOCITY levels. Use SW1 to add a ride cymbal, or go for it with DRUM TRACK ON – you’re on fire!
Program I-A097 BPM Gating Voices…munch on this one – use Tap Tempo button to lock this GATE effect to tempo!
Program I-A011 R&B Planet…cookin’ up somethin’ real funky, with DRUM TRACK and KARMA, Joystick+Y and RIBBON – you stir it all up and WOW! Don’t forget to check out those KARMA SCENES!
Program I-A061 Restless Natives…If you’re really hungry, this one will fill you up! Build a Trance track by using XY Mode to filter out the drums, while the pads make beautiful accompaniment chords.
Program I-A019 Quartet Strings…SW1 sprinkles pizzicato on this delightful offering – just lovely!
Program I-A012 Whales World SW1…Great motion! SW1 takes you deeper and deeper
Program A082 Sitar SW2…prepared with aftertouch
Program I-A016 Real Suit E.Piano…SW1/AMS controls common LFO to bring funky back, DRUM TRACK kicks it…just play and ENJOY!

COMBINATION PLATES

Combi I-B019 Wurly and Bass Hop…Feast on this very funky morsel – simple, yet satisfying…KARMA comes on automatically when you play – now try out the KARMA SCENES and CHORD BUTTONS, and just heat it up from simmer to boil! Enjoy!
Combi A122 Jazz club at 4AM…Give KARMA Scene 7 a taste – KARMA will improvise with you as you play!
Combi A010 Cuban Breezes…Great Latin Brass casserole – Smooth RIBBON rub brings in tasty brass swells. Turn KARMA on and play the PADS! CALIENTE!!!
Combi I-C049 Baroquesque Vector XY…A classic dish! Try XY Mode to enjoy all the flavors this combi has to offer!
Combi I-A018 Pod Doors are Opening…Cool and strange buffet of fun – XY Mode, PADS, KARMA scenes – absolutely delish! Earth to M3 humans!
Combi I-A022 Fireside…Now here’s a tasty morsel! First, play the sweet guitar and then turn KARMA on, play and change KARMA SCENES…then bring in DRUM TRACK and BAM!!! Nice!!!

And for dessert: Try Combi B084 Tangerine Horizon…A great atmospheric combination but you must keep it going for the surprises!

Native Instruments KORE 2: Article from issue 03 on internet

xodus phoenix — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:50:51 GMT

http://www.producersedgemagazine.com/archivesnikore2.asp

Native Instruments KORE 2
Expandable Software workstation with integrated Hardware Controller
Drew Spence from Issue 03 Fall/Winter 2008
Standalone/VST/AU/RTAS
MAC OSX 10.4/WIN XP/Vista

I'm going to call Native Instruments KORE 2 a concept piece. I say this because it is hard to describe and any short summary of its functionality skips over another cool way to use it. I've had it for several months now and I still pause when someone asks me what it's about. Let's first cover what you GET and what you SEE then lastly figure out the many what you DOs.

HardKore (what you get)

The unit is surprisingly heavy and well built. For all the live performance abilities it's aimed for- it needs to be and even has a laptop/notebook Kensington-style lock to ward off gear-grabbers at gigs. Round back are two user assignable footswitch ports- used for on/off signals in addition to the two Expression Pedal ports following right after (which everyone confuses for audio outs). Next to the USB interface is a MIDI In/out which allows for additional controllers. You can't use the controller without the KORE software engaged, but it has a MIDI In and OUT so you are not losing a port in practice.

The Controller knobs are touch-sensitive endless rotaries whose backlit Selection Rings glow more intently as the knobs are twisted. Above and below are the Controller Buttons which can be used in gate or toggle mode and will most likely be used by you to store a Sound Variation's settings (a snapshot of the KoreSound's Control Page settings). Below the display screen are the arrows which navigate the different frames of the KORE software edit screen. On the very bottom are the Transport controls. The huge Scrollwheel mirrors the up and down arrows for quick navigation. The Control Button brings up the Control Pages (what buttons/knobs do what) for the component in focus while the Sound Button switches to Sound Mode for navigating the Sound Matrix and also for morphing (gradually transforming) between Sound Variations. F1 is context sensitive and F2 opens the browser and hardware settings. The small speaker icon is a pre-listen or audition button.

