KVR Audio is the Internet's number one news and information resource for open standard audio plug-ins. We report new releases, product announcements and product updates (major and minor) for all VST Plug-ins, DirectX Plug-ins and Audio Units Plug-ins (and RTAS too). We manage a fully searchable audio plug-in database (updated daily), and offer many free member services including user reviews, product update notifications and a very active discussion forum. We also host official support forums for many plug-in developers plus the official Receptor support forum.
Plug-in Database: Virtual
Instruments, Effects & Hosts
Plug-in
Ranks
Banks & Patches
Download & Upload
Plug-in Ratings
by KVR Members
Wiki: Tutorials,
Audio Lexicon, ...
Listen to Music
by KVR Members
Search
KVR

Google Powered Search:

in new window

KVR Powered Plug-in Search:

?
KVR Rank: 185 111 179 [30-Day: 188; 7-Day: 125; Yesterday: 147]
74 members are watching GURU for news
Product GURU
Developer FXpansion
Primary Type Loop Workstation
Price (MSRP) $249
Plug-in Formats
Instrument(s)VSTDirectXAudio UnitRTAS
Operating System Availability
Operating
System
Latest
Version
Download Is it
Available?
Windows 1.6.12 Demo / TrialReleased
Mac OS XMac OS X Universal Binary 1.6.12 Demo / TrialReleased
Miscellaneous Information
Copy Protection Serial Number
Supported Sample Formats include AIFF, REX, WAV
Average User Rating Average rating - 9.062
Known to work
advertisement
GURU

GURU is a beatbox plug-in that offers advanced step sequencing, groove manipulation, sample editing, and beat slicing.

Features:

  • Advanced Step Sequencer - 128 steps, 16 channels, 24 memories per engine, full graphical automation, MIDI remote control, independent tempo multipliers, real-time and step recording with undo.
  • Automated sample slicing, classification and pad mapping (kick, snare, hat, percussion) with manual slice-tuning capability.
  • Can load audio loops (WAV/AIFF/REX), MIDI loops, single-hits, complete kits, pattern banks.
  • 8 Engines, each comprising:
    • 16 MIDI-triggered Sample Pads.
    • Powerful step-sequencer with up to 128 steps.
    • 24 MIDI-triggered Patterns.
    • Three Aux effects units.
    • Master effects unit.
  • Intuitive mixer view offering a convenient overview of all 8 engines.
  • Flexible groove/shuffle control for patterns - take the groove of one MIDI file and apply it in real-time to another.
  • Comprehensive Pad Editor offering individual control of the following for each pad:
    • Gain, pan, coarse/fine tune.
    • Resonant filter blend between LP/BP/HP.
    • 3 Aux sends and an Insert effect slot.
    • Start/end point adjust.
    • Amp/FX envelope.
    • 8 velocity cross-fade layers.
    • Cut groups (choke groups).
  • Includes library of over 2GB of sample content, featuring material by Yellow Tools, Wizoo, Gearshift and others.
  • Eight stereo outputs, flexible routing.
  • Built in MIDI mapping allows you to quickly setup GURU to work with your hardware groove box / drum triggers.

User Reviews by KVR Members for GURU.

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR REVIEW


By gorecki
On 31st August 2007
Version: 1.5.1

Read all reviews by
gorecki


4 of 4 people found
this review helpful.

Was this review
helpful to you?
Yes | No
  GUI
Sound
Features
Docs
Presets
Support
VFM
Stability
When I originally stopped using my MPC and decided to make music exclusively in my PC I was a little disappointed at the available software out there for drum work. Don't get me wrong there were some great things like Phatmatik or RMIV, but nothing that really inspired me like my MPC did. Then I stumbled across GURU.

GURU has become my go-to drum sampler, and even "regular" sampler on some occasions. The wealth of options it has to alter/combine your sounds is superb. The user interface is easy to navigate and is quite intuitive. The auto-slicing functionality is fun to use and every so often I end up with something that is completely usable right out of the gate.

The sounds that come with GURU are pretty darn good as well. I haven't tried any of the new content, but I was satisfied with what originally came with the software. I normally use drum/percussion samples/loops from my own collection.

Now there are a few things here and there that could be modified or improved, but that's the case with all software. So I won't mention anything specific. It's all very minor in my opinion.

At this point I would consider GURU a true classic. I don't see why I wouldn't be using this 5 years from now, or even 10.
 
   Report

By Lind0n
On 13th October 2005
Version: 1.0

Read all reviews by
Lind0n


11 of 11 people found
this review helpful.

