Propellerhead Software today released for sale worldwide the biggest overhaul to its Record and Reason application family to date. These highly anticipated upgrades to Reason 5 and Record 1.5 introduce new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.

The new Kong Drum Designer and Dr. Octo Rex loop player extend Reason’s instrument arsenal to help musicians get phenomenal sounding rhythms, drums tracks and beats. Reason 5 and Record 1.5 add a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks—build songs parts like patterns and string them together for lightening fast arranging with the ability to freely go back and forth between pattern and linear modes. Neptune, a pitch correction tool and amazing voice synthesizer, turns less than perfect performances into great ones in no time. Simply play new harmonies on a MIDI keyboard for instant backing vocals. Live sampling into all sample capable devices means any musician can use samples in a new and playful manner, discovering the lost art of creative sampling. The Expanded Factory Sound Bank, doubling in size, plus added signature sound designers’ patches, inspire new arrangements and compositions. Multi core optimization, an on-screen keyboard and tempo scaling of clips top the list of additional improvements.

The upgrades further solidify the Record Reason Duo as the mainstay tool for musical creation.

“I don’t put too many demands on (studio) engineers… except for them to have Reason on their system,” says Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas. “That is one of the only demands.”

Introducing Kong Drum Designer (Reason). Load, sculpt, build and tweak your sounds with your choice of drum synthesis, sampling, REX loops, physical modeling and custom-made effect modules for percussion on Kong’s 16 pads.

Dr. REX octuples into Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player (Reason). No matter how you use it—as a pattern sequencer for loops, or to completely mangle your REX’ed audio – it is guaranteed to inspire.

New Neptune Pitch Adjuster and Voice Synth Device (Record). Super flexible high-quality processor to correct and shift pitches, create backing harmonies, formant shift or take your vocals into outer space

Block based pattern sequencing mode makes song creation fast and flexible (Both). Go from pattern-based arrangements to linear—to patterns again. Take your music beyond the eight bar loop.

Vastly expanded Factory Sound Bank with Signature patches (Reason). Reason’s sound bank more than doubles in size, thanks in large part to signature contributors: Printz Board, Bomb Squad, Jason McGerr, Sharooz, Adam Beyer, Keith LeBlanc, Cari Lekebusch & others.

Live sampling is back! In the rack! (Reason). Re-explore the lost art (and fun) of sampling. Every sample player becomes a sampler; record with a single click — further tweak with the built-in editor.

A number of other additions that guarantee to make your music making more fun: Multi-core optimization, on-screen keyboard and scaling audio and MIDI clips, interface enhancements and many more too numerous to name.

Signature patch artists and producers

• Bomb Squad, Hank and Keith Shocklee
• Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas
• Jason McGerr
• Adam Beyer
• Sharooz
• Cari Lekebusch
• Keith LeBlanc
• The Salazar Brothers

All full versions and upgrades are available worldwide through authorized Propellerhead dealers and Propellerhead’s online store.

• Record for Reason Owners Sidegrade (includes Reason 5 upgrade): €149 / $169
• Reason 5 Upgrade from any version: €99 / $129
• Record 1.5 Upgrade from any version: free download!
• Record Reason Duo bundle : €405 / $449
• Reason: €305 / $349
• Record: €279 / $299

Anyone who purchased a qualifying Reason product after May 24, 2010 can receive the upgrade for free.

www.propellerheads.se

Discuss Reason & Record in our Reason & Record forum, of all places.

Avid has introduced a series of newly-designed hardware and software solutions designed to enhance the quality and performance of Pro Tools|HD, the industry’s leading digital audio workstation. The new HD Series interfaces—HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI—offer customers flexible configurations to support a variety of analog and open digital formats for audio recording, mixing and playback. Additionally, new HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) software allows customers to add the realism of vintage analog sound to the Pro Tools mixer via a single global control—eliminating the time consuming and complex task of managing plug-in changes across multiple tracks and allowing customers to remain focused on the craft of mixing.

HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI interfaces for Pro Tools|HD enable customers to achieve the highest-quality audio with improvements to digital audio conversion quality, a variety of new configuration options and increased support for open digital standards like the popular MADI protocol. Features include advances in design, filtering and clocking and flexible digital I/O connectivity, which offers support for a variety of formats. Additionally, Curv, a new soft-knee analog limiter in HD OMNI and HD I/O, cuts the time customers spend re-recording and editing by tracking hotter signals when recording, preventing distortion when overloading inputs. The new I/O options include:

• HD I/O: Enables customers to achieve the highest-quality audio record and playback with the option of three space-saving configurations—16×16 analog, 16×16 digital and 8×8x8 analog and digital—in a 2 RU rack mountable interface.
• HD OMNI: Frees up customer workspace by integrating the functionality of numerous costly outboard components into an all-in-one premium sound solution for recording, mixing and monitoring. Features include state-of-the-art conversion, two world-class mic pre-amps, headphone outputs, a full-featured surround monitor section and a 14×26 channel persistent mixer that functions even when the computer is off—letting users listen to CDs, MP3 players, keyboards and drum machines without the need for an additional mixer.
• HD MADI: Opens up workflows and speeds production time for broadcast, live sound and post production sound professionals by offering the ability to easily connect Pro Tools|HD systems to industry-standard MADI infrastructures, without the need for a format converter. Built-in sample rate conversion on all inputs and outputs allow customers to integrate into workflows with multiple sample rates (upstream and downstream) using a single, 64-channel 1 RU rack mountable interface.

Designed in collaboration with digital/analog engineer Dave Hill of Crane Song, the HEAT software option for Pro Tools|HD systems is an innovation for mixers who value the warmth and sound qualities of tubes, tape machines and analog consoles, but want to eliminate the complications and expenses of using tape machines and vintage outboard processors, or managing plug-in changes across multiple tracks. Customers can now directly add the best sounding euphonic qualities to every track in the Pro Tools mixer using a single, global control, dramatically enhancing sound quality and improving settings management.

HD OMNI, HD MADI and HD I/O converters and HEAT software are available now worldwide. Pricing begins at $3995 MSRP for HD I/O; HD OMNI is available for $2995 MSRP; HD MADI is available for $4995; and HEAT software is available for $495 MSRP in the box or via download on the Avid eStore.

www.avid.com

Discuss the new HD Series Interfaces on our Pro Tools forum.

Audio Pluggers is pleased to announce the release of K-Meter beta, a level-metering software plug-in. By using the K-System and K-Meter, audio engineers can ensure that their mixes reproduce accurately on a variety of playback systems, from theaters to MP3 players. K-Meter’s perceived loudness meter models the ear’s sensitivity to different frequencies, giving you a much more accurate indication of loudness than conventional meters. Combine this with the ability to detect inter-sample peaks, and you can be confident that your mixes are of the highest quality.

Audio Pluggers is a new software company focused on providing audio engineers with quality tools that improve their workflows and eliminate overhead. Driven by the desire to invest in R&D while providing excellent customer service, Audio Pluggers aims to be a source of trusted solutions amongst audio professionals.

K-Meter Features

• Built from the ground up around the K-System.
• Upsampled (up to 4 times) peak detection that discovers inter-sample peaks.
• RMS and LKFS (ITU-R BS.1770-1) meters. LKFS meters model perceived loudness, taking into account the ear’s sensitivity to different frequencies.
• High quality pink noise generator for monitor calibration.
• Clip indicators with user controlled clip sensitivity.
• Supports 32-bit and 64-bit DAWs.
• SIMD optimizations that utilize AltiVec and SSE when available.

K-Meter is an Audio Unit plug-in compatible with DAWs such as Apple Logic Pro and GarageBand. The plug-in is a universal binary compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit DAWs on Intel and PPC processors. K-Meter requires Mac OS X v10.5.7 or greater.

K-Meter will be available for $50 when released; however, the beta version is available immediately for the reduced price of $25.

www.audiopluggers.com

Discuss K-Meter on our Effects forum.

Audio Damage has announced Axon, a VST and AU plug-in that combines a set of FM-based percussion synthesizers with a novel sequencer design. Christened the Neuron Sequencer, it is described as a set of counters that trigger each other, creating complex and sometimes unpredictable—but not random—patterns and rhythms.

The goal at Audio Damage was to come up with a new style of percussion sequencer/synth that wasn’t linear and x0x-y (TR-808, TR-909, et al). The Neuron Sequencer in Axon is a fundamentally different way of thinking about rhythmic sequencing, and results in new patterns and styles that will bring your IDM, dance, and ambient tracks to another place.