SoftKore (What you see)

KORE has two modes of operation Standalone and Plug-in. Plug-in Mode has three additional options: standard VSTi, virtual FX rack and Multi-out with 16 stereo outputs. Like most VSTs with dual modes, expect more direct menu options when in standalone and more of the optional settings being controlled by the host sequencer when loaded as a plug-in.

Once opened as a New Performance the screen is divided in to four tiers. The upper most is the Global Header or Task bar. The 2nd tier is called the Upper Pane is the software link to the KORE Controller. Changes on the hardware are reflected here visually. Here sits the Edit Area where you'll spend most of your time, but we'll come back in a minute. The Browser uses a left to right search field customized by the user to display hits by key word criteria. You can search by sound category (like a workstation ROMpler), instrument (see ALL string patches in your computer) or description and more. I know the feeling of losing inspiration from spending too long looking for the right sound while pulling up plug-in after plug-in and combing through its soundbanks. You'll find it a total joy to pull open a plug-in and save its patch under your own definition and descriptive info. The next time you sound surf, you can stop at all the sounds you labeled with a custom attribute.

The Edit Area in the middle loads individual plugs (SingleSounds) and can layer multiple Plug-ins and library presets to create a MultiSound. The idea here is to create layers from all the different plug-in presets on your computer without opening the individual plug-ins' interface since KORE 2 does this behind the scenes for you. This entire set up is saved as a KoreSound and can be loaded into itself as a SingleSound. If you think of layering the already layered patches you can get some serious creations that might be hard, if not impossible, to visualize all in one take. This simply means a sessions worth of routing and chaining and layering can be brought up in another session as a singular sound without ever have to dive back in under the hood. On the very bottom is the Info Pane. It displays the same information a mouse over would. It's needed for the many pages of options and extensive context-sensitive functionality.

PowerKore (Do and do and a don't)

The KORE Controller grants control of the most tweaked settings on any patch you pull up. It's all about the performance parameters here. No longer do you need to scan that horrible GUI looking for the filters. It's already mapped out to the Controller for any Plug-in that follows a standard automatable parameters spec. It's impossible to have a set up ready for some of the more complicated modular plug-ins, but you can MIDI learn and customize your KORE Controller.

There are no direct sounds coming from the KORE controller. I know it looks crazy but no, no sounds. What you do get is a 5 gig library of Native Instrument worthy sounds, including more than two dozen mixed drum kits and seventy-five bass patches. It's tons of content, but obviously it's easy to manage. You will take advantage of 30 different FX, ranging from the expected to the bizarre and can easily spend hours trying out a single sound patch with different FX patches- before even getting to the FX settings.

The newest crop of software is quite powerful with huge gig-chewing libraries and you will need to keep up with the ever-increasing demands. Understand; the KORE controller is not a DSP solution: you need a real rig to run the next generation of software and a robust soundcard with solid drivers. On my default install and set up (M-audio ASIO on a 2.4GHZ Intel with 3 Gigs of RAM) I was getting slight crackles on the larger patches (pianos and some soundscapes) so I worked at 11ms of latency which made them stop, but they returned when polyphony was upped from heavy patching and chord play.

They suggest: Mac OSX 10.4.x / 10.5, G5 1.8 GHz or Intel Core Duo 1.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM and Win XP / Vista (32 Bit), Pentium / Athlon 1.4 GHz, 1 GB RAM. These system requirements are pretty light, but let's be honest- you don't get a system as powerful as this and drive it in the right lane. All problems ceased when I switched to Firewire ASIO from a MOTU 896HD. This is one more offering that makes an upgrade for an audio-geared soundcard so much more sensible.

Visit the NI site for the KORE Expansion packs

If you have a particular sound category you want to blow out, then consider the KORE soundpacks (~$59.00). Synthetic, pop and acoustic drums, Drawbar Organ, Absynth, Massive, Kontakt and Reaktor sounds are all available for download at the NI shop with more on the way. The KORE 2 integrates the sound engines of REAKTOR, MASSIVE, ABSYNTH, FM8, KONTAKT and GUITAR RIG which allows it to play the patches from their heaviest product lines. If you have licensed versions, the original GUI can be pulled up and edited as normal or left hidden while you get to work - fully focused on tone and composition.

