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WHAT'S NEW

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

Moog MF-107 FreqBox

First announced in January, the latest addition to the Moogerfooger line of effects modules is now available from Moog Music (www.moogmusic.com). The MF-107 FreqBox ($359) contains a unique voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that responds to instrument- and line-level input signals. Instead of modifying the sound of an external audio source, you can use a synth, guitar, voice, or other source to modulate the sound of the FreqBox. Audio signals can apply hard sync or frequency modulation to the VCO, or the VCO's frequency or amplitude can track the input signal's dynamics.

The FreqBox's VCO has a continuously variable waveshape, and it can produce sounds ranging from fuzzlike distortion and bell-like tones to harmonic sweeps and timbral morphing. The unit's rugged stompbox chassis has control-voltage inputs for expression pedals, analog sequencers, and other sources, as well as outputs for interconnecting additional Moogerfoogers.

Starr Labs Ztar Z7-S

Since 1991, Starr Labs (www.starrlabs.com) has been designing, building, and improving MIDI controllers for guitarists. The newest is the Ztar Z7-S ($1,495), the most affordable Ztar yet. Unlike guitars fitted with guitar-to-MIDI converters, the fully programmable Z7-S doesn't have a traditional fretboard. Instead, it has a touch-sensitive 24-by-6-key fingerboard with 32 independent zones, each with its own channel, transposition, and sensitivity settings. Each key can be tuned separately, and the six Velocity-sensing StringTriggers offer programmable alternate tunings. The Z7-S's software functions are identical to those of higher-priced Ztars.

In addition to duplicating traditional guitar-playing techniques such as picking, strumming, hammer-ons, and pull-offs, the Z7-S has a layout that makes it suitable for triggering electronic percussion or loops. You can use the instrument's embedded arpeggiator to control specific fingerboard zones, and an onboard ribbon controller can be used like a whammy bar for a variety of effects. The Z7-S also has a 2 × 40-character LCD, a programmable volume pot, and jacks for a sustain switch and a volume pedal. A number of options are available, including USB connectivity, a breath controller, a sound card, and custom finishes.

Korg M3

Korg (www.korg.com) has announced its next generation of workstations by unveiling the M3 (61-note, $3,000; 73-note, $3,475; 88-note, $4,000), a synthesizer and sampler with 120-voice polyphony, 256 MB of waveform ROM, and up to four layers per sample. The 61- and 73-note models have a new semiweighted keyboard designed by Korg, and the 88-note model incorporates the same RH3 weighted keyboard as the OASYS 88. In addition to tilting the M3's control panel, you can detach the entire module and use it as a freestanding synth; the module is also available without the keyboard as the M3-M ($2,375). The 73- and 88-key models have space for an additional M3-M or a Radias-R. Standalone and plug-in editing software (Mac/Win) is included.

The M3 boasts many features inherited from the OASYS, such as similar voice architecture, low-aliasing filters, AMS mixers, and a multifunction control surface. For real-time performance control, the second-generation KARMA section provides eight Velocity-sensitive pads, eight sliders, and eight switches. The 16-track MIDI sequencer has 480 ppqn resolution and stores 128 songs, each with 150 preset patterns and 100 user patterns. The M3 gives you five insert effects, two master effects, and one Total Effect — all in stereo. Assignable controllers include a joystick, two switches, and a ribbon, as well as switch, pedal, and damper inputs. The 320 5 240-pixel color touch screen also functions as an x-y controller. Digital connections include optical S/PDIF, three USB ports, and MIDI In, Out, and Thru; FireWire is optional. Another option is the EXB-Radias expansion board, which gives the M3 an additional 24 notes of Radias-style synthesis and vocoding.

Vir2 VI.One

Vir2 (www.vir2.com) has begun shipping VI.One (Mac/Win, $399.95), a Native Instruments Kontakt Player 2 instrument that does it all. Encompassing 21 GB of sample data on three double-density DVD-ROMs, VI.One supplies more than 2,000 instruments in a wide array of categories, making it an outstanding choice for just about any musical genre you can think of. Because it's built on Kontakt Player 2, it runs standalone and as a plug-in for AU, DXi, RTAS, and VST hosts.

