News Archive for January 2001

30th January 2001

Cycling '74 announced Essential Instruments: Pluggo Collection I at NAMM, a set of 14 VST and MAS compatible instruments for Mac users, here's what you get for $99:

A six-voice sampler
A sample-based drum module
An analogue modelling synth with three oscillators, two LFO's, a multi-mode filter, and modulation matrix
An analogue modelling bass synth
A Theremin emulation
An FM bell
A granular synthesis module
A seven-instrument analogue modelling drum synth
A sequenced wavetable synth
An additive synth
A virtual tonewheel organ
A patchable FM synth

reFX TBL has been updated to v1.1 fixing an installer issue (It would only work if Cubase was installed), and Sample rate below 44.1kHz created audible clicks and crashed the audio-sub-engine.

Nenad Siskov has updated his LM-4 Editor to v1.007 adding Audio Out selection.

Lastly, TraxMusic have posted an interview with Dr SynC!

26th January 2001

Signum have released another update for their S1100 sampler, v3.4 fixes and enhances the VSTi support!

25th January 2001

Another NAMM announcement from Sonic Reality with Sonic Synth, a sample playback module based on BitHeadz' Unity DS-1 sampler engine:

Up to 128 voices of polyphony
24 bit
128 midi channels, 128 part multi-timbral, OMS & Free Midi inputs
Includes an over 600 Megabyte wave set, over 2,000 sounds
Built in effects, MAS, RTAS/DirectConnect, Direct I/O, TDM, ASIO, Sound Manager and VST/Rewire support
Reads Unity, AKAI, and ROLAND format sample libraries with the use of the optional Bitheadz' Osmosis program
Functions as Stand Alone or as a Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, or Performer plugin
Mac and Windows
Costs $299

23rd January 2001

reFX have released their first VSTi, a mono bassline synth called TBL (The BassLine) [PC]

Monophonic
VCO (Pure Triangle, Dirty Saw, Pure Saw, Pure Square, Dirty Square) - Morphable
VCF (LPF 12 db/octave)
VCA
AD Envelope Generator
Accent, Portamento(Glide), & Distortion
4 part multi-timbral
Full MIDI control of all parameters
All parameter saved with song
Very low CPU consumption
Sample accurate timing
Costs $25 (Windows only)
Demo available
Screenshot

22nd January 2001

Earlier today Steinberg pulled the Cubase VST 5.0r2 updaters from their FTP after the incredible amount of problems reported by users on the Cubase.net forums. Dave Nicholson, the Cubase Project Manager, made a statement, which you can read here, announcing a new Public Beta of r3 that is now available for download, addressing some of the most noticeable bugs introduced in r2. This should be the first in a series of bugfix public betas that will hopefully lead to Cubase being the stable, pro product that it should be.

Steinberg have also posted info on there website about Cubasis VST v2.0

21st January 2001

Congratulations to anyone who has upgraded to Cubase 5.0r2 without any problems, We've had several unfortunately, the worst of which is VSTi related, after playing with them for a few minutes a random CPU overload seems to occur and then recur every minute or so!! Also after installing I couldn't get back into Windows without going into Safe Mode, after disabling my Anti Virus software it seemed to work. Maybe R3 will be out soon, it has to be said things aren't looking too great

A problem that has been acknowledged and confirmed by Steinberg is 'Export Audio' does not work correctly if 'Enable Audio only during Play' is checked.

Many users are reporting problems with this update, the forum at Cubase.net is VERY busy!

Anyway, we've got a few new banks for you today. Pandamonium has sent us a kit for LinPlug's new freebie drum sampler RMF, comprising of samples from an Alesis D4, MuRAYA has sent a Typhoon kit for the LM-9, and Alexander Engler has sent us 1 bank for JXSynth and 2 ensembles for Reaktor:

Also S.T.E.I.N.B.E.R.C.H have posted a new LM-4 kit on their site

19th January 2001

The VSTi Sampler market seems to be hotting up with a couple of NAMM announcements. Emagic are releasing a VSTi version of their excellent EXS-24 sampler that was previously only available as a Logic plugin and Native Instruments have shown Battery, a very interesting looking instrument that should be very special if Native Instruments track record is anything to go by. They also announced Reaktor 3!