At the Core of KORE

In summary, Native Instruments have put together an incredible hybrid ROMpler and synthesizer, patch browser and sound design tool with an FX suite and engine incorporating the technologies of their entire line of products. The final and most important question you might ask about KORE 2 is what will it do for my production? That answer is easy enough. It will give you choices. It will allow you sound as different or as modern as you want to or, better yet, choose to. And since there is the free KORE Player which gives you access to the interface and browser with 300MBs of sounds, you'd be silly not to fully explore the KORE 2 package from Native Instruments. It's really a simple choice.

Extended Links Native Instruments:
Native Instruments - Main web portal
Product Forum - Tech support and user community
KORE Line - KORE specific product info from NI site

Back to main archives page-->

VST hosts like Chainer and such...

Griffin Avid — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:16:07 GMT

Many VSTs work standalone - that is they are started (run) and create their own window to operate in. Some do not have a standalone mode and need a host application to handle their studio hardware interfacing (Audio and MIDI) connections/signal paths.

If I intend to record my VSTs as audio instead of MIDI I may want to bring them up with as little hassle as possible so a HOST is a quicker way to get them up and running as opposed to an entire DAW/sequencer with menus to dive through.

If I am creating patches I may want to start the VST without creating a session or song file. Many of the advanced hosts have additional features that sequencers do not. They also make it very easy to layer VST patches together and treat them as one sound.

For the magazine, VST hosts provide a great way to test a plug-ins' performance if it can't be run in Standalone. If I want to push the VST until it crashes or maxes out my system it doesn't become a test of both the Plug-in and the sequencer together. Some plug-ins (the free and quirky older ones) don't always load in every sequencer.

VST = V.irtual Ins.trument T.echnology

VST plugins are generally run within a Digital Audio Workstation, providing the host application with additional functionality. Most VST plugins can be classified as either instruments (VSTi) or effects, although other categories exist. VST plugins generally provide a custom GUI, displaying controls similar to the physical switches and knobs on audio hardware. Some (often older) plugins rely on the host application for their UI.
VST instruments include software emulations of well-known hardware synthesizer devices and samplers, emulating the look of the original equipment and its sonic characteristics. This enables VSTi users to use virtual versions of devices that may be otherwise difficult to obtain.
VST instruments require notes to be sent via MIDI in order to output audio, while effect plugins process audio data. MIDI messages can often also be used to control parameters of both instrument and effect plugins. Most host applications allow the audio output from one VST to be routed to the audio input of another VST (known as chaining). For example, output of a VST synthesizer can be sent to a VST reverb effect for further processing.
With appropriate hardware and drivers, such as a sound card that supports ASIO, VST plugins can be used in real-time. ASIO bypasses Windows' slower audio engine, offering much lower latency.

What is Chainer?

http://www.xlutop.com/html/chainer.html

Chainer is a multi-effect and multi-instrument rack for musicians and sound designers. It's a VST host that runs as a standalone application, VST effect and VST instrument.

Chainer allows you to stream the ASIO or VST input signal through up to 10 chains of VST effects so you can use your PC as a realtime multi-effect processor.

In addition Chainer enables you to play several VST instruments at the same time. You can layer several instruments to create complex sounds or you may play instruments on different MIDI channels: Chainer turns your PC into a multi-timbral sound generator.

To achieve very low latencies, the standalone version supports ASIO 2.0 compatible soundcards. A fast PC, a good ASIO driver and Chainer enable you to use your VST effects and instruments almost like real hardware devices.

It is possible to load up to 100 VST plugins per instance of Chainer, but since you can load Chainer in itself there is no actual limit.

The parameters of Chainer and also parameters of the loaded VST plugins can be controlled through MIDI CC messages or VST automation.

A bonus feature of Chainer is the ability to create multi-samples from your VST instruments in WAV and SF2 format for instant use in samplers.

http://www.tobybear.de/p_minihost.html

MiniHost is a powerful and full-fledged ASIO host that loads a VST
plugin (instrument or effect) and processes it in realtime.

MiniHost has been voted by the members of the KVR audio
community as the best free host of the year 2004! Details of the
KVR survey can be found here.

- arpeggiator, step-sequencer, CC gater, chordmaker included

- send MIDI data to VST plugins from external MIDI inputs, a resizable virtual MIDI
keyboard, the computer keyboard or MIDI files

- process live ASIO audio input or a WAV file

- record audio output to WAV (16 and 32 bit)

- browse through the presets

- powerful preset manager included, allows easy organisation of all presets

- preset randomizer with script support and mutate option

- drag n' drop support

- support for VST MIDI plugins that generate MIDI data

________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

http://www.hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm
While the program started mainly as an aid in understanding and debugging VST plugins, it has evolved into a quite capable program by now which can be really helpful in a keyboard artist's Live setup.

