News Archive for March 2001

LinPlug have announced their next VSTi, Omega Sample Synth! A public beta version is available, and to tempt you to get involved LinPlug will be giving away licenses for Omega and their choice of any other of LinPlug's instruments to the 3 beta testers who help out the most! [Win]

• 24 voice polyphonic (CPU dependent)
• 64 sound programs
• 1 user loaded sample oscillator (WAV/AIFF up to 96kHz/24-bit)
• Samples can be time stretched and pitch shifted independently in real time
• Additional Analogue modelled oscillator
• Analogue modelled multi-mode filters with Cutoff and Resonance, fully modulatable
• Velocity, Aftertouch, Pitch bend , Mod wheel, Spread, and various other controllers
• ADSFR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Fade, Release) envelopes for Amplitude, Cutoff and a freely assignable Modulation Envelope
• Powerful GakStoar type 8x8 Modulation Matrix (More than 200 modulation routings)
• Two fully equipped LFOs with many waveforms, tempo sync and symmetry adjustment
• Delay section
• ECS (MIDI - Easy Controller Setup)
• Sample accurate timing
• Full automation and settings are saved with your song
• Cost To Be Announced
• Public Beta Available (Now closed)

Audionaut have released Fresh Killed Beat, their first VSTi, a cool Drum Synth for Windows :

• 12 Sounds/Pads (1 full Octave)
• Each Sound/Pad has :
  
  • Volume & Pan
  • Amp Envelope
  • Pitch Envelope
  • Low Pass Filter (Cut Off & Resonance)
  • Switchable Sine/Saw/Triangle waveforms
  • Wave Shape control
  • Noise level
  • Length (Release)
  • Base Frequency
• Demo available (Limited to 4 editable sounds and time-out)
• Costs $35

VSamp has been updated, again, to v3.1.3 [Mac]

• Fixed problem whereby under some circumstances the message "Your demo time has expired..." appeared even though a valid serial number had been entered

Emagic Logic 4.7 update has been released that fixes many of Logics VSTi shortcomings amongst many other things, including the Unified Classic and Virtual MIDI Engine that was not originally planned for inclusion until v5.0 [Mac & Win]

Steinberg released Cubase VST 5.0r4PB2 yesterday, but this has already been superseded by r4PB3 which has just gone live on the FTP! These are Public Betas so use at your peril [Win]

• Cubase VST 5.0r4PB3
• Cubase VST Score 5.0r4PB3
• Cubase VST 32 5.0r4PB3
• Version History
• What is A Public Beta?

ppd have updated Tritium to v4.0 and given their site a makeover [Win]

• Improved Alias Free Sound
  
• Default Patch Bank now automatically loaded
  
• Envelope is now sample rate fixed
  
• Much Improved System Stability

Its competition time again, this time its your chance to win a copy of reFX's forthcoming SID and also a TBL to go with it, see over to the left for more details, as if you could miss it [Win]

Applied Acoustics System have released Tassman 2.0 physical modelling Modular Synth for Windows :

• DXi & VSTi formats
• Tassman Full (DXi) is included with Sonar XL
• Tassman SE (DXi) (Pre-patched version) is included with Sonar
• 32 bit floating point calculations
• Polyphonic
• Multi-timbral
• 44.1 kHz Sampling Rate
• 16 bit Stereo Output
• Extensive customisable MIDI support
• Over 100 pre-patched synths and instruments
• Synths saved as short text files for easy exchange between users
• Demo available

VSamp has been updated to v3.1.2 [Mac]

• Fixed problem whereby some valid serial numbers were being reported as having expired
• Improved timing of Play Scale command
  

mda have released another new VSTi. mda Piano is a virtual, er, Piano -available for Windows.

They've also updated the Windows version of JX10, a GUI is being developed for the next release!

• Fixed hanging notes in the new version of Logic
• Reduced glitches when the polyphony limit is reached.

** You might have noticed the new addition over to the left, your chance to win Fruityloops! Go on enter.... **

The Forum's had a makeover, we've upgraded to the new v6.0 of the Ultimate Bulletin Board. You can now rate members, send private messages, and various other nonsense! Have a look and see what you think....