Axon’s sequencer can either drive external synths and samplers or seven of its own internal voices, which are FM-based, but designed for quick and easy programming, and fine-tuned for percussive-type sounds. A full MIDI Learn complement allows external hardware control of both the sequencer and the internal voices. And an on-board stereo delay chosen from a fairly thick collection of Audio Damage delay algorithms extends the rhythmic possibilities right to the edge of what any sane person could possibly stand.

Its own creator will be the first to admit that Axon is an experimental tool, and isn’t for everybody. But if your interests lie in the abstract realm, and you want to take your rhythm and melody programming to strange new worlds, this might be just the thing.

Axon Features:

• All new Neuron Sequencer, a seven-node hexagonal counter sequencer.
• Seven FM percussion-tuned voices, also capable of melodic expression.
• Unique FM and Ring Mod busses for global FM and Ring Mod.
• Full MIDI output control (VST only) for driving external synths, drum machines, and samplers.
• Full internal mixer that also controls MIDI output velocity, with solo and muting.
• Internal stereo delay, taken from the best of Audio Damage’s delay algorithms, with low- and high-pass filters and a playable feedback control.
• Full MIDI Learn mode, for external hardware control of all Axon parameters.

Axon for Mac OS X requires 10.5.1 or greater, and is Intel only. It is available via download directly from Audio Damage for $59.

www.audiodamage.com/instruments/product.php?pid=AD026

Discuss Axon in our Instruments forum.

Togu Audio Line (TAL) today announced TAL-NoiseMaker, an improved version of their TAL-Elek7ro software synthesizer AU and VST plug-in with a completely new synthesis engine and improvements in sound and usability. The instrument also includes a small effect section with a reverb, chorus and a simple bit crusher effect.

A dedicated display now shows knob and slider values for added control over the synth. A ring modulator and a syncable triangle are also part of the new synthesis engine. TAL-NoiseMaker includes new filter types, such as a self-resonating 6dB low pass and a notch filter. Its improved amplitude ADSR is equally suitable for slow pads as it is for really fast envelopes. 128 factory presets are included, 80 of which were created by Frank “Xenox” Neumann of Particular-Sound.

Features

• 3 Oscillators
  • Osc 1, +/- 24 semitones, fine tune, phase control (saw, pulse, noise)
  • Osc 2, +/- 24 semitones, fine tune, phase control (saw, rectangle, triangle, sine)
  • Sub Osc (rectangle)
• Osc 1 PM for pulse waveform
• Osc 2 FM controled by Osc 1
• Osc 1 & Osc 2 sync to sub osc (saw, pulse, rectangle, triangle [bipolar sync])
• Adjustable master tune and transpose
• Up to 6 voices
• Portamento in mono and poly mode (off, auto, on)
• Ringmod modulates Osc 1 with Osc 2
• Self resonating 4x oversampled filters (24 dB LP, 18 dB LP, 12 dB LP, 6 dB LP, 12 dB HP, 12 dB BP, Notch)
• Filter ADSR (negative and positive)
• Volume ADSR
• Routable ADSR, modulates Filter, Osc 1, Osc 2, PW, FM (negative and positive)
• 2 LFO’s with different running modes: free, sync to host, triggered by note
  • Modulates filter, osc 1, osc 2, fm, pw, lfo rate, panorama and volume
  • Sine, triangle, saw square, s&h, noise
  • Positive and negative modulation
  • Phase control
• Adjustable Velocity dependent control over volume filtercontour and cutoff
• Adjustable Pitch Wheel control over Cutoff and Pitch
• One pole HP filter
• Detune, detunes notes randomly
• Juno chorus with different modes
• A built in reverb
• Bitcrusher, affects osc 1 and osc 2. Its a pre the filter stage effect
• Midi learn for all knobs
• Panic button
• Easy to use, no hidden panels
• 128 great presets (80 Presets by Frank “Xenox” Neumann of Particular-Sound)

TAL-NoiseMaker is a Universal Binary and works on both Intel and PowerPC based Macs, requiring an AU or VST 2.4 compatible host application. It is available as donation-ware (free or donate an amount of your choice via PayPal) directly from TAL.

kunz.corrupt.ch/?Products:VST_TAL-NoiseMaker

Discuss TAL-NoiseMaker in our Instruments forum.