It's a VST-compatible host that's capable of:

	loading VST effects (aka "plugins")
	parameterizing / editing them
	sound output for VSTis
	MIDI-input and -output
	loading / saving .fxb / .fxp files
	I/O through either Windows MME or ASIO drivers
	Wave Player / Recorder
	MIDI Player A whole host of them here.... http://www.dontcrack.com/freeware/software.php/id/7043/audio/Plug-Ins-Hosts/

Another KORE 2 helper image.

Griffin Avid — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:57:08 GMT

Um ...never mind this y'all...

Let's cover your experiences thus far so I don't overlook the obvious...

1. You have a registered/licensed/activated copy of Kontakt 3- which you have run on its own and opened sounds from it's library. Thus found the samples/sounds in those folders called Synth, Band etc....

2. (Not really pertinent, but proves everything is working..) Kontakt 3 scanned your computer and built its own database taking note of all the files on your computer it can read...

3. When you started KORE 2 after that, it paused on start and said it was registering Plug-ins.

4. After starting KORE 2...You highlighted the little picture of an vertical electric outlet Plug (universal symbol for Plug-In). You saw a field for Internal and VST.

5. You highlighted VST and Native Instruments which then put on the far left side a listing of all your NI stuff. You double clicked Kontakt 3. You then clicked the EDIT button right below the 0 KORE Logo.

6. You now have a new window running Kontakt 3. You clicked on FILES in that window and navigated to that same folder with Synth, Classical, Band etc...and NO SOUNDS SHOWED UP?

7. If sounds show up and you can open the presets then everything has been working fine from the start. If sounds do not show up then something is wrong in one of the previous steps or you skipped something or didn't fully grasp the manual or tutorial videos.

8. On a note for workflow- you should not want to IMPORT YOUR KONTAKT 3 library into KORE. That defeats the purpose and you would be back to surfing another million presets. You want to extract the best of Kontakt and FILE THOSE SOUNDS as Kore 2 sounds and save them with keywords. In other words, you save the preset as you see fit and YOU decide the categories/description.

That's the general idea behind a "Best R&B Leads" submenu of presets.
It would conatin Leads from Massive, FM8, Kontakt, FreeVST, KVRcrap, internetjunk, homiessamples, vstonlyyouhaveeverheardof, etc...

Antares AutoTune: Instructions here!!

xodus phoenix — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:46:50 GMT

The Auto-Tune Vocal Effect - What it is. How it's done.

This month's Newsletter is going to be a bit different, as we're going to focus on one main subject, the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect (i.e., the Cher/T-Pain-style effect).

Unless you happened to stop listening to any pop music back in '97 (and if so, check out the YouTube links at the end of this article), you are no doubt aware that in addition to its adoption as the worldwide standard in professional pitch correction, Auto-Tune has also gained renown as the tool of choice for what has become one of the signature vocal sounds of our time.

First heard on Cher’s 1998 mega-hit “Believe,” variations of the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect have gone on to appear on songs from a huge variety of artists. Most recently, its use by T-Pain (and many others in the pop, R&B and hip-hop communities) has rekindled intense interest in it. Since there seems to be a lot of mythology about how it’s accomplished, we thought the time was right to provide the official Antares version. So, here it is.

What is it?

Quite simply, the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect is what is technically known as “pitch quantization.” That is, instead of allowing all of the small variations in pitch and the gradual transitions between notes that are a normal part of singing (and speaking, for that matter), the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect limits each note to its exact target pitch, stripping out any variation, as well as forcing instantaneous transitions between notes.

How to do it

There are basically two key elements to producing the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect:

Retune Speed = 0

Pick the right scale

That’s pretty much it. Really.

There are, however, some possible variations in approach, depending mainly on whether you want to use Automatic Mode or Graphical Mode. Here're the details:

Automatic Mode

As we already mentioned, start by setting Retune Speed to 0.
Set the Key and Scale to the key and scale of your track. (If you don't know the key of your track, trial-and-error works pretty well. Start by setting Major or Minor and then just trying one Key after another until one sounds good.)
Play your track. If you like the result, you’re done.
If you’re not happy with the result, try one or more of the following:
- Edit the scale notes. Depending on the specific vocal line, adding or removing scale notes can give you distinctly different effects.
- Try a different key and/or scale.
- Try the chromatic scale (although our experience is that if you’re going for the classic effect, chromatic rarely provides it).
- Try a Retune Speed of 1 or 2 or a bit slower. This will allow slight pitch variations and slightly less instant note transitions, but may result in the right effect for a particular performance.
Don’t forget your host’s Bypass function. Limiting the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect just to specific phrases can provide sonic contrast in your song.