Also updated the hosts page so it now uses a similar format to the instruments page, i.e. you can choose OS, Formats, etc.
As ever it's a work in progress....

GMedia have posted v2.06 update to M-Tron (Windows only):

• Fixes the 'missing notes' problem some users have experienced!

Some new banks for you today:

Tom Leppkes has released a new version (v2.009) of LM-4 Creator, also included is a new utility called Counter that displays a sound card's true latency!

New Features

• New load routine (without requiring Media Player)
• Little wavecutter inside (because LM-4 ignores sample start and length)

ces has updated FMHeaven to v1.2 [Mac & Win]

• Better mapping of DX-7 sounds to FMHeaven. This is particularly noticeable with slow attack voices such as string sounds. These are now much more usable when running with FMHeaven.
• Support for keyboard rate scaling - this varies the envelope rates across the keyboard, allowing higher notes to have faster attacks, for example.
• Unison mode. This allows multiple voices to be triggered per note, with control over detuning between the voices and separation creating stereo effects.
• Oscillator sync control. Allows oscillators to run free, giving slight tonal variation between successive notes.

More from Frankfurt Musikmesse, FXpansion showed their forthcoming DR-008 Drum Sampler and VST-DX Adapter 3.0, here's some info to whet your appetites

DR-008 :

• 96-channel drum sampler and synthesizer
• Open architecture allows new synthesis types to be added
• Imports WAV, AIFF, LM-4, DR-005 banks
• Loads loops via "beat slicer" import plug-in
• Can load up to 5 LM-4 or 6 DR-005 banks at once
• Full MIDI control and automation
• Switchable AUX sends on every channel
• Choke/mute/solo
• Multiple outputs and AUX destinations, configurable
• Key-triggered pattern sequencers
• Windows VST & DXi versions due April 2001
• Mac VST version due late summer

VST-DX Adapter v3.0 :

• Will allow VSTi's to run seamlessly as DXi's in Sonar and other DXi hosts

Nenad Siskov has updated his LM-4 Drum Kit Editor to v1.501 [PC]

• Wrong directory structure fixed

Plugsound have a new range of sample based Instruments due for release shortly (Q2 2001). Initially there will be 6 volumes, in VST & MAS formats for both Windows and Mac. They will cost $99 each!

• PLUGSOUND Vol.1: Keyboard
• PLUGSOUND Vol.2: Fretted
• PLUGSOUND Vol.3: Drums
• PLUGSOUND Vol.4: Hip Hop Toolkit
• PLUGSOUND Vol.5: Synth
• PLUGSOUND Vol.6: Global

SpeedSoft's Virtual Sampler has been updated to v2.51 final, a full list of new features and fixes can be found here [PC]

Here's a sneak preview at the specs of Muon's forthcoming Tau Pro [PC & Mac]

• Monophonic Bassline synthesiser
• 2 alias-free Digital Waveform Oscillators per voice, Waveform selectable from a bank of full-bandwidth analog and digital shapes
• Phase modulation for each Osc
• Ring modulation and Osc sync
• Classic Tau resonant LP filter, also with new "LP Fat" and "LP Hi-Q" modes
• Velocity controlled accent w/variable depth
• Two LFO's
• Built in stereo FX (distortion, chorus, flange, delay)
• Will cost $15

News from Frankfurt Musikmesse:

Emagic have unveiled a bevy of new virtual instruments, some VST and some Logic format. EVP73 is a VST Electric Piano that's a cut down version of their new Logic only EVP88. ES2 is ES1's new big brother, a Logic only synth. EXSP24 is a cut down VST version of EXS24. EVOC20 is a Logic vocoder. They also announced Logic 5!

Native Instruments also announced a couple of interesting new synths. FM7 is, as it's name suggests, an FM synth, available in both VSTi, DXi, Mac and Windows formats. Absynth is a Semi modular synth originally created by Rhizomatic software who have recently joined forces with NI, it's a Mac only VSTi.