Was this review
helpful to you?
Yes | No
  GUI
Sound
Features
Docs
Presets
Support
VFM
Stability
Well it's a bit unkind to call this a "loop workstation", it's more than that....

You can use GURU as a sample playback engine too, and it comes with a really big set of very usable drum samples (electronic and acoustic), each tweekable in so many ways.....

In the end though I DONT do something so simple wiht it, I DO however use it as an extended groove workstation; it's my replacement for Battery AND my replacement for sub-mixing in my DAW. It comes with hundreds of usable loop structures, sounds and effects. I've been using it for about 4 months now and I'm realising that I dont need to route multiple outs from it I can do all my (non-radical) drum processing inside GURU, as well as all my loop tweeking and pattern building. In the end all my drum related work (outside of making drum samples) now happens inside GURU. Given the high quality of sounds included, and the ability to easily config your own kits and add sounds of your own there's little you cant do in here. Its one major limit I can see me coming up against is only 16 sounds in each kit, but even then I can load up multiple kits each in its own groove (with say one playing 16-beat sequence one playing 22-beat seq. at the same time for funky polyridims..). Yeah it sounds really really good, it works really really well, go buy it, you wont regret it.
 
   Report
Latest 2 reviews from a total of 2

Reviews, articles, interviews, etc. for GURU.

None listed yet.

 

Products by FXpansion

Product: Amber (DCAM: Synth Squad)
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Synth (Analogue / Subtractive)
Price: £157 / $249 / €189 (bundle)
OS: WindowsMac OS XIntel Only
Formats: VSTAudio UnitRTAS
DCAM: Synth Squad is a collection of 4 software instruments: Strobe: a performance synth - easy to program, begs to be played. Amber: a divide-down string ensemble synth emulation. Cypher: a complex 3-osc synth with dual filters/waveshapers and realistic audio-rate modulation. Fusor: a semi-modular layering/FX/step-sequencing environment for the above synths. One of the first attempts to realistically model the divide-down string ensemble synths from the '70s, Amber captures the lush, psychedelic sound of these much-loved but often-forgotten instruments. A formant filter, 3 separate chor... [more]

 
Product: BFD
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Acoustic Drum Module
Price: $399 / €299
OS: WindowsMac OS XUniversal Binary
Formats: VSTAudio UnitRTAS
BFD2 is an acoustic drum production environment for your computer with power and flexibility. Extreme realism and sound quality, fast and easy set up, total plug-in integration to your digital audio workstation. Customized 10, 18 or 32 piece kits are at your fingertips, with full control over tuning, damping, ambience levels, velocity response and more. Layer parts of the kit for powerful hybrid sounds perfect for modern productions and flick through preset kit-piece profiles for quick access to dry, damped and other useful settings. BFD2 lets you configure your sounds like a real drum kit ins... [more]

 
Product: Cypher (DCAM: Synth Squad)
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Synth (Analogue / Subtractive)
Price: £157 / $249 / €189 (bundle)
OS: WindowsMac OS XIntel Only
Formats: VSTAudio UnitRTAS
DCAM: Synth Squad is a collection of 4 software instruments: Strobe: a performance synth - easy to program, begs to be played. Amber: a divide-down string ensemble synth emulation. Cypher: a complex 3-osc synth with dual filters/waveshapers and realistic audio-rate modulation. Fusor: a semi-modular layering/FX/step-sequencing environment for the above synths. A multi-oscillator synth geared towards audio-rate modulation and other advanced oscillator functions, Cypher takes analogue FM to the next level. It combines the rawness and tone of analogue oscs with modern luxuries like polyphony... [more]

 
Product: DR-002
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Drum Sampler
Price: Free
OS: Windows
Formats: VST
16 Channels (16 voice polyphony)4 outputsLoop functionVelocity sensitiveLoad samples from the front panel32-bit sound engine... [more]

 
Product: DR-005
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Drum Sampler
Price: No longer available
OS: Windows
Formats: VST
DR-005 is a simple 16 channel Drum Sampler plug-in and was the forerunner to DR-008. Features: 16 channels. Load samples from the front panel. 64 voice polyphony. 4 stereo outputs. 2 mute groups. Pitch, pitch decay, volume, pan, & amplitude decay for each sample/channel. 32-bit sound engine.... [more]