Graphical Mode

Start by setting the Graphical Mode's Retune Speed to 0.
Switch to Auto Mode and select any Chromatic Scale (the Key doesn't matter).
Return to Graphical Mode and track your audio.
Select the Line Tool and click the Snap To Note button (if it's not already on).
Draw individual lines for each note you want to appear in the melody. To ensure instantaneous transitions between notes, be sure that each line butts up against its neighbors. (You could also draw the entire melody as one interconnected line object, but using one line per note makes subsequent editing a lot easier.)
Play your track. If you like the result, you’re done.
If you’re not happy with the result, simply select the Arrow Tool and experiment with changing the pitch or length of individual lines. The beauty of using Lines in Graphical Mode is that you can literally sculpt any melodic contour to get exactly the effect you desire.

Either way, have fun!

As promised back at the start of this article, here are links to a variety of artists using the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect:

Cher - Believe (the one that started it all)

T-Pain - Bartender

Akon - I Can't Wait

Snoop Dogg - Sexual Seduction

Lil Wayne - Lollipop

Akon Calls T-Pain

Introduction to Voice Thing! on YouTube

For those of you who haven't yet checked out Voice Thing!, we've created a brief overview of what it's about (and what it sounds like).

Check it out here.

Thanks for reading!

- The Whole Antares Crew.

Waves free SSL G-Channel

Griffin Avid — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:04:27 GMT

Waves is proud to present the SSL G-Channel, a brand new addition
to our award-winning SSL 4000 Collection.

The power of the complete Solid State Logic SL 4000 console series
is now at your fingertips.

G-Channel consolidates the equalization and dynamic controls of SSL G Series consoles into one convenient tool. The G-Channel EQ module delivers the original hardware’s characteristic pre-boost dip, pre-cut rise, and broad Q for extreme frequency manipulation. The Dynamics section features soft-knee compression and limiting, a gate/expander, and automatic makeup gain for rock steady output levels. Together, they deliver the one-of-a-kind sound and convenient routing flexibility that have made the SSL G-Series console a control room classic.

G-Channel is available at no additional charge to users of SSL 4000 Collection and Studio Classics Collection covered by Waves Update Plan.

The SSL 4000 Collection is Native and TDM, and requires iLok authorization.

The SSL 4000 Collection is available separately, and in the Studio Classics Collection.

All purchases and upgrades include one full year of Waves Update Plan coverage.

Contact your Waves dealer or Visit our online store for details today.

http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=8416

Featuring

Developed under license from Solid State Logic
Up to 24bit, 96kHz resolution
Mono and Stereo components
Supports TDM, RTAS, Audio Suite, VST, AU
PC and Mac compatible

Controls

EQ Section

High Pass Filter 18 dB/octave, 16 Hz – 350 Hz (-3 dB point)
Low Pass Filter 12 dB/octave, 3 kHz - 22 kHz (-3 dB point)
Split places the low pass and high pass filters before the dynamics processors in the chain.
HF Range 1.5 kHz – 16 kHz
HF Gain ±17 dB shelving
HMF Range 600 Hz – 7 kHz
HMF Q Continuously adjustable, 0.1 to 3.5
HMF Gain Variable, from ±20 dB (Q=3.5) to ±15 dB (Q=0.1)
HMFx3 multiplies the frequency by 3
LMF Range 200 Hz – 2.5 kHz
LMF Q Continuously adjustable, 0.1 to 3.5
LMF Gain Range Variable, from ±20 dB (Q=3.5) to ±15 dB (Q=0.1)
LMF/3 divides the frequency by 3
LF Range 30 Hz – 450 Hz
LF Gain Range ±17 dB, shelving
EQ To Bypass bypasses the EQ section
Dyn S-C switches the filters into the dynamics sidechain