Steinberg announced Voice Machine by Spectral Design and Attack, by Waldorf, check out the links below for more info....

ppd have updated Tritium again, to v3.3 [PC]

• Support for different sample rates was added to the Slide function

Another new Sample Player VSTi for Mac has been released - AIFFPlayer is from a Japanese company called Kuniox. They've also got a few other Windows and Mac plugins available for download

• Japanese Site
• English Site (Translated by Babelfish)
• Our AIFFPlayer page

The VST Instruments pages have had a major update, they can now be searched by Type, OS, Format (VST, DX, Logic), and Free/Commercial/In Development! I've also added the current version for each instrument which I'll try to keep up to date, let me know if you find any that are incorrect! The Hosts section will also be updated soon in the same vein, DXi and Logic Hosts will also be included.

I hope you like the new features, let me know if you find any problems.......

A few new banks for you today, the Virtual Sampler bank is compressed in RAR format, as the Multimedia compression option reduces the file size by over 25% compared to ZIP. To decompress it you'll need something like WinRAR:

• cesSynth2 - Boff's C2
• Reaktor - JP-9093 by J.Knocker
• Virtual Sampler - Wavestation Loop by Paul Osborn

SpeedSoft have released a new beta of Virtual Sampler - v2.51 RC1. There are lots of fixes and new features, including import of LM-4 scripts, which you can read about here [PC]

Nenad Siskov has updated his LM-4 editor to v1.5 [PC]

• Full support for 16/24/32 bit WAV & AIFF
• Info about selected audio file in file select box

The Mac sampler VSamp has been updated to v3.1, the price has also been raised to $39!

• New LFO with own editor window
  
• New MIDI Inputs window
  
• New assignable output to bank window
  
• Reorganised menus
  
• Minor bug fixes
  
• Added Reload button to VSamp VST
  
• VSamp VST can now play VSamp banks with 4 assignable stereo outputs

Native Instruments have released Mac & Windows demo versions of their new Drum Sampler Battery

• Download here

Steinberg keep the update releases rolling out with a new Public Beta of Cubase, 5.0r4 PB1 [PC]

Download:

• Cubase VST Standard 5.0r4 PB1
• Cubase VST Score 5.0r4 PB1
• Cubase VST 32 5.0r4 PB1
• Version History (Release Notes)
• What is a Public Beta?

reFX TBL has been updated to v1.3 [PC]

• New feature: Edit Button:
  
  When switched on all MIDI-Ctrl messages program TBL directly. This means you can program the sound with external MIDI-Hardware (Master keyboard etc.). When switched off the previous behaviour is enabled.

They've also posted some info about their recently announced SID VSTi [PC]

• Up to four independent SIDs can be emulated with a single SID plugin
  
• Each SID has three independent oscillators and a fourth "Galway-noise" channel
  
• The SID emulation has been enhanced so each oscillator can have it's own volume
  
• Build-in arpeggiator for each oscillator
  
• Four LFOs, four envelopes and four "functions" for each oscillator
  
• Programmable wavetables for each oscillator
  
• Three play modes : Mono, Poly & Multi-timbral
  
• Nearly every parameter can be modulated by MIDI or other internal modulators
  
• Beta-tested by Chris Hülsbeck, the C-64 SID guru
  
• Very low CPU consumption
• Due for release April/May 2001
• Cost $25

bismark have updated bs-1 to v1.12 [Mac & PC]

• Fixed: Bug on control poly parameter
• Fixed: Bug on start-up procedure
• Fixed: Windows NT/2000 compatibility issues

ppd Tritium has been updated to v3.2 [PC]

• Now features Sample Accurate Sync

Creamware have announced a new VSTi sampler - Volkszämpler, you can read the full press release HERE, Harmony-Central also have some Screenshots HERE

• Up to 32 bit resolution, 96kHz sample rate
• Loads AKAI S1000 & S3000/SoundFonts/WAV/AIFF sample formats
• Extensive editing features
• Modulation Matrix
• Resonant Filter
• Available for both Mac & PC
• A free copy for every visitor to Creamware's booth at the Frankfurt Musikmesse!!

They've also announced Pulsar XTC, a DSP card that's compatible with the VST plugin format in a similar vein to the TC|Works PowerCore card. You can read the press release for this HERE