SOUND ADVICE

Aug 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Marty Cutler

FORWARDINOUTBACK

The Didgeridoo Sample CD, vol. 1 ($49; CD-ROM), is a collection of processed and natural didgeridoo samples played on a variety of homemade instruments in 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV format. Many samples are set up as loops and arranged by bpm.

The collection has individual short and long sounds as well as drones as long as six minutes. Loops are from one to eight measures long with time signatures ranging from 2/4 to 11/8. Samples are processed with reverb, pitch shifting, flanging, and more. The instruments were built by Ralph “Stick” Hermann from metal and a variety of woods, including birch, spruce, and bamboo. Forwardinoutback; tel. 49-30-455-8432; e-mail feedback@didgeridoo-samples.de; Web www.didgeridoo-samples.com.

WIZOO

Three new banks of sounds for three different synthesizers are available for download from Wizoo's Web site. Synthesizer programmer Peter Krischker programmed all three of these sound collections.

Magic Synth ($27.95) gathers 128 patches for the Access Virus Indigo and focuses on fat analog sounds. The programs make extensive use of the Indigo's new features.

Synth Basics ($15.95) offers a variety of polyphonic, analog-style patches for Yamaha's CS-series and S-series synthesizers. The collection features 64 patches, including pads, leads, basses, filter-sweeps, and atmospheric sounds.

Electrix ($15.95) provides sounds for Native Instruments Pro-52 and Pro-5 software synthesizers. The sounds are targeted at trance, electronica, and ambient styles. You get 64 patches and 32 sequences demonstrating the sounds. Wizoo GmbH; tel. 49-421-701870; e-mail info@wizoo.com; Web www.wizoo.com.

KID NEPRO

Triton vol. 8 Analog Heaven ($25) combines the Korg Triton ROM waveforms with samples from the Triton Vintage Archives PCM expansion board to provide a grab bag of synthesizer sounds. The company describes the collection as a hybrid of classic synthesizers with soundtrack textures.

Triton vol. 8 Analog Heaven's 128 programs and combinations include Mellotron-style choir and string sounds, vocoder patches, and special effects that take advantage of the Triton's dual arpeggiators and effects processors. Kid Nepro; tel. (246) 420-4504; e-mail kidnepro@aol.com; Web www.kidnepro.com.

DISCRETE DRUMS.COM

Rick DiFonzo and a crew of legendary engineers with credits ranging all the way from ZZ Top to John Lennon, have recorded a collection of drum samples that is designed for composers, producers, and home recordists. Discrete Drums ($299) is a 24-bit, 44.1 kHz collection of 12 CD-ROMs in AIFF, WAV, and audio file formats.

Nine CD-ROMs feature full performances in song form, consisting of intros, verses, choruses, B verses, breakdowns, fills, and endings. Instead of just stereo files, the performances contain isolated kick, snare, tom, and room ambience, as well as stereo overhead recordings. That allows you to individually process and customize the performances to suit your needs. Also, you can mix and match eight tracks of drum sounds to taste.

One CD-ROM offers AIFF-format samples of every drum and cymbal used in the recording. Each sample is offered in 16- and 24-bit resolution, in dry and ambient versions. Two audio CDs for auditioning performances round out the collection and include the individual drum hits. The drummer captured on the sampling sessions was Greg Morrow, who has recorded with a variety of well-known artists including .38 Special, Bad Company, the Dixie Chicks, and Amy Grant.

Discrete Drums LE ($179), which includes three 16-bit CD-ROMs and an audio CD, is also available. Discrete Drums.com; tel. (800) 387-5720; Web www.discretedrums.com.

UNIVERSAL AUDIO POWERED PLUG-INS

Even as computer processing power increases, the demands of digital signal processing (DSP) plug-ins rise proportionately, and host-based processing can easily take its toll on your computer's workload. Universal Audio's Powered Plug-Ins package ($995) bundles several high-quality plug-ins and a dedicated DSP card to handle the requisite processing power without increasing the host's processing overhead. That frees the computer's CPU and lets you use more tracks, mix automation, and native plug-ins.