Dynamics Module

Compressor Ratio 1:1 to Infinity:1
Compressor Threshold 10dBu to -20dBu
Compressor Release 0.1s to 4s
Compressor Fast Attack On/Off
Expander/Gate Range 0dB to 40dB
Expander/Gate Threshold -30dBu to +10dBu
Expander/Gate Release 0.1s to 4s
Expander/Gate Fast Attack On/Off
Gate On/Off Toggles Expander and Gate modes
Attenuation Meters 3dB to 20dB
Dynamics Bypass On/Off
Dyn to Ch Out places the Dynamics Module after the EQ Module

Gain Module

Input Gain -18dBu to +18dBu
Input Phase Reverse On/Off
Output Gain Fader -24dB to +12dB
Meter Mode Input or Output
Meters -60dB to 0dB with peak hold and clip indicators
Analog On/Off

Ik Multimedia and Receptor: Total Workstation

xodus phoenix — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:26:05 GMT

Man they are on a roll.
SampleMoog, SampleTron and now this...

Total Workstation Rack™

SampleTank 2.5

Sonik Synth

Miroslav Philharmonik

SampleMoog

SampleTron

Sound Licensing Partner

New KORE SOUNDPACK provides a complete hip-hop production toolkit

xodus phoenix — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:53:37 GMT

URBAN ARSENAL HITS THE STREETS

New KORE SOUNDPACK provides a complete hip-hop production toolkit

The KORE SOUNDPACK range is joined by a new kid on the block. URBAN ARSENAL steps up with a trunk full of ready-made groove construction kits, drums and instruments; all pre-mastered and primed for use in today's urban productions. The pack costs just $119 / 99€ and is available for download in the Online Shop now.

http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=urbanarsenal&L=1

This KORE SOUNDPACK is a complete hip-hop production toolkit for the free KORE PLAYER and KORE 2, providing a wide selection of production-ready sounds, groove construction kits and instruments for modern urban music.

The sounds from URBAN ARSENAL were created in cooperation with renowned hip-hop producers and were mastered and re-sampled through high-end outboard equipment - ready to use in your next hit.

Korg masterclass:Kaossilator

xodus phoenix — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:52:28 GMT

Hands off is not an option!
Check out the new KAOSSILATOR from Korg.
By James Sajeva

KAOSSILATOR is taking the U.S. by storm! The debut at the 2008 Winter NAMM show generated a TON of buzz from all types of musicians and the “musically curious.” And that’s really what the KAOSSILATOR is all about – a product that anyone can use to create music all their own!

So, what is it about this lil’ yellow square that makes it so appealing? Well, let’s start with its sounds. There are 100 programs offering a wide palette – lead synths, basses, acoustic models, chorded tones, sound effects, playable drums and even drum patterns that sync to whatever tempo the KAOSSILATOR is set to.

Now here’s where the fun begins. The unique touch-pad interface lets you play those sounds and patterns by moving or tapping your finger in different places. On any musical sound, left to right ascends a two octave scale of your choosing – there are 30 scales in all. What about up and down? Well, that depends. On musical sounds it could change the filter, effect depth or a number of other characteristics. On sound effects, all sorts of mayhem abounds as you move across the pad. On playable drums, different areas of the pads sound different drum hits, and with patterns you’ll find change-ups and even fills as you explore. Korg has brought all of their synth experience to bat here, cramming huge sound into a one awesomely small device. In short, all of the sounds and patterns are truly inspiring and highly flexible – not to mention accessible to anyone, even if they don’t have technical knowledge of a traditional instrument.

To add an even deeper dynamic to your phrases, the KAOSSILATOR also offers Gate Arpeggiator patterns. In short, that’s a fancy name for a feature that taps the sound in a rhythmic pattern in time with the tempo. There are 50 to work with; straight syncopations, swing-time variations and beyond.

Truly, the KAOSSILATOR’s touch-pad and all of the features you can customize your phrases with are fun just by themselves. But there’s one more feature that takes things to a whole new level of musical expression…

… KAOSSILATOR also features a loop recorder. This means that you can capture your phrases, and they will instantly loop perfectly to the selected tempo. This is also cool…but the REAL magic happens when you stack the recordings. KAOSSILATOR will infinitely stack phrases, using any sounds or patterns, to your heart’s content! Start by laying down an 8 beat drum pattern. Now pick a sound effect and drop that on top! Add a bass… no wait… a lead synth with a Gated Arp pattern! Yeah! The possibilities are endless. As we say, you can create unique musical phrases as simple – or complex – as you like. This makes the KAOSSILATOR a versatile, accessible and totally fun synth.

