AES + SF = Gear

Oct 13, 2006 12:20 PM, By Gino Robair and Mike Levine

           
 

A report on the 2006 AES Convention.

SOFTWARE

BIAS booth was the announcement of Peak 5.2, a Universal Binary version of the company's 2-track editing software. The new version offers performance enhancements on Intel Macs and software-based authorization.

Cakewalk Sonar 6

Cakewalk was demoing its newly released Sonar 6 Producer Edition ($619)—a very impressive upgrade to its flagship sequencer. Highlights of Sonar 6 include a host of UI customization options including a user-definable toolbar; the AudioSnap feature for time stretching and quantizing multitrack audio; the Session Drummer 2 virtual instrument; a redesigned console view; ACT technology for remapping external controllers to plug-in parameters; and plenty more.

Although there were no new products at Cycling 74, the company did announce upgrades for a number of its current offerings, including Universal Binary versions of all its plug-in collections (Hipno, Pluggo, Mode, and Upmix). It also revealed a new firmware version for its Lemur control surface that has a Mackie Control emulation feature, making it easier for the Lemur to control sequencers that support that protocol.

Digidesign Velvet

Digidesign will release Pro Tools 7.3 for HD, LE, and M-Powered in late November. Version 7.3 will be a Universal Binary release, and will have a large number of user-interface improvements including savable window sets and upgraded looping functions. The new version will also offer integration with Sibelius notation software (recently purchased by Digidesign). That will allow Pro Tools users to automatically export MIDI tracks into Sibelius to be turned into lead sheets. Digidesign will also be releasing Velvet, a new plug-in from its Advanced Instrument Research Group. Velvet will offer emulations of Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, and will be equipped with a large number of sound-modifying features including distortion. Velvet should be available around the same time as Pro Tools 7.3.

At the FXpansion booth, the big news was a third-party release for the BFD drum instrument. The new Andy Johns Classic Drums expansion pack from Platinum Samples features a whopping 70 GB of drum samples, recorded by legendary engineer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Godsmack). Johns miked seven different drum kits for this collection.

Roger Nichols Detailer

Roger Nichols Digital debuted a couple of new plug-ins. Of particular note was the Detailer ($349), which is based on processes Nichols uses in his own mixes. It employs a combination of psychoacoustic processing and limiting, and, because it's a mastering processor, it also offers dithering. The Detailer is designed to add both dynamic widening and loudness to a mix. In demos at the booth, it seemed to focus mix elements, making them stand out more, especially around the edges of the stereo image. Also on display was the Uniquelizer LE ($69), a limited version of the Uniquelizer plug-in. It offers 7 bands of EQ instead of the unlimited set on the full version, but the algorithms are the same.

Sonic Studio SoundBlade

Sonic Studio announced that it's now shipping SoundBlade ($1,495), its Mac-based mastering program. SoundBlade is designed to allow detailed editing (including its Smart Fade Tool), fast workflow, recording at a variety of sample rates in a wide range of formats, and more.

Steinberg Cubase 4

Steinberg introduced Cubase 4 ($999), which offers a host of new features and improvements. Highlights include Control Room, which integrates analog monitoring setups into Cubase; SoundFrame, a universal sound manager; a new plug-in set, which offers a host of new plug-ins in the brand new VST 3 format including an Amp Simulator and three new synths; a revamped user interface; and much more.

TC Electronic had two very impressive plug-ins for PowerCore and TDM on display. UnWrap ($1,245 PowerCore, $1,595 TDM), converts stereo mixes into 5.1 surround with a range of adjustable parameters. UnWrap is scheduled to ship this month. TC Helicon's Harmony4 produces natural sounding backing vocals (up to 4 parts), and lets you adjust gender, vibrato, and volume, as well as "humanization." The PowerCore version of Harmony4 is available now, and the Pro Tools version will be out sometime this fall.

Besides its hardware offerings (described in the Hardware section) Universal Audio had some software news. It will be adding another new plug-in to its collection of Neve emulations. The 4-band Neve 1081 Classic Console Equalizer [$249] rounds out the UAD's Neve plug-in collection. Universal Audio will also be releasing a bundle of all three Neve plugs for UAD including the 1081, 1073, and 33609 for $599. The 1081 plug-in and the Neve bundle should both be available in late October or early November.