News Archive for August 2000

We've added the MIDI CC listings for Native Instruments B4 and JXPlugins JX220 to the MIDI Information page. Also, the Discussion Forum will be down for a few days as our hosts www.mycgiserver.com are moving to better, faster servers, hopefully the poor performance of the forum will be much improved after this!

The JX220 is out and available for free download [PC]

• Oscillator with variable waveform (Sine,Triangle, Saw, Pulse)
• SubOscillator with pulse and random white noise generator
• 2 Pole resonant Low Pass digital IIR filter
• LFO Sine Wave, Range 1-10 Hz
• Unison for Phat Sounds with additional Spread Control
• Midi driven Modulation, Pitch Bend, Volume, Velocity and Filter Cutoff
• 8 Polyphonic channels
• 32 program banks per synth.

JXPlugins have updated JXSynth to v1.01, fixing a bug in Wavelab 3.0, and they've also announced a new free VSTi Synth due for release tomorrow, the JX220 [PC]

Good news for Mac users, neXoft have released the Mac version of their free LoopAZoid Drum Sampler [Mac]

• 48 Channels
• 64 Voices
• 8 Outputs (4 Stereo)
• 3 Mute Groups
• Forward/Reverse sample playback
• Free!

SynC Modular has been updated, again, to v1.93 [PC]

• New: min and max values displayed in control value edit dialogue
• Fixed: internal error in synthesis engine
• Fixed: internal error in menu processing

VSamp has been updated to v3.0.1 fixing a couple of bugs [Mac]

• Fixed bug whereby instrument that accessed a file with more than one sound resource would only load the first resource (including demo instrument)
• When opening a bank or VST Instrument that can't find an instrument, user is now prompted to find the instrument

SpeedSoft Virtual Sampler v2.15 final has been released, check the long list of new features and bug fixes HERE [PC]

Progressive Production have posted some new images and specs of TRIBONE [PC]

Native Instruments have released the demo of the B4 organ, another hotly anticipated VSTi. Its available for both Mac & PC. You can go straight to the download page HERE [PC & Mac]

Sonic Syndicate have released Orion v1.5, they've updated the demo version to v1.5 too, their home page is a bit out of date but if you go to straight to the Orion page you'll see a direct link to the v1.5 demo [PC]

A new free Mac VSTi has been brought to our attention called MetaFlute, which, as its name suggests, synthesizes a physical model of a flute like instrument. It runs as a VSTi under Pluggo, a set of 74 Mac VST Plugins which is available from Cycling '74 for a very reasonable $74 [Mac] 

Virtual Sampler v2.15 beta 5 has been released [PC]

• Remembers last used directory per filetype in the Load/Import-dialogs
• SplitEditor: Ctrl-A selects all splits
• 'Change All Splits' enabled by default and inherited to the other tabs
• Changes in the setup-program: installation of virtual MIDI driver disabled by default (no reboot-screen in this case), registration key, skin and install directory of previously installed version adopted)
• fixed: error in uninstall program
• fixed: redraw-error in filter envelope and split editor
• fixed: split editor showed sample names instead of split names

LinPlug have posted a bank of 50 patches for GakStoar Delta 2 users, they are also running a promotion between 14th August and 6th September where you can buy their products at a discounted rate [PC]

• Rupsta Gamma for $25 (Usually $30)
• GakStoar Delta for $50 (Usually $75)

Funkelectric have posted an interview with Angus Hewlett of FXpansion

Virtual Sampler v2.15 beta 4 has been released to the public [PC]

• Now supports velocity-controlled filter
• Fixed sustain pedal controller messages

A new company on the scene, bismark, have released the bs-1, a shareware SoundFont 2 sample player VSTi for both Mac & PC [PC & Mac]

• 32 voices (2 voices in the demo)
• 22.05 - 96 kHz playback sampling rate
• MIDI controllable parameters
• Costs $30

The ASIO Latency Survey has been updated

FXpansion have released a new free VSTi called Mysteron. Its inspired by the Theremin and is a very unusual instrument, PC only at the moment, Mac to follow. Don't know what a Theremin is? try this link