Native Instruments today announced KOMPLETE 7, a significantly expanded version of its studio-standard software bundle. The next generation of KOMPLETE now combines 24 instruments and effects – including five entirely new products – with over 10,000 sounds and 90 GByte of samples, resulting in a comprehensive suite with unparalleled versatility for music production and performance.

KOMPLETE 7 includes the latest versions of Native Instruments’ acclaimed full-featured instruments and effects, ranging from ABSYNTH 5, BATTERY 3.1, FM8, GUITAR RIG 4.1, KONTAKT 4.1 and MASSIVE to the upcoming REAKTOR 5.5. As the next generation of the legendary modular synthesis studio, the new REAKTOR version adds powerful modal and additive synthesis, a revised user interface, the unique “Lazerbass” synthesizer and many enhancements for both instrument builders and musicians.

KOMPLETE 7 also integrates a wealth of instruments and effects based on KONTAKT, KORE, REAKTOR and GUITAR RIG. Products added to the bundle include the acclaimed ABBEY ROAD 60s DRUMS vintage drum library, the radical performance effect THE FINGER by Tim Exile, the sampled electric bass SCARBEE MM-BASS and all four electric pianos from the SCARBEE VINTAGE KEYS series by sampling mastermind Thomas Scarbee, all four acoustic pianos of the CLASSIC PIANO COLLECTION, the cinematic ACOUSTIC REFRACTIONS instrument and the distinctive REAKTOR SPARK synthesizer.

KOMPLETE 7 also incorporates five completely new products that further expand the creative potential of the bundle: The powerful studio reverb REFLEKTOR with its advanced zero-latency convolution engine; the highly expressive REAKTOR PRISM modal synthesizer designed by NI founder Stephan Schmitt; the performance effects suite TRAKTOR’S 12, derived from Native Instruments’ leading DJ software; the new VINTAGE ORGANS instrument with its comprehensive arsenal of painstakingly sampled electromagnetic organs; and the new RAMMFIRE amp emulation that was developed in close collaboration with one of Rammstein’s guitarists, Richard Z. Kruspe.

On the Mac, KOMPLETE 7 requires OS X 10.5 or later, an Intel Core Duo 1.66 GHz processor or faster, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB free hard drive space, and a DVD drive.

KOMPLETE 7 will be available in September 2010 for a suggested retail price of $559 / 499 EUR. An update for owners of KOMPLETE 2/3/4/5/6 will be available for $229 / 199 EUR. Every copy of KOMPLETE 7 also includes an NI Online Shop voucher worth $60 / 50 EUR, valid towards any product from the KOMPLETE Instruments and Effects range that is not included in the bundle.

www.native-instruments.com/komplete

Discuss KOMPLETE 7 in our Instruments forum.

Apple today unveiled a new Mac Pro line with up to 12 processing cores and up to 50 percent greater performance than the previous generation. Featuring the latest quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors, all-new ATI graphics and the option for up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD), the new Mac Pro continues to deliver amazing performance and expandability for the most demanding consumers and professionals.

“The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we’ve ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want.”

At the heart of the new Mac Pro’s performance are next generation quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 3.33 GHz. These multi-core processors use a single die design so each core can share up to 12MB L3 cache to improve efficiency while increasing processing speed. These systems feature an integrated memory controller for faster memory bandwidth and reduced memory latency; Turbo Boost to dynamically boost processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz; and Hyper-Threading to create up to 24 virtual cores. The Mac Pro now comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory and customers can configure-to-order the even faster ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory.

