News Archive for July 2000

LoopAZoid has been updated to v1.11 [PC]

• Samples can be previewed/triggered using the channel buttons
• Minor Bug fixes

3 new kits for FXpansion's DR-005 from CMccar5150

• R & B Kit (2 kits)
• Rock Kit

A new drum kit for S&C Development's DX-200 Drum Sampler by Boff, who has now also updated most of his kits to DX-200 format and added a new Lo-Fi kit and a bank for the SC MonoPoly to his site, go check them out HERE

• Dancehall Kit

The latest version of Psycle, by ArGuru, now adds VSTi support. This has got to be the cheapest introduction into the world of VSTi's as it's FREE. Its a tracker program, very similar to Buzz and its well worth checking out. [PC]

TC Works have a new VSTi due for release around the end of August called Mercury-1. There isn't any info on their web site yet but some of the features are:

• 4 part multi-timbral
• 2 oscillators and a Sub-oscillator (sine, saw tooth, triangle, rectangle, PWM, noise)
• Oscillator Sync
• Ring modulation
• 24 db/Octave resonant LPF's
• 2 envelope generators
• Extensive modulation possibilities
• MIDI syncable LFO (sine, saw tooth, rectangle)
• PC & Mac

cesSynth1 has been updated to v1.4 [PC & Mac]

• Improved synthesis engine, giving better sounding waveforms with less digital noise
• Performance improvements giving twice the polyphony in some circumstances
• Increased envelope times - up to 5 seconds per envelope stage giving greater flexibility when building a sound. Combined with the improved synthesis engine much warmer pad sounds are possible.
• Filter Mix control allowing the filter stage and the direct signal to be mixed.

The Cubase VST 5 [PC] demo is out and I'd thoroughly recommend you check it out. It includes LM-9 and guess what, LM-9 now works in Cubase VST 3.7!! So even if you aren't planning on upgrading to VST 5 yet (and why not?) grab the demo and get another free VSTi

• Download the demo direct from Steinberg (11.6mb)

Another interesting addition is a standard ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Driver that reduces latency, even on the cheapest soundcards, to only 46ms!!!! This is very nearly VSTi playable territory, and it works in VST 3.7 too, yet another reason to get the demo.

Some more good news is that all VSTi's seem to use around 5% less CPU than in 3.7

We'll test as many VSTi's as possible with the demo and report any incompatibilities we find, if anyone finds any problems with VSTi's and VST 5 please let us know.

Boff has converted the rest of our Muon Atom banks to Atom Pro format

• Boff Atom Pro K-v-R Bank A
• Boff Atom Pro Mark1
• Boff SiM Atom Pro
• Boff Atom Pro (Atom defaults)

Big Tick have released a standalone version of their Rainbow VSTi [PC]

FXpansion have updated the Mac version of DR-005 to v1.00a, a minor update improving performance and stability

LinPlug have given GakStoar Delta a major update to v2.0 [PC]

• 16 part multitimbral
• Every Channel may be assigned to one of 2 stereo and 4 mono outputs
• Every Oscillator and Filter now has it's own area on the front panel
• Oscillators may be routed to two destinations with adjustable and modulatable panning
• Filters are enhanced especially the resonance has been made clearer and smoother
• Filter output may be positioned in the stereo panorama
• The output of both filters can be adjusted with the filter balance slider
• "One click" modulation routing for Channel Volume, Velocity and Pitch Wheel
• New modulation destination: Master pitch, adjustable from 1 cent to 1 octave up or down
• Modulation depth itself can be modulated by another modulation source
• All LFOs are extended in their frequency range up to 32 Hz and down to 8 full notes for one cycle
• All LFOs can be "key-tracked", so their frequency changes in accordance to the note played
• Overall Tuning can be set up from 430 to 450 Hz in 0.1 Hz Steps
• Sliders and Knobs can be fine tuned by one step at a time (using ALT-Mousebutton)
• FREE UPGRADE for all registered users

Added links to Applied Acoustics Systems Tassman, due for VSTi release in August/September, and VirSyn, due for VSTi release in October

Boff's in the process of updating his SC Drums DX-100 kits to DX-200 status, he's also added a couple of new 808 kits to his site

SynC Modular has had another minor update to v1.90.001 [PC]

• Fixed AMD K6/Pentium1 mode bug

SynC Modular has been updated to v1.90 [PC]