Inspiration can strike anywhere. And KAOSSILATOR has you covered with battery power for creativity on the go! It’ll run about 8 hours on a fresh set of 4 AA Batteries; making it a perfect companion for trips. Got a laptop? Record individual phrases from the KAOSSILATOR into your laptop input with nothing more than a single 1/8” cable, and arrange the phrases in your favorite DAW program to bang out a full song.

If you haven’t seen or heard a KAOSSILATOR yet, do yourself a favor and check out YouTube; search word “KAOSSILATOR”. Or better yet, head to your local KORG retailer and try out one for yourself. Just don’t blame us if you get addicted. With the Korg KAOSSILATOR, “Hands off” is not an option!

Tech Tip: EQ Curves and Musical Style

xodus phoenix — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:19:26 GMT

Tech Tip: EQ Curves and Musical Style

Do certain styles of music have a "signature" EQ response? Check out the following curves, and decide for yourself.

By Craig Anderton

Look at music with a spectrum analyzer, and you might be surprised at what you see. For example, if you analyze a bunch of music that belongs to the same musical genre, you'll start to detect a pattern with respect to how energy is distributed over the frequency spectrum. Granted, it's impossible to generalize for all types of music within a genre, but there are often recurring similarities that can be pretty interesting.

The curves shown in this article were researched by Har-Bal (www.har-bal.com) who make EQ-oriented mastering software. Har-Bal is not a “curve-stealing” program (like Steinberg's FreeFilter or Voxengo's Curve EQ) that impresses the spectrum of one song onto another, but allows displaying “reference curves” if you like a particular sound, and want to see how your master differs from it.

In the process of developing Har-Bal, the company thought it would be helpful to include typical frequency response reference curves for different types of music. Analyzing them yields some interesting clues about EQ's relationship to style; in all of the following examples, the upper (yellow) curve shows peak power, and the lower (red) curve shows mean power.

Dance/Techno

In Fig. 1, the hyped low end around 80Hz corresponds to the strong kick and bass line. There's a slight dip at 5kHz, but then the response climbs up again in the treble range to give presence and sizzle. This results from the accented high-hat and percussion parts, which help propel a song's rhythm and is a crucial element of dance music.

The rest of the curve is relative flat, where all frequencies are emphasized. The object is to produce loud, pounding music that gets people moving on the dance floor, and that's what this curve indicates.

Fig. 1: Here's the spectral response curve for a typical techno song. Note the “bump” around 80Hz, which indicates a strong kick drum and bass.

Classical

The most distinctive characteristic here is the rapid rolloff in the treble range (Fig. 2), as you'd expect from acoustic instruments and a sound that doesn't include thrashing symbols, synths with huge amounts of harmonics, or boosted treble for radio play. The bass bump may be a bit surprising at first, but orchestral bass drums, tympani, and double-bass contribute a lot of energy to the final sound.

Fig. 2: Classical music typically adds very little processing (either EQ or dynamics), which results in a lower amount of high-end energy.

Rock

Fig. 3 displays the strong bass typical of rock music, but note there's also a lot of midrange action in the 500Hz-3kHz region from guitars, vocals, leads, and so on. The highs aren't quite as hyped as the techno curve because there aren't as many electronic instruments, although cymbals and distorted guitars can add a fair amount of high-frequency energy. As a result, there's a more natural rolloff that resembles the classical curve, but with more high frequencies.

Fig. 3: Rock music tends to have a lot of energy in the midrange region.

R&B/Hip-Hop

Like rock music, Fig. 4 shows there's a significant midrange emphasis due to vocals and instruments such as guitar, piano, synth, etc. But also note that there's definitely more bass (check out the energy in the kick and bass guitar/synth bass range), as well as a bit more high-energy action. The lower mids around 200-300Hz are down a bit; this generally produces a cleaner, less “muddy” sound that's indeed characteristic of a lot of R&B and hip-hop.

Fig. 4. The R&B/hip-hop curve is similar to rock, but with more lows and highs, and a bit of a dip in the lower midrange.

Folk

The curve in Fig. 5 is for an acoustic folk ensemble. As befits acoustic music without significant amounts of drums or bass, the accent here is on vocals, guitar, and other midrange instruments. Bass and treble both fall off substantially; unlike classical music, you don't have powerful instruments in the bass range (like tympani) to contribute large amounts of low-end response.