For the first time, Mac Pro customers have the option to order a 512GB SSD for the ultimate in reliability and lightning fast performance. With the ability to install up to four SSD drives in the system’s internal drive bays, the new Mac Pro can provide ultra high-speed disk bandwidth and random disk performance, two times faster than the average performance of a standard disk drive. Mac Pro also now features two Mini DisplayPorts and one dual-link DVI port. The additional Mini DisplayPort output allows customers to connect two LED Cinema Displays without an additional graphics card or adapter and the dual-link DVI port supports legacy DVI-based displays up to a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Every Mac Pro comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse and customers can also order Apple’s new Magic Trackpad as an option. The Magic Trackpad brings the intuitive Multi-Touch gestures of Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop. With its glass surface, the wireless Magic Trackpad allows users to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom in and out, rotate an image with their fingertips and swipe three fingers to flip through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Trackpad can be configured to support single button or two button commands and supports tap-to-click as well as a physical click. Magic Trackpad is available separately for $69.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop lineup is a leader in green design. The Mac Pro meets stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status. The Mac Pro enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and the interior is designed to be more material-efficient. The Mac Pro uses PVC-free internal cables and components and contains no brominated flame retardants. The new Apple Battery Charger provides a convenient and environmentally friendly way to always have a fresh set of batteries for your Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and Wireless Keyboard. The Apple Battery Charger is available as an option for $29 and comes with six long shelf life rechargeable batteries.

Every Mac also comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, with breakthrough ways to organize and manage your photos by who appears in them and where they were taken; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which offers a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Optional Apple professional applications include Aperture, Final Cut Express, Final Cut Studio, Logic Express and Logic Studio.

The new Mac Pro will be available in August through the Apple Store online, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

www.apple.com/macpro

Discuss the new Mac Pro in our Hardware forum.

“We took the world’s best all-in-one and made it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminum and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac.”

Dual-core Intel Core i3 and Core i5, and quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors set a new benchmark for iMac performance. The processors feature an integrated memory controller to access the system memory directly, allowing the new iMac to take full advantage of its faster 1333 MHz memory. New discrete ATI Radeon HD processors deliver incredibly smooth, crisp graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications. iMac displays feature IPS technology to deliver a brilliant image across a wide 178 degree viewing angle. The SD card slot on the iMac now supports the SDXC format to handle the latest high-capacity storage cards. Customers of the 27-inch iMac have the option to order a 256GB solid state drive (SSD) as a primary or secondary drive. The iMac SSD supports up to 215 MB/s data transfer rates for faster startup and application launch times.

Every iMac comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse and customers can also order the new Magic Trackpad as an option. The Magic Trackpad brings the intuitive Multi-Touch gestures of Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop. With its glass surface, the wireless Magic Trackpad enables users to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom in and out, rotate an image with their fingertips and swipe three fingers to flip through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Trackpad can be configured to support single button or two button commands and supports tap-to-click as well as a physical click.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop lineup is a leader in green design. The iMac meets stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status. iMac features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, uses highly recyclable materials and features material-efficient system and packaging designs. A new Apple Battery Charger provides a convenient and environmentally friendly way to always have a fresh set of batteries for your Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and Wireless Keyboard. The Apple Battery Charger is available for $29 and comes with six long shelf life rechargeable batteries.

Every Mac also comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, with breakthrough ways to organize and manage your photos by who appears in them and where they were taken; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which offers a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

The new iMac line is shipping now and available through the Apple Store online, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

www.apple.com/imac

www.apple.com/magictrackpad

Discuss iMac and Magic Trackpad in our Hardware forum.

Apogee Electronics today unveiled Symphony I/O, a new flagship multi-channel audio interface representing 25 years of design excellence and experience. Symphony I/O delivers a totally updated and optimized circuit design for next generation sound quality, Logic and Pro Tools compatibility, modular port configuration, stand-alone operation and compatibility with PCIe, Express/34 card, USB 2.0 and Ethernet.

Symphony I/O builds upon the award-winning design approaches of Apogee’s X-Series and Rosetta Series converters, the Big Ben master clock and the Trak2 mic preamps. It also refines and updates these proven designs with fewer but more advanced components while optimizing their performance with efficient power distribution. This design improvement minimizes the audio path circuitry and maximizes sound quality. And in the tradition of the X-Series and Rosetta series, the entire audio path is DC coupled, resulting in ultra flat frequency response and extremely low phase error.

The I/O Modules are the sound and soul of Symphony I/O, and represent 25 years of Apogee R&D and design excellence. These powerful Modules deliver Apogee’s core competency, superior sounding digital audio recording. With 5 available I/O Modules, you can choose from standard configurations or customize the following: channel count, analog to digital input, digital to analog output, mic preamps and digital I/O. You compose your Symphony I/O.