VI.One's content runs the gamut from the world's most popular instruments such as grand piano and guitar to obscure world instruments such as katem and iliili. Construct your own ensembles, from intimate rhythm sections to full-blown orchestras, and save them as Multis. Twenty factory Multis make the most of VI.One's capabilities. You also get a complete General MIDI sound set comprising 128 instruments and 8 drum kits. A complete collection of modern and vintage synths lets you choose from classics like the Jupiter-8, Matrix-12, and Memorymoog. Tempo-synced loops have been arranged into eight categories, and premium drum kits have been individually miked in three positions. All parameters respond to MIDI CCs for hands-on control.

Submersible Music DrumCore 2.5

Submersible Music (www.submersible music.com) is shipping a new version of DrumCore (Mac/Win, $249), an application for creating audio and MIDI tracks using kits and performances recorded by real drummers. New features include pad swapping, which allows you to assign individual instruments to each pad in a kit; for example, you can combine Alan White's snare and Sly Dunbar's kick with Jeff Anthony's cymbals and John Bishop's toms. Also, you can now play DrumCore as a standalone drum module without using ReWire; just connect your MIDI keyboard or pad controller and play kits from Matt Sorum, Terry Bozio, or one of a dozen other drummers whose content is included. You can queue up loops and fills so they play back-to-back, edit pads and kits in real time, create kits from scratch using WAV and AIFF files, and download additional free content and a demo from Submersible Music's Web site.

To accompany DrumCore 2.5, Submersible Music is also publishing new expansion packs and bundles. If you want traditional Latin and Afro-Cuban drumming, you can choose LuisPack II ($79.99), the second DrummerPack from Sergio Mendes percussionist Luis Conte. For hip-hop and R&B styles, there's Urban GT ($49), and for rock and funk, Bryan Mantia's Brain: One Stroke Done ($79). All DrummerPacks are also compatible with DrumCore LT, a free downloadable player.

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix

IK Multimedia (www.ikmultimedia.com) has launched AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix (Mac/Win, $249; $199 upgrade or cross-grade), its first artist-specific software for guitarists. This signature version of AmpliTube delivers computer models of the amps and effects — some of them rare and collectible — that Hendrix used in the '60s to attain his legendary sound. Created in cooperation with Authentic Hendrix, a company owned by the late guitarist's family, the software furnishes a collection of presets that instantly recall the unique tones heard in songs ranging from “Purple Haze” to “Red House.”

AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix gives you five modules that emulate amp heads, speaker cabinets, mics, and more. Nine stompbox effects are based on vintage gear that includes the Univox Uni-Vibe, Roger Mayer Octavia, Vox Wah V846, and Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face. Four virtual amp heads model a 1959 Marshall JTM100 and Fender Bassman, a Dual Showman, and a Twin Reverb. Seven simulated cabinets include open and closed 2 × 12, 4 × 12, and 2 × 15 models. You get four simulated rack effects too: stereo reverb, parametric EQ, tube compression, and rotary speaker. You also get two discrete signal paths, SpeedTrainer, a built-in tuner, and all the other features that make AmpliTube so versatile. AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix runs standalone or as an AU, RTAS, or VST plug-in.

Wave Arts Master Restoration Suite

Almost every studio occasionally faces the task of bringing old recordings back to life. To that end, Wave Arts (www.wavearts.com) has released Master Restoration Suite (Mac/Win, $499.95), a collection of plug-ins designed specifically for cleaning up vinyl and tape recordings. The suite comprises four separately available plug-ins that tackle different aspects of restoration, and a combo plug-in that does it all. Master Restoration Suite supports AU, DX, MAS, RTAS, and VST formats at sampling rates as high as 192 kHz; it also supports 32-bit processing with 64-bit EQs.

