Have Cakewalk missed the boat by charging UK and European users more money for Kinetic than US customers...?
What do you think?
SonicBytes have announced EST, a Sampling-Groovebox VSTi initially for Windows.
EST should be released next week and the pre-order price is EUR 49, after which the introductory price will be increased to EUR 59.
DXi and AU versions are also planned.
The heart of EST is a 12*Multi-timbral sampler. Each sampler can be controlled either by your host, MIDI-in or the internal step-sequencer. The step-sequencer contains 128 recallable patterns, which are clearly organized in banks, programs and variations. Each pattern contains complete sequences with triggers, notes and automation-data for the 12 samplers.
Sampler
Imports WAV and AIF with all known sub formats.
Uses its own 32-bit-float format for setting up slots (a sample with extensions) and kits.
Quick access via tree-menus and customizable sample-directory's.
One shot, forward, backward, ping pong.
Scalable root-key.
Multi-sample support by using multiple rows and key zones (from/to).
Keytrack-option.
Sample-offset controllable.
Up to 128 voices polyphony.
Modes: Poly, Legato and Mono.
Scalable Unison, Voice-Limit and Detune.
Chord-mode (combinable with unison).
Morph mode (channels are used as oscillators).
Volume, pan and morph with inertia.
Pitchbend (global and single) with scalable range.
Fine-tune.
Glide-mode (works even in poly mode) with adjustable glide-time.
Amplitude envelope ADSR with velocity sense.
Modulation envelope ADSR with velocity sense (can be modulated by LFO2).
Two syncable LFOs with sin, tri, pulse, saw, saw up/down and scalable phase.
Filter (lp, hp, bp, notch) with overdrive.
Modulation of pitch, filter, morph and mod-adsr itself.
Almost all parameters can be automated by the step-sequencer.
Loop-recorder for reuse of sequences as samples or usage in other applications.
Basic functions for mono/stereo-conversion, channel swap, normalize, gain and reverse.
Menu option to edit and reload sample in your preferred sample-editor.
GUI
Customizable color-schemes.
Visualization of used patterns.
Step-LED's for visual feedback.
Integrated Help system.
Support for right mouse button, wheel.
Almost all functions are available without control/shift keys.
Global settings and functions
Preset browser.
Scope and level display (with clip and sync indicator).
Gain slider.
Songinfo (opens linked web site or document).
Sync mode (internal, host, manual).
Key-select (auto-activation of rows regarding key-zone).
Grid-size (piano-roll and drum-grid).
Record velocity, delay-time and auto-step.
Audition (editing and sample-import, velocity and gate-time).
Synchronization
Host synchronization for tempo, transport.
Inter process synchronization (mute, solo, play, record).
Relative tempo from 1/32. to 32/1t.
Sample accurate timing.
3 different Sync-modes (internal, host, manual).
Row Parameters
Output-port (EST can use up to 12 outputs).
Trigger channel (active, all and 1-16).
Route-row (trigger other rows, make custom chords, trigger multi-samples).
Relative transpose, velocity, gate-time and delay.
Swing affecting delay and velocity (scalable first step and interval).
Humanization for velocity, delay and gate-time.
Step-divide, which allows to play a row in a different tempo (adjustable divide and length).
Live situation (MIDI-in targets)
Bank, program and variation recall via MIDI-note.
Start/Stop, Start, Mute/Solo, Sync.
Row-mute.
Navigation and editing via controllers (every single step can be controlled).
MIDI-Learn function.
MIDI-Thru.
Panic.
Transpose via MIDI-note (global and single-row).
Free and Hold mode.
Recording
Step and Live recording.
Adjustable auto-step, velocity and delay.
Built-in Loop-Recorder, Wave-export.
Record loop to sample.
Pattern editing
Piano-roll and drum-grid.
Colors can assigned to rows.
All-rows-visible mode.
Easy pattern editing with left/right mouse buttons.
Cut, Copy and Paste for patterns, variations, rows and step-values.
Undo and snapshot.
Row rotate, reverse and random step shuffle.
Auto-trigger, inverse and trigger-random.
Note transpose, set to root/last note, note-random.
Chord-progressions.
Value increment, decrement, two value-random functions (absolute, relative).
All functions can optionally affect all or selected steps.
Pattern lock (run one pattern and edit another).
Mouse sweeping for quick value drawing.
Different random functions for notes, triggers and values.
Rotate, reverse, transpose etc.
Data-has-changed indicator.
Import/Export functions for banks and single patterns.
Tree-menus (quick access) for saved banks and patterns.
Quick step mute/unmute.
Magic function which produced sequences based on chords-progressions and random.
Pattern structure
16 variations.
12 trigger rows.
Default variation (optionally), which is automatically selected on pattern change.
Target-parameters of the 5 automation-rows.
Variation structure
Tempo (relative to host).
Mode (free/hold).
LFO and row-subdivide restart option (never, always, on variation or pattern change).
First/Last step (pattern length).
Step-row (every single step can be muted).
Order-row (defines the actual play-order).
Break-row (enables triggering other-patterns).
Mute/Solo states of the trigger rows.
Trigger-row structure
16 triggers (on/off) and a note-value and chord-descriptor.
Velocity-row.
Gate-row (note duration).
Fill-row (re triggers notes automatically, different modes).
Hits-row (used to create sub-patterns and chord-progressions).
Delay-row.
5 Automation rows.
Automation parameters
Offset, morph, morph-time, detune, pitch, fine-tune.
Gain, gain-time, pan, pan-time, hit-pan.
Cutoff, resonance, drive.
ADSR-settings of both envelopes.
Phase of both LFOs.
Almost all track-parameters.
rob
Imho EST will be a bit of a crazy horse 