Powerhouse Samplers 

By Geary Yelton

When you think of electronic musical instruments, one of the first that probably comes to mind is the sampler. Even when you play a synthesizer, chances...

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS Massive 1.1 (Mac/Win) 

By Len Sasso

Massive 1.1, the latest behemoth virtual instrument from Native Instruments, lives up to its name in several ways....

WHAT'S NEW 

By Geary Yelton

If you've never seen a Blue Woodpecker, you're in for a treat. The first thing you'll notice is its beautiful exotic-wood and brass finish....

STEINBERG HALion Symphonic Orchestra  

By Geary Yelton

For at least as long as synths and samplers have existed, musicians have aspired to putting an orchestra on their desktops. Achieving that goal has been...

IK Multimedia Ships Miroslav Philharmonik Classik Edition 

IK Multimedia is now shipping Miroslav Philharmonik Classik Edition (Mac/Win; $249), a virtual instrument orchestral plug-in available in VST, RTAS, and AU formats or as a standalone....

Modartt Releases Pianoteq 2.0 

Modartt Pianoteq 2.0 (Mac/Win) piano modeling software offers a new soundboard model, improved piano sounds, and a standalone version....

Cakewalk Releases Rapture 1.1 Update 

Cakewalk's free (for registered customers) Rapture 1.1 update offers many new features, including Native Windows Vista support and RTAS and VSTi Universal Binary support....

WHAT'S NEW 

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,...

MODARTT Pianoteq 1.0.3 (Mac/Win) 

By Len Sasso

Modartt Pianoteq 1.0.3 marks a milestone in physical-modeling technology. From the first note, there's no doubt that this is a very playable piano with...

ARTURIA Analog Factory 1.2 

By Len Sasso

Beginning with its Moog Modular V in 2003, Arturia has released a steady stream of virtual instruments emulating classic hardware synths. Analog Factory...

Vienna Symphonic Library Releases Appassionata Strings 

The Vienna Symphonic Library team has released the new Vienna Instruments collection, Appassionata Strings, which features sounds from large ensembles of violins, violas, cellos, and basses....

VSL Vienna Instruments Symphonic Cube 1.1 (Mac/Win) 

By Geary Yelton

Electronic Musician reviews the Symphonic Cube, a 10-volume Vienna Instruments sample collection and software instrument from soundware developer Vienna Symphonic Library....

DIGIDESIGN Strike 1.0 (Mac/Win) 

By Jim Aikin

Electronic Musician's review of Digidesign's Strike plug-in, which offers users an array of drum sounds and patterns....

SUBMERSIBLE MUSIC DrumCore 2 (Mac/Win) 

By Mike Levine

Since its initial release, Submersible Music's DrumCore has offered users an innovative software platform for drum-track creation....

TONE2 FireBird 1.2.1 and FilterBank2 1.4 (Win) 

By Len Sasso

FireBird is an easy-to-use but quite powerful synth featuring a variation on wavetable synthesis dubbed Harmonic Content Morphing (HCM). FilterBank2 is a dual-filter effect incorporating a broad range of filter types followed by distortion and flexible feedback-delay effects....

ROB PAPEN Albino 3 

By Len Sasso

Albino 3 has four independent layers, a slew of new and enhanced effects, an expanded modulation matrix, and external audio input. It comes with more than 2100 presets clearly organized by category....

EastWest Introduces New Virtual Instrument Collections and Play Software 

In addition to EastWest's introduction of Fab Four Virtual Instruments (now $395) at NAMM 2007, EastWest has also introduced its new Play software, as well as a handful of other virtual instrument collections: Quantum Leap Gypsy, Quantum Leap Ministry of Rock, Quantum Leap Pianos, Quantum Leap SD2—The Next Generation, and Quantum Leap Voices of Passion....

Garritan Announces Gofriller Solo Cello, Concert & Marching Band Library, and More 

Garritan announced a handful of new products at the NAMM Show this past week: the Gofriller Solo Cello, the Concert & Marching Band Library, and the Personal Orchestra Soundware Library for Mackie Tracktion 3. ...

Vienna Symphonic Library Bösendorfer 290 Imperial and Vienna Konzerthaus Organ 

Releasing its first collections of sampled keyboard instruments, the Vienna Symphonic Library announces the Bösendorfer 290 Imperial and the Vienna Konzerthaus Organ....

ARTURIA Prophet-V 1.0 (Mac/Win) 

By Jim Aikin

The Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, which debuted in 1978, was the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer. Although the Prophet-5's total...