• Full MIDI & mouse controlled X-Y pad
• Its FREE
• Compatible with - Cubase VST v3.7x, v5.x, Logic Audio Windows v4.5, Sonic Syndicate Orion v1.1, FXpansion "Amulet" VST-DX Adapter v2.1

Native Instruments have finally released the Mac Reaktor v2.3.2 update [Mac]

• VST PlugIn now runs in Logic 4.2.2, Logic 4.5 and MacOS 8.6 or greater, though Logic doesn't support midiclock/start/stop for VST PlugIns, therefore you cannot use sequenced instruments.
• You cannot save the used ensemble with the Logic song
• Logic only passes Midi Controllers #1 to #6 directly to the VST-PlugIn
• You can now load sample maps into the VST-PlugIn by double-clicking the sampler
• New Features
• FreeMidi support
• FreeMidi Interapplication support: you can select Reaktor as midi destination in Digital Performer
• MOTU Audio System (MAS) Input PlugIn support: stream up to 16 channels of Reaktor audio signals directly into Digital Performer
• Better OMS support
• SoundDesigner II file import
• DirectConnect now also works with ProTools LE (RTAS) / Digi001
• Bugfixes
• DirectConnect problem fixed: there was no output signal when using DirectConnect stereo channels
• Forward/backward buttons in Sampler Properties fixed
• No more repeating alerts about saving analysis data when opening maps with granular samplers
• Overall improved stability, especially in the sampler/soundfile department
• Recorder/tapedecks write AIFF files
• Some wave files saved by certain applications (e.g. Pro Tools) were not seen in Reaktor. Fixed.
• The analysis data from sample files is written into AIFF files correctly
• Cubase AIFF files failed to load. Fixed.
• Carriage returns and Umlaut characters (like � � � �) are converted if you load structures built on Mac into Reaktor on a PC and vice versa
• "Sel Note Gate" module now works correctly. It doesn't produce note-hangs anymore
• Copy/paste of a switch creates a switch with a different snap id. In version 2.31 a switch with the same snap id would be created in this case

VSamp 3 has finally reached final release status, after being in beta for 3 months [Mac]

• Resonant filters
• Improved tuning
• Last location of envelope window now remembered correctly
• Change settings of a currently loaded instrument and hear them without having to reload instrument
• Instrument that references the same sample more than once no longer loads the sample into memory multiple times

A few changes here today! As you can see from the banner above we've joined the Intermusic.com network so we can spread the word on VSTi's to an even broader audience. To incorporate the Intermusic bar we've had to redesign some of the site, which is optimised for Internet Explorer 5, so there may be a few anomalies, with Netscape in particular.

We also have a new kit for FXpansion's DR-005 from Wlodek

• Roland TR-808

JXPlugins have released a new demo of their JXSynth that produces the noise less frequently so it gives you the opportunity to play around a bit more, bless em [PC]

SpeedSoft have released 3 public beta's of Virtual Sampler over the last 3 days, the latest posted today is v2.15 beta3. There are numerous bug fixes and a few new features too, the list is so long I won't duplicate it here, but you can check them out HERE, suffice to say that there are plenty of VSTi relevant fixes including fixing compatibility problems with Orion, Psycle(see below), and n-Track [PC]

Psycle has been updated to v0.97b [PC Host]

• Improved VST2 host
• Pattern sequencer functions/toolbar added
• Undisclosed bugfixes

FAsoft have released a beta (v2.2 beta1) of n-Track Studio [PC Host]

• Added support for ASIO soundcards

LinPlug have updated Rupsta Alpha & Gamma to v1.03 making them both fully compatible with Cubase VST 5 and Logic 4.5 [PC]

Updated the MIDI CC's for Virtual Sampler (6 new ones added, including filter cutoff & resonance)

LinPlug have updated GakStoar Delta to v2.01 making it fully compatible with Logic Audio 4.5 and Cubase VST 5 [PC]

• In Cubase it's now possible to automate parameters on all 16 channels simultaneously
• In Cubase 5 there is still a problem displaying the right patch name in multi-timbral setups