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WHAT'S NEW

Mar 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Geary Yelton

M-Audio MidAir and MidAir 37

MIDI cables are so 20th century, don't you think? When M-Audio (www.m-audio.com) debuted the MidAir 25 wireless MIDI keyboard, the company promised that new wireless systems were right around the corner. Now it's made good on that promise with the MidAir 37 ($299.95) and the MidAir wireless MIDI system ($149.95). Their receivers are identical to the MidAir 25's: both new products operate in the 2.4 GHz band and have an effective range of 30 feet. The pocket-size receiver connects directly to your computer's USB port and is powered by either USB or a 9V DC adapter.

The MidAir 37 is a 37-note keyboard controller that has nine assignable sliders in addition to all the MidAir 25's features, which include eight assignable knobs, MIDI Out, a sustain input, and Velocity sensitivity. The MidAir wireless MIDI system pairs a small MIDI transmitter with the receiver. The 9V battery-powered transmitter has a detachable MIDI input cable for connecting to any device that sends MIDI data. According to M-Audio, it is possible to operate multiple MidAir systems in close proximity. All MidAir products support Mac OS X and Windows XP or later.

Novation XioSynth 49

U.K.-based Novation (www.novationmusic.com) is now shipping the XioSynth 49 ($599.95), a larger version of its XioSynth 25. With 49 semiweighted keys and 7 Velocity curves, the 8-note polyphonic monosynth has 3 audio oscillators, 2 LFOs, and a resonant multimode filter. A function called X-Gator lets you control amplitude level using a 32-step sequencer to create automated rhythmic patterns. For hands-on control, an x-y touch pad supplements the spring-loaded pitch-bend and modulation joystick.

The XioSynth is more than a synthesizer. It's a USB 1.1 class-compliant audio/MIDI interface that has an XLR mic input with 48V phantom power, an unbalanced ¼-inch input, two unbalanced ¼-inch outputs, and a ¼-inch stereo headphone output. It also operates as a control surface for software instruments, with 16 MIDI templates to control a variety of software instruments and audio programs. Additional features include 200 rewritable patches, an onboard arpeggiator, a sustain pedal input, and a MIDI Out port. The XioSynth 49 runs off either USB, six AA batteries, or a 9V DC power supply.

Korg MR-1 and MR-1000

Two of the most exciting products announced by Korg (www.korg.com) in 2006 are now beginning to ship. The MR-1 ($899) and the MR-1000 ($1,499) are mobile digital recorders that incorporate 1-bit audio at very high sampling rates. The handheld MR-1 contains a 20 GB hard drive, includes a stereo electret condenser mic, and records at rates up to 2.82 MHz — 64 times as high as a standard audio CD. The tabletop MR-1000 doubles those specs with a 40 GB hard drive and a maximum rate of 5.64 MHz. The MR recorders were designed for applications ranging from location recording to archiving final mixdowns and master recordings. Korg's MR recorders support numerous 1-bit formats, including DSD, DSF, DSDIFF, and WSD, as well as 16- and 24-bit BWF at rates as high as 192 kHz.

The MR-1000 has two XLR/TRS combo inputs with phantom power, XLR and RCA outputs, and a ¼-inch headphone output. It runs on AC power or AA batteries. The MR-1 has two balanced mic/line minijack inputs, a stereo minijack output, and a headphone minijack. It runs on AC power or a factory-installed lithium polymer battery. Both recorders have USB 2.0 connectivity and come with AudioGate (Mac/Win), a software application that converts 1-bit recordings to multibit WAV and AIFF formats and vice versa. AudioGate also performs functions such as gain control, fade-in and fade-out, and DC-offset removal.

Vir2 Instruments Acoustic Legends HD

Soundware developer Big Fish Audio (www.bigfishaudio.com) has spun off a virtual instrument brand called Vir2 Instruments. The first Vir2 product to ship is Acoustic Legends HD (Mac/Win, $299.95), a 19 GB collection of fretted-instrument samples recorded in 24-bit stereo at 96 kHz and paired with Native Instruments Kontakt Player 2.

In addition to seven steel-string guitars made by Gibson, Martin, Taylor, and others, Acoustic Legends HD supplies samples of two 12-string guitars, two nylon-string guitars, acoustic bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo. Three DVDs furnish a variety of articulations and playing styles such as single notes played with picks and fingers, chords, mutes, and harmonics. Samples include fret noise and release layers for each guitar. For creating realistic rhythm-guitar strumming patterns, 6- and 12-string chord instruments provide a dozen chord types in various positions with up- and downstrokes, keyswitched and Velocity layers, and multiple takes per layer. You can even change the position of a virtual capo. The multitimbral Kontakt Player 2 interface lets you control the EQ, reverb, and stereo width, and other controls vary by instrument. For external control, all onscreen knobs respond to MIDI Control Changes.

Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini

The price of admission for entering the world of Pro Tools continues to plummet, thanks to a new product from Digidesign (www.digidesign.com). Delivering the smallest and most affordable Pro Tools LE system yet, the Mbox 2 Mini (Mac/Win, $329) is a compact USB-powered audio interface bundled with Pro Tools LE, a selection of audio applications, and dozens of useful plug-ins. The 24-bit, 48 kHz interface furnishes an XLR mic input with 48V phantom power, two unbalanced ¼-inch inputs that can handle line or instrument levels, a ¼-inch stereo headphone output, and two unbalanced ¼-inch line outputs. It also features zero-latency monitoring, input- and output-level knobs, and a built-in Kensington security lock, and it connects to your computer by means of a USB 1.1 port.