• Optimisation times reduced (by a factor of about 3)
• Signal rate displayed next to the pins
• Numeric display module
• Current preset appears at the middle of the preset list box rather than bottom line

LinPlug's Rupsta Gamma has been updated to v1.02 [PC]

Native Instruments have added the Essential library to their downloads section, featuring various Ensembles, Instruments and Macros for Reaktor

We have a selection of banks from Baesil, a recent runner up at Cubase.net's PPG Wave competition with his Model-E and Neon banks

• Baesil Model-E
• Baesil Pro-Five
• Baesil Neon
• Baesil VB-1

Boff has converted one of our Atom Banks to Atom Pro format, hopefully with more to come

• Boff/Burnie Atom Pro

We've updated the ASIO Latency Survey again

Muon Software have released their much anticipated Electron [PC]

• 64-bit Digital Signal Processing Engine
• 16 voice polyphonic with dynamic voice allocation
• 3 oscillators per voice (sawtooth, square and variable pulse wave with PWM and hard sync)
• 2 multimode filters with resonance (capable of self-oscillation), connectable in serial, parallel/cross-fade, link mode or in isolation
• 2 LFOs with selectable waves, assignable to almost any parameter, and controlled with MIDI
• 2 ADSR envelope generators , assignable to almost any parameter, and controlled with MIDI
• X-Y controller (Fully assignable)
• Filter cross-fader
• Costs only $60

Waldorf have finally released a demo of the PPG Wave 2.V for both Mac & PC

• Mac Download
• PC Download

They've also updated the PC version to v1.10

• Fixed a minor problem with Windows 2000
• Get it HERE

neXoft have updated LoopAZoid to v1.1, apparently a Mac version is also in development [PC]

• AIFF import
• Drumkit import & export

SynC Modular has been updated to v1.85 [PC]

• New - skin plugins
• New - fine controlling knobs and faders by Alt modifier
• Fixed - internal error in Fast Update switch
• Fixed - internal error in Preset Mode change
• Fixed - internal error on attempt to save to read only file
• Fixed - incorrect knob control hit test
• Fixed - double-click issues in panel window
• Fixed - some VST2 issues

A0 Digital Audio have updated DK1 to v1.1 [PC]

• Increased number of drum pads from 16 to 24
• Re-samples the wave files automatically to match the correct sample rate
• Can map samples over a given keyboard range (for melodic percussion)
• Samples can be shifted up to +/- 14 semitones
• Can import LM-4 drum kits!!!!
• Can preview wave files before loading them
• Pads now can be used to program the sequencer in step-edit mode
• Improved editor
• Better audio engine
• Now supports 8, 16, 20, 24 bit and 32 bit floating point wave files

The ASIO survey is back up, if you submitted your latency info between 3-7-00 (Monday) and today we won't have received it, please try again now!

Big Tick have updated Rainbow to v1.7.0 [PC]

• Stereo chorus
• Velocity-controlled cutoff
• Improved CPU usage
• Improved GUI
• Improved sound

Added the MIDI CC's for JXSynth

S & C Development have released v2.0 of their Virtual Sampler [PC]

• Loads up to 8 samples using a KeyMap
• Loads samples and banks during playback
• Loads wave files created in Wavelab
• Backup of sample banks (*.vsc)
• Can display & edit sample names
• Decreased CPU usage
• Piano sound bank available

VSamp 3.0 beta 2 is available for download [Mac]

• Dragging a group of samples all with pitch set to middle C (MIDI 60) now adds them to successive notes from middle C and sets pitch accordingly
• Clicking on a text field now selects entire field as in version 2
• VSamp VST no longer loads an instrument when cancelling a selection after pressing 'select' button
• Revert command now works as expected
• Menu enable/disable status when envelope window is open now works as expected
• Problem fixed whereby a window wouldn't close if the file it refers to had been moved or changed

LinPlug have followed up their Rupsta Gamma Drum Sampler with a cut down free version, Rupsta Alpha [PC]

• 11 polyphonic drum sounds (up to 24 voices)
• Loads mono and stereo WAV's direct from the front panel
• 8 bit, 16 bit or 24 bit, any sample rate up to 96 kHz
• Six mono outs & stereo output
• Volume and pitch adjustment (+- one half octave)
• Individual note assignment per instrument (so sounds may be layered)
• Sample accurate timing
• All parameters automatable
• Settings are saved with your song
• Up to 8 Rupsta Alpha's can be loaded