Apogee Symphony I/O, rear port configuration. Click to zoom.

With a 2-step adjustment using a single front panel encoder knob, Symphony I/O’s Audio Interface Modes (AIM) are ready for the most popular audio workstation environments. This feature allows users of Logic and Pro Tools HD for example, to easily switch back and forth between the two DAWs with the click of a knob and swap of a cable. The Symphony I/O PC-32 connector connects directly to a Symphony 64 card or a Pro Tools HD card. When using a Logic Studio Mac based system, latency is below 1.8ms at 96kHz. If USB is your preferred mode, connecting to Core Audio compatible apps like Digital Performer and Cubase is just as easy. And StandAlone mode calibrates Symphony I/O for simple and direct routing ideal for a variety of uses and applications including Pro Tools LE or Pro Tools M-Powered.

Symphony I/O is an audio hardware platform, designed to deliver the most advanced recording technology available and the flexibility, scalability, and longevity required to power the modern studio. Modular I/O design, total software control, and direct connection to all popular DAWs make Symphony I/O a long-term sound investment.

What makes Symphony I/O a great choice for your studio now and for years to come:

• Flexible design architecture with a base unit and two I/O module slots
• Up to 32 channels of I/O per unit
• Future proof connectivity with PCI, USB, Ethernet and all popular digital formats
• Compatibility with Logic, Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools LE and any Core Audio driven application
• A/D THD+N: -113dB @ +20dBu (0.00024%)
• D/A THD+N: -117dB @ +20dBu (0.00014%)
• D/A Dynamic Range: 129dB A weighted
• Apogee’s proprietary Perfect Symmetry Circuitry (PSC)
• Software controlled AD/DA reference setting
• Variable gain input for keyboards
• Ultra low latency AD/DA conversion
• Total software control of Symphony I/O with Maestro

Cue Maestro 2! Apogee’s software control application, Maestro, has been totally redesigned for Symphony I/O. Featuring a familiar single window, multiple tab interface for quick access to all device and system settings, the new Maestro makes routing, mic preamp adjustment, input and output calibration and low latency monitoring clear and easy to use. To reduce screen clutter, Maestro also features a minimized tool bar view with System Status display, volume controls and buttons to mute outputs and clear meters.

Highlights

• Speaker, headphone, and mic preamp level control
• Clock source, sample rate setting
• Audio Interface Mode (AIM)
• Minimized tool bar view with System Status, volume controls, mute and clear meters buttons
• Software controlled A/D & D/A calibration
• Comprehensive metering
• Intuitive audio routing
• 4 Soft Limit settings: -2 dB, -4 dBfs, Soft Saturate and Soft Crush

Symphony I/O is available for Mac OS only, and requires OS X 10.5.8 or later. It will be available in August 2010. Additional features will roll out in 5 monthly releases from August 2010 to December 2010.

www.apogeedigital.com/products/symphony-io.php

Discuss Symphony I/O in our Hardware forum.

“The MicroBook is small in size but huge when it comes to audio quality,” said Jim Cooper, MOTU Marketing Director. “Our tests show that it matches or exceeds the measured audio specifications of other so-called ‘high-end’ interfaces on the market that cost two and three times as much. So it’s perfect for discriminating users who want quality I/O for on-the-go recording, personal studio tracking, laptop-based DJing, and many other applications.”

The MicroBook gives users a complete personal recording solution for a laptop or desktop computer, with four simultaneous inputs for a microphone, a guitar, and a keyboard or other stereo line level device. The mic preamp delivers neutral coloration and pristine sound, with 20 dB pad and 48V phantom power for condenser mics. Programmable analog, digital, and headphone outputs provide flexible monitoring options.