In addition to a full version of Pro Tools LE, the Mbox 2 Mini comes with pro-studio tools such as DigiRack and Bomb Factory plug-ins, the soft synth Xpand, and the Pro Tools Ignition Pack. DigiRack plug-ins include EQs, compressors, gates, multitap delay, reverb, and pitch-shift. Bomb Factory plug-ins include BF76 compression, Funk Logic Masterizer, and five others. The Pro Tools Ignition Pack features entry-level versions of Ableton Live, Propellerhead Reason, FXpansion BFD, IK Multimedia AmpliTube, and other programs, as well as the instructional DVD Pro Tools Method One and a one-year membership to Broadjam.com.

Synk Audio Musicbed DV

Now available from Synk Audio (www.synkaudiostudios.com) is Musicbed DV (Mac, $249), a soundtrack-generating application that comes with a music-library bundle. A unique set of controls lets you specify musical intensity, complexity, dynamics, and other parameters in real time to match the mood and timing needs of your audio project, whether it's a film score or a Podcast. You can choose from a library of musical themes and underscore your project with automation curves that determine how the music evolves and where hits occur along a timeline.

The latest version, Musicbed DV 1.6, features Seasons 1 and 2 stock music libraries with a royalty-free license, more than doubling the content of previous versions; content ranges from cinematic and orchestral styles to rock and down-tempo electronica. Version 1.6's music-generation enhancements include Keyframe Snapshots, which let you capture custom styles and textures, and new surround presets designed for diverse scenarios. You can specify whether adding new music to the timeline will overlay or overwrite existing music, and you can replace styles, moods, and instrumentation without affecting the timing or automation curves.

Sound Advice

Those piano-sampling perfectionists at Synthogy (whose products are distributed by Ilio, www.ilio.com) have been at it again. Now available is Ivory Italian Grand ($139), an add-on expansion pack for the virtual piano Ivory, version 1.5 and later. Featuring more than 2,000 samples of a handcrafted 10-foot Fazioli F-308 recorded at the State University of New York's concert hall, the library furnishes more than 18 GB of all-new content. A dozen Keysets, each with up to 12 Velocity layers, soft-pedal samples, and release samples, have been arranged into 24 programs ranging from Cathedral Grand and Modern Jazz to Dark Abyss and Rockin' Studio 10 Foot. Italian Grand takes advantage of Ivory's new browser-style interface and furnishes new effects presets too. Like previous Ivory content, the library was recorded and programmed by Joe Ierardi, the sound designer responsible for the piano content in Kurzweil instruments such as the PC88 and K2600.

Get Smart

For the inside story on the Grateful Dead's instruments, equipment, and studio sessions, you need look no further than Grateful Dead Gear ($34.95), from Backbeat Books (www.backbeatbooks.com). Written by Blair Jackson, longtime authority on the Dead and a senior editor of Mix magazine, this large-format paperbound book covers the band's history from its humble beginnings in 1965 to its dissolution in 1995. He traces the Dead's instruments from stock Gibson, Guild, and Gretsch guitars through custom axes made by Steve Cripe and James Trussart. Jackson describes their keyboards, from Farfisas to Kurzweils, and explores the evolution of the Dead's recording techniques. You'll learn about the band's touring sound systems (from Altec Lansing systems designed for movie theaters to modern megawatt monstrosities with in-ear monitors) and the men responsible for running them. The 300-page book has more than 100 photos (many of them never published before), offering a one-of-a-kind technical perspective on the Dead's life and times.

After more than a decade in print and straight from the pages of Mix, Paul Lehrman's monthly “Insider Audio” column is arguably that magazine's most popular read. It's almost inevitable, then, that Thomson Course Technology PTR (www.courseptr.com) would compile the best of those columns into a book. The Insider Audio Bathroom Reader ($24.99) is filled with insightful interviews, humorous anecdotes, heartfelt eulogies, questionable speculation, adamant opinions, and plenty of jokes about musicians. The 430-page anthology delivers an entertaining romp through the audio industry as seen from many angles, virtually all of them skewed by Lehrman's unique outlook. Beginning with a hilarious foreword by the Firesign Theatre's Phil Proctor, The Insider Audio Bathroom Reader tackles subjects ranging from politics and social issues to software upgrades and vintage recording gear, complete with new introductions and updated commentary by the author.

Another recent title from Thomson Course Technology PTR is Sonar 6 Power! The Comprehensive Guide ($39.99), in which author Scott Garrigus updates his authoritative tour of Cakewalk's flagship sequencing program. The 522-page book promises to pick up where the official software manual leaves off by taking a hands-on approach to mastering Sonar 6. Alongside discussions of Sonar's user interface and operations, Garrigus introduces the reader to new concepts and features such as AudioSnap, Active Controller Technology (ACT), and Session Drummer 2. Unlike previous editions, Sonar 6 Power! doesn't include a bundled CD-ROM; instead, you can download bonus chapters and additional content from the publisher's Web site.

Like other books in the Visual QuickStart series from Peachpit Press (www.peachpit.com), Pro Tools 7: Visual QuickStart Guide ($29.99) presents a step-by-step method for learning your way around the popular software program. Over the course of 648 pages, author Steven Roback explains what you can do with Pro Tools LE, a MIDI controller, a microphone, and an audio interface — and tells you how to do it. He describes how to set up your system, navigate the Mix and Edit windows, work with different kinds of tracks, manage audio and session files, enhance your recordings with effects, and master your final product. He devotes entire chapters to topics such as working with regions, editing MIDI, automating mixes, and using Pro Tools for video postproduction. The book concludes with a 7-page glossary and an extensive index.