What's New, November 2008

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Len Sasso

           
 

HERCULES DJ CONSOLE MK2

DJ MIXING 4U

Hercules (hercules.com/us) has released the DJ Console MK2 (Mac/Win, $249.99 [MSRP]), a cost-effective entry point for aspiring DJs. The 2.5-pound desktop unit controls two virtual decks with large jog wheels, pitch and volume controls, three EQ buttons, and a crossfade slider. In addition to digital USB inputs supporting most popular formats, you get two line/phono inputs for mixing analog signals, a mic input with talk-over function, and a headphone output for cueing. The unit includes Virtual DJ 3 DJ Console Edition software for Mac and PC.

GET SMART

The MIT Press's Game Sound

Game Sound ($28) from the MIT Press (mitpress.mit.edu) offers both practical and theoretical discussions on creating audio for games. The book's two underlying themes — why game audio is different and technological constraints — are interwoven in coverage of the history of game audio, the difficulties posed by nonlinearity and interactivity, and the production process for a contemporary game at a modern, large game company. Author Karen Collins is Canada Research Chair at the Canadian Center of Arts and Technology, University of Waterloo.

Course Technology PTR's Artists on Recording Techniques

Curious about what techniques your favorite artists use to capture their music? Jeff Touzeau has been asking that question in his “Music, Etc.” column in Pro Sound News. Artists on Recording Techniques ($29.99) from Course Technology PTR (courseptr.com) presents, for the first time, the full, unabridged interviews and related bonus material. Everything from vocals to guitar to drums in a variety of styles and genres is covered. Well-known pop and rock artists such as Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), and Tony Bennett share their insights into every aspect of the creative process.

Hal Leonard's The Business of Audio Engineering

You've mastered the mixing desk and know your way around the studio. Now what? In The Business of Audio Engineering ($17.69), Dave Hampton (davehampton.com) leads you through the real-world jungle of professional engineering, showing you how to establish yourself in the business and make a real living. You learn how to attract and keep clients, book studio time, handle problem artists, deal with producers and labels, and manage those crises you can't prevent. When school's out and it's time to move on, you'll find this book at your local bookstore or online from Music Dispatch (musicdispatch.com).

Sound Advice

Soniccouture (Bowed) Piano

Start with a 9-foot Baldwin grand piano, some nylon fishing line, and bow rosin and add a dollop of imagination and lots of patience, and you have Soniccouture's latest offering (soniccouture.com). (Bowed) Piano (Mac/Win, $99 download, $104 disc) is a 1.6 GB collection of multisampled instruments for Native Instruments Kontakt 2 and 3 and Apple Logic EXS24. In addition to the long, sustained notes played by drawing the nylon through the piano strings, you get short, staccato articulations produced by tongue depressors faced with horsehair. This very playable instrument comes in dry and effects-processed incarnations.

TrackTeam Audio Drum.Crate

TrackTeam Audio (trackteamaudio.com) expands its library of Live Packs for Ableton Live 7 with the vinyl-inspired Drum.Crate (Mac/Win, $39.99). It starts with more than 1,100 one-shot samples of dry and processed electronic and acoustic percussion. Those are organized in 30 Drum Racks with associated professionally recorded MIDI clips. You also get a collection of MIDI effects called the Articulator, which contains more than 60 MIDI Effect Racks for creating authentic articulations such as flams, release strokes, roll, fills, echos, and so on.

Fixed Noise Kreate by Speedy J

Kreate by Speedy J (Mac/Win, $199.99) is a 4 GB collection of more than 500 instruments for Native Instruments Kontakt Player 2 (included). This techno-, trance-, and dance-inspired library from Fixed Noise (fixednoise.com) by Jochem Paap, aka Speedy J, has something for most electronic genres. The instruments are spread across six categories. Kits contains mostly processed percussion hits. FX is a broad assortment of ambiences and otherworldly effects. Loops contains fully composed dance loops, whereas Konstrukt consists of the elements of those loops. In the Sequences bin, you'll find rhythmic as well as abstract sequenced material. Tones rounds out the collection with basses and tuned percussion.