AraldFX, a new on-line consortium of developers and sound designers promoted by DASH Signature, has released Grand Electrix, which they describe as "the perfect emulation of the famous CP70 electro-acoustic piano".

Grand Electrix is a sample based virtual instrument featuring a new stream from disk custom technology ("direct from disk") - the DashSignature Arald piano engine - for very low memory and CPU usage. Samples are streamed in real time from the hard disk, reducing the need for huge amounts of RAM in sample playback. Disk streaming may also be disabled if you have a large amount of RAM.

The samples are derived from the Hollow Sun library "Definitive CP70", which features every note, recorded with full decay over two levels of dynamics, of the classic CP70B piano.

Features:

• 180 MB multi-sampled content with full decay, crossfading layers, and no loops.
• Stream from disk custom technology for very low memory and CPU usage.
• Complete control over velocity response, curve, min/max, and sensitivity.
• Temperament Menu (microtuning).
• Stretch tuning adjustable for customizable "expression color" across the keyboard.
• 3 Band EQ.
• Tremolo Rate and Depth.
• Chorus Rate and Depth.

Grand Electrix is initially available as a VSTi for Windows; Mac OS X AU and VST versions will follow. It is available for the introductory price of $46 until the end of July 2006; the full price will be $79.