• 4-input, 2-output bus-powered “plug-and-play” USB audio interface for Mac and Windows.
• 4 x 8 physical input/output channels.
• 10-bus digital mixer to route and mix live inputs with live computer tracks.
• Pre-amp equipped mic input with Precision Digital TrimTM, 48V phantom power, and 20 dB pad.
• Guitar input with Precision Digital Trim.
• Stereo line level analog input (balanced TRS quarter-inch or stereo mini).
• Stereo balanced TRS quarter-inch line level main outs.
• Stereo eighth-inch “mini” line level out.
• S/PDIF digital out (duplicates main out).
• Headphones output on eighth-inch stereo “mini” jack with independent volume control.
• Digitally controlled analog trim for all analog inputs.
• Digital trim for all outputs.
• CueMixTM FX no-latency mixing and monitoring with EQ and dynamics processing.
• 7-band parametric EQ and compression.
• Test tone and white/pink noise generator.
• Advanced audio analysis software tools, including FFT display, spectrogram “waterfall” display, oscilloscope, X-Y plot, and phase torch.
• Industry standard Mac and Windows audio drivers (Core Audio, Wave, and ASIO) for across-the-board compatibility.
• Compatible with all current and recent generation Macs and PCs.
• Includes AudioDesk DAW software for Mac, USB cable, and mic cable adapter.

On the Mac, the MicroBook interface requires a minimum 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or Intel CPU running OS X 10.5.8 or later, and an available USB port. The MicroBook is available now for $269 MSRP.

www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/microbook/

Discuss the MicroBook in our Hardware forum.

Mackie is proud to announce two new Onyx-branded premium recording interfaces – the Onyx Blackjack and Onyx Blackbird. These new interfaces provide the unmatched quality, feature sets and level of innovation for which Onyx gear is known for, priced to make any working musician or engineer smile.

Onyx Premium Recording Interfaces deliver ultra-professional recording quality and innovative features that make them really easy to use. Boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps and industry-leading AD/DA converters deliver unmatched fidelity, headroom and transparency for your recordings. Plus, features like true analog hardware monitoring simplify your workflow, allowing you to work like a pro and deliver the results you demand. From a simple, bus-powered desktop solution to a high-quality, high-input front end to your studio, these interfaces offer the utmost in sonic quality and simplicity. It’s time to work smarter and sound professional with Mackie Onyx Premium Recording Interfaces.

Onyx Blackjack 2×2 USB Recording Interface

• 2×2 24-bit recording to Mac/PC
• 2 Onyx mic preamps
• 48V phantom power for studio condenser mics
• 2 built-in DIs
• True analog hardware monitoring in mono/stereo
• Separate level control for monitors/phones
• Includes Tracktion 3 Music Production Software
• www.mackie.com/products/onyxblackjack/

Mackie Onyx Blackbird FireWire audio interface, rear ports, click to zoom

Onyx Blackbird 16×16 FireWire Recording Interface

• 16×16 24-bit/96kHz recording via FireWire/ADAT to Mac/PC
• 8 Onyx mic preamps
• 48V phantom power for studio condenser mics
• 2 easy-access Super Channels with integrated DIs, low cut switches and inserts
• Expandability via ADAT and wordclock I/O
• Dual headphone outs with independent level controls
• Separate monitor, main and alt outputs
• Powerful Blackbird Control DSP Matrix Mixer
• Includes Tracktion 3 Music Production Software
• www.mackie.com/products/onyxblackbird/

On the Mac, both new interfaces require a G4 processor or faster. The Onyx Blackbird requires OS X 10.5 or later, while the Blackjack requires OS X 10.4.11 or later. According to Mackie, both will be shipping soon.

www.mackie.com/products/onyxinterfaces/

Discuss the Onyx Blackjack and Blackbird in our Hardware forum.

New audio software developer Sound Radix has announced Auto-Align, an automatic microphone time alignment plug-in. Auto-Align “listens” to your multi-mic recordings, then automatically measures and compensates for the delay between the microphones. All with sample-accurate precision.

Time-aligning a multi-microphone setup is crucial to achieving a coherent and punchier sound. When recording an instrument with more than one mic, sound tends to reach each microphone at a slightly different time and thus causes some frequencies to cancel out, while other frequencies can build up unnaturally. When distant microphones are used and a delay is desired to preserve a sense of space, Auto-Align can time-place the microphones to better match the close-mic’d source.

Auto-Align is currently available as an Audio Unit plug-in, with VST & RTAS versions coming soon. It requires a PowerPC or Intel Mac, running OS X 10.5 or later.

Purchase Auto-Align directly from Sound Radix online for $149. A free trial version is also available for download.

www.soundradix.com

Discuss Auto-Align in our Effects forum.