 
Product: DR-008
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Modular Drum Sampler/Synth
Price: $99
OS: Windows
Formats: VSTDirectXRTAS
DR008 is a powerful software instrument for generating and arranging drum and percussion sounds, on shot samples and rhythm patterns in your sequencing environment. Features: 96 drum pads. Over 20 sample and drum synth modules. Up to eight stereo outputs and eight stereo aux sends, configurable. High quality 32-bit modular sound engine. Over 1GB of high quality kits. More than 200 bonus MIDI loops and grooves. Supports stereo WAV and AIFF files, and bank files in LM-4, DR-005 and Battery format. ... [more]

 
Product: GURU
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Loop Workstation
Price: $249
OS: WindowsMac OS XUniversal Binary
Formats: VSTAudio UnitDirectXRTAS
GURU is a beatbox plug-in that offers advanced step sequencing, groove manipulation, sample editing, and beat slicing. Features: Advanced Step Sequencer - 128 steps, 16 channels, 24 memories per engine, full graphical automation, MIDI remote control, independent tempo multipliers, real-time and step recording with undo.Automated sample slicing, classification and pad mapping (kick, snare, hat, percussion) with manual slice-tuning capability.Can load audio loops (WAV/AIFF/REX), MIDI loops, single-hits, complete kits, pattern banks.8 Engines, each comprising: 16 MIDI-triggered Sample Pads.Powerf... [more]

 
Product: Mysteron
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Theremin
Price: No longer available
OS: Windows
Formats: VST
Features: Monophonic. MIDI or mouse controllable. Mouse controllable X-Y interface. Rate, Over & Decay controls for Amplitude. Rate & Over controls for Pitch. ... [more]

 
Product: Orca
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Synth (Analogue / Subtractive)
Price: Free
OS: WindowsMac OS XUniversal Binary
Formats: VSTAudio UnitRTAS
Orca is an experimental monosynth built to showcase some new technology that FXpansion has been developing. Based on detailed and accurate models of analogue synthesizer circuits and components, Orca excels at deep, squelchy basses and thick unison leads. ... [more]

 
Product: Simple Virtual Host
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Host
Price: No longer available
OS: Windows
Formats: VST
Features: Supports ASIO drivers for low latency (Or MME ASIO). 4 Channel strips can each host 4 VST plugins in serial (i.e. 1 VSTi + 3 FX). Multiple MIDI ins. ... [more]

 
Product: Strobe (DCAM: Synth Squad)
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Synth (Analogue / Subtractive)
Price: £157 / $249 / €189 (bundle)
OS: WindowsMac OS XIntel Only
Formats: VSTAudio UnitRTAS
DCAM: Synth Squad is a collection of 4 software instruments: Strobe: a performance synth - easy to program, begs to be played. Amber: a divide-down string ensemble synth emulation. Cypher: a complex 3-osc synth with dual filters/waveshapers and realistic audio-rate modulation. Fusor: a semi-modular layering/FX/step-sequencing environment for the above synths. Designed to be as easy to program and satisfying to play as an analogue monosynth, Strobe also adds polyphony, osc-stacking, a versatile multimode filter and deep modulation to create a modern classic. Strobe specializes in no-nonse... [more]

 
Product: VST-AU Adapter
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Format Adapter
Price: $99 / €75
OS: Mac OS XUniversal Binary
Formats: VSTAudio Unit
The VST to Audio Unit Adapter for Mac OS X is a highly-integrated plug-in wrapper that allows users of Audio Unit-compatible applications such as Apple's Logic and MOTU's Digital Performer to integrate VST plug-ins and instruments seamlessly in to their working environment. Once installed and configured, the wrapper creates "virtual Audio Units" for each of your VST plug-ins, which behave exactly the same as true Audio Units in every respect. ... [more]

 
Product: VST-RTAS Adapter
Developer: FXpansion
Type: Format Adapter
Price: $99 / €75 / £55
OS: WindowsMac OS XUniversal Binary
Formats: VSTRTAS
The VST to RTAS Adapter enables VST effect and instrument plug-ins to be used seamlessly and transparently as RTAS plug-ins in your Pro Tools session (Pro Tools and Pro Tools LE versions 6.0 and higher). It uses virtually no CPU power or memory and makes a vast range of VST plug-ins available directly within Pro Tools. The adapter supports all the latest VST2 features, such as sample accurate timing, parameter automation, automatic tempo synchronization, easy preset browsing, and patch/preset interchange with other VST hosts such as Steinberg's Cubase VST, Cubase SX and Nuendo series. ... [more]

 
Coming Soon...