The UAD-1 is a PCI card endowed with a proprietary DSP chip that the manufacturers claim offers 10 to 15 times the horsepower of a Motorola 56,000-series or SHARC DSP chip. Universal Audio is guarded about its chip specifications but claims the chip has greater than 32-bit floating-point processing. That enables the UAD-1 to sustain as many as eight RealVerb Pro plug-ins, or 32 EQs, 11 compressors, and 3 RealVerb Pro plug-ins simultaneously without draining the host CPU. Additionally, the plug-ins can be controlled in real time without zipper noise or other artifacts. Plug-ins used with the UAD-1 can run alongside native plug-ins without conflicts.

The initial release of Powered Plug-ins supports Windows VST host applications only; Universal Audio promises a release for Mac OS in the third quarter of this year with support for VST and MAS (Mark of the Unicorn audio systems) plug-ins. Plug-ins bundled with the UAD-1 include Kind of Loud's VST versions of RealVerb Pro, the Vintage Compressor 1176LN and Teletronix LA-2A, and the CS-1 Channel Strip.

You can run the Powered Plug-ins on any Pentium-based computer with 128 MB RAM and a spare PCI slot; however, you will need Windows 95/98 or ME. Support for Windows 2000 is expected soon. You will also need a VST host application, such as Steinberg's Cubase VST, Nuendo, or Emagic Logic Audio. Kind of Loud Technologies/Universal Audio; tel. (831) 466-3737; e-mail info@uadio.com; Web www.poweredplugins.com; www.uaudio.com.

TASCAM SX-1

Following the trend toward putting greater functionality into ever-smaller spaces, Tascam packs 16 channels of 24-bit, 48-kHz digital audio, high-resolution MIDI sequencing, plug-in support, surround mixing, and CD mastering into the SX-1 ($8,999). The SX-1 is an integrated workstation that includes a 40-channel, 8-bus mixing console with 100 mm touch-sensitive faders. The system offers built-in scene-based and dynamic automation, as well as 16 phantom powered mic preamps. You can record on all 16 tracks simultaneously. Tascam says a software update, which will let you simultaneously record eight tracks at a resolution of 24 bits and 96 kHz, will be available soon.

The SX-1 records to an internal 40 GB IDE hard disk. You can add IDE drives from a front-panel slot or attach SCSI devices to the rear-panel interface. You can use the built-in CD-RW drive to print surround or stereo mixes, back up data, or import audio from CD. You can also author MP3 files and burn them to CD. An onboard LCD comes standard with the SX-1, providing editing and automation information. An XVGA monitor output is also included, giving you the option of adding a second monitor.

The recorder supports sample-accurate waveform viewing, MIDI, and automation viewing and editing. The Jog/Shuttle wheel allows you to scrub MIDI and audio data at the same time. The workstation supports digital-audio plug-ins; it also incorporates built-in effects from TC Works, Antares, and Tascam. You can add additional plug-ins as needed.

The MIDI sequencer and automation editing are sample accurate. The SX-1 gives you 128 multichannel tracks for MIDI sequencing with 64 MIDI-channel output. You can edit MIDI and audio tracks during playback. The sequencer provides step- and real-time sequencing. Each of the 64 MIDI channels can be mapped to channel strips with knobs and faders assigned to output your choice of MIDI messages. In addition, you can cascade the SX-1 with Tascam's DM-24 mixing console to add input channels and additional control.

The SX-1 offers a generous variety of inputs: 16 balanced XLR jacks; 16 ¼-inch balanced line inputs with TRS inserts on each analog input; eight channels of ADAT digital I/O; two S/PDIF input and output jacks; BNC connectors for word-clock I/O, two MIDI In jacks, and four MIDI Out jacks; one SCSI and two USB ports; and an Ethernet jack. You also get video and Sony 9-pin connectors. Analog outputs are three pairs of balanced ¼-inch, XLR, and RCA speaker outputs, and two ¼-inch headphone jacks. The SX-1 offers three expansion slots for expanding analog and digital I/O. Tascam; tel. (323) 726-0303; Web www.tascam.com.