Fig. 5: The curve for folk music is quite similar to classical, which is to be expected as both forms of music favor acoustic instruments.

Adult Contemporary

This is also called “new age” music or easy listening. This type of music is designed to accent melody and not produce sizzling highs or pounding basses, which Fig. 6 clearly indicates: There's a significant amount of midrange energy, and a gentle tapering in the bass and treble regions. However, note there is a bit of a peak around 7-8kHz. This is characteristic of tunes that include bright percussion, like shaker, tambourine, maracas, and the like.

Fig. 6: Although the highs and lows taper off somewhat as with acoustic music, note the high-frequency “bump” characteristic of percussion

So What Does It All Mean?

These graphs are designed to illustrate some points about spectral distribution is certain types of music, not serve as a “rule” about how music should sound. Still, as you're mixing, it's useful to know the characteristics of other music in the same genre, so your song can slide relatively easily into a playlist. For example, if you're mixing dance music and you don't have a prominent kick and some high-end sizzle, the music will sound weak when compared to other dance music.

As always, your ears need to be the final arbiters of what sounds correct. But given the importance of EQ in producing a finished master recording with a commercial sound, the more you know about what you're doing, the better!

New York Interest Tekserve Ableton Live

xodus phoenix — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:19:56 GMT

Ableton Live
Hosted by Dave Hill
Friday July 11, 2008 at 6:00PM

Join us at Tekserve as Dave Hill Jr. helps to demystify Ableton Live's unique workflow and talks about new ways of composing. Get inside Ableton Live for your songwriting, music production, and DJ/performance needs. Dave wrote the world's first book on Ableton Live back in 2002, "Ableton Live 2 Power!" and is a professional drummer / percussionist and electronica artist.

Click here to register for this seminar.

http://www.tekserve.com/seminars/detail.php?id=3311

Seminars Detail

Tekserve Presents: Ableton Live, hosted by Dave Hill Jr. from Ableton

Description

Get inside Ableton Live for your songwriting, music production, and DJ/performance needs with Ableton's Dave Hill Jr. Ableton Live is one of the pro audio industry's hottest software titles. Join us at Tekserve as Dave helps to demystify Ableton Live's unique workflow and talks about new ways of composing. Dave wrote the world's first book on Ableton Live back in 2002, "Ableton Live 2 Power!" and is a professional drummer / percussionist and electronica artist.

Featured Solutions

Audio

Location

Tekserve
Seminar Room
119 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

Instructor

Dave Hill Jr. from Ableton

Upcoming Dates

Click to register: Friday, July 11th, 2008, 6:00pm

Add yourself to the mailing list or subscribe to the RSS feed to keep informed about our upcoming seminars and events.

Two KORE SOUNDPACKS providing FM8 sounds and multi-FX out now

Drew Spence — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:37:53 GMT

NEW SONIC HORIZONS

Two KORE SOUNDPACKS providing FM8 sounds and multi-FX out now

The ever-growing KORE SOUNDPACKS range is now reinforced with two brand-new additions. "FM8 TRANSIENT ATTACKS" delivers 200 newly created FM8 sounds with a raw, edgy style perfect for modern electronic music. "DEEP TRANSFORMATIONS" represents the first multi-effect KORE SOUNDPACK, transforming the free KORE PLAYER and KORE 2 into a full-blown effects unit capable of warping even the most ordinary sound into something completely new and different. Both KORE SOUNDPACKS are now available for download in our Online Shop. Be sure to also check out the other nine KORE SOUNDPACKS!

EXPAND YOUR SOUND

KORE SOUNDPACKS are an affordable, ultra-convenient way to instantly further expand the sonic scope of KORE 2 or the free KORE PLAYER. Each pack contains a selection of the very best NI sounds. All sounds utilize KORE's built-in sound engines - so you don't need to own the single full versions to benefit from these outstanding sounds!

FM8 TRANSIENT ATTACKS

This KORE SOUNDPACK contains 200 new, cutting-edge FM8 sounds for modern electronic music production, ranging from dirty electro basses to otherworldly FM grime at the touch of the Morph pad.

$59 / €49

More info and sound examples...
Buy online and download now...

DEEP TRANSFORMATIONS

KORE SOUNDPACK which turns KORE 2 and KORE PLAYER into an inspiring and unconventional multi-effects unit, unlike anything you’ve ever heard.

$79 / €69

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