MR Noise ($349.95) is a broadband noise-reduction processor that minimizes artifacts. With latency low enough for live situations, it removes noise while you monitor the input, noise, and output signal visually and aurally. MR Click ($99.95) provides filtering algorithms to remove clicks, pops, crackles, and scratches. Offering spectrum analysis and brickwall filtering with adjustable frequency bands, MR Hum ($99.95) is optimized to remove rumble, hums, and buzzes. MR Gate ($99.95) is an expander/gate with adjustable look-ahead and comprehensive metering. The Master Restoration plug-in combines the functions of all four individual plug-ins and is available only as part of Master Restoration Suite.

Dangerous Music D-Box

One solution to the classic dispute over whether analog sounds better than digital is the new D-Box ($1,699), a multipurpose analog-summing device from Dangerous Music (www.dangerousmusic.com). Combining the functionality of a portable monitoring system with an 8-channel summing bus, the D-Box incorporates elements of several products in one rackspace. It has a talkback section, two ¼-inch headphone outputs with independent level controls, and two channels of 24-bit, 96 kHz D/A conversion.

For mobility and convenience, the D-Box is a single-rackspace unit with all controls on the front panel and all connections (except headphones) on the rear. Two analog audio inputs, two stereo digital audio inputs, two analog sum outputs, and four speaker outputs are all on balanced XLR jacks. The D-Box's digital inputs handle coaxial S/PDIF or AES3 signals. The analog inputs let you select either +4 dBu or -10 dBV levels, and the speaker outputs are switchable in pairs. The summing input has a 25-pin D-connector that connects to any 8-channel TDIF (Tascam Digital Interface) source. The cue/talkback section furnishes a built-in mic, a momentary switch, and a TRS input for an external switch. The D-Box is an all-in-one solution for a compact studio setup.

Sony Sound Forge 9

Well over a decade after its introduction, Sony's flagship audio-editing application (www.sonycreativesoftware.com) is in its ninth incarnation. Sound Forge 9 (Win, $399.95) serves up a feast of features for recording, editing, sweetening, processing, and encoding digital audio and burning audio CDs. Sound Forge now supports multichannel audio files, so you can record multiple sources at the same time, work with 5.1 surround mixes, and drag-and-drop data between channels. Visually monitor your tracks with multichannel spectrum analysis, and easily mix multichannel files down to stereo or mono.

Among Sound Forge 9's new tools and effects is Noise Reduction 2.0, an audio-restoration suite for cleaning up tapes and vinyl. You also get iZotope's Mastering Effects Bundle, comprising four mastering plug-ins for reverb, compression, limiting, and parametric EQ. Other enhancements include GUI color customization, updated markers and rulers, new crossfade options for effects, a greater assortment of onscreen meters, and Dolby Digital AC-3 export. In addition, Sound Forge 9 gives you a direct link to Sony Music Studios Internet Mastering, an online service offering professional mastering by top engineers, starting at $99 per track.

Apogee Symphony Mobile

If you're an electronic musician migrating to the MacBook Pro platform, you're going to need a fast, high-quality audio interface. And if you want 32 channels of 24-bit, 192 kHz audio, your choice of hardware is extremely limited. Apogee Electronics (www .apogeedigital.com) can fulfill your needs with the new Symphony Mobile ($595), a multichannel ExpressCard designed specifically for the MacBook Pro. With only 1.6 ms of latency at 96 kHz, from analog source in to analog source out, the Symphony Mobile delivers the sound quality and performance of Apogee's Symphony PCI-ExpressCard for desktop Macs.

When installed in your MacBook Pro and connected to any combination of Apogee Rosetta or X-series converters fitted with an optional X-Symphony card ($200), the Symphony Mobile can form the basis of a portable recording system on a par with full-size Mac Pro setups. For compatibility with any Core Audio application, the Symphony Mobile includes Apogee's Maestro software. It also comes with VBus, software that allows virtual routing between any Core Audio applications.