Steinberg has launched Nuendo 5, a new state-of-the-art production environment tailored to top-flight studios in post production, live recording and audio production. The wealth of new features includes an ADR toolset, new sound design features such as the unique Clip Packages system, new plug-ins as well as a range of mixing, routing and automation enhancements.

“This is a landmark release for Nuendo, introducing extremely valuable new functionality to what is probably the premiere native production platform for post, live and audio production,” comments Timo Wildenhain, Steinberg’s Product Marketing Manager for Nuendo. “These days, efficiency, stability and speed in everyday tasks are absolutely critical, as is the ability to adapt software to changing needs and situations. These goals are exactly what Nuendo 5 has been designed to achieve, and have contributed to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from the first shows on the Nuendo 5 World Tour, which has been amazing so far,” Wildenhain adds.

Among the new features presented in Nuendo 5 is a new ADR toolset engineered for audio post, providing new capabilities for spotting including advanced take- and marker handling, EDL import, a new video engine and much more. Clip Packages have been designed specifically for sound editors as a new way of organizing and handling audio as clusters of files across multiple tracks that can be archived, previewed and retrieved almost instantly using the upgraded Nuendo 5 MediaBay.

Enhanced mixing features in Nuendo 5 include further developments on the industry-leading Nuendo automation system as well as direct routing with multiple destinations. A new plug-in set with the next-generation Surround Panner and a surround bus Patch Editor further add to the advanced feature set for surround that have been the hallmark of the Nuendo audio engine since its inception. Numerous other additions in Nuendo 5 include a waveform display in the Nuendo mixer, improved compatibility with Pro Tools audio files and automated Batch Export functions.

Nuendo 5 also integrates seamlessly with Steinberg’s Nuendo SyncStation synchronizer hardware, providing sample-accurate sync in almost any situation requiring rock-solid sync to almost any modern sync standard. Nuendo 5 also features complete support for a range of controller devices such as Euphonix, WK Audio and the Smart AV Tango.

Supporting OS X 10.5.8 and 10.6 or later on Intel Macs, Nuendo 5 will be available from authorized Steinberg dealers in June for €1799.00 / £1531.00 MSRP.

www.steinberg.net/en/products/audiopostproduction_product/nuendo5.html

Discuss Nuendo 5 in our Cubase & Nuendo forum.

Ohm Force today announced Ohm Studio, a standalone real-time collaborative music making application (DAW/sequencer) in addition to a web based collaboration platform and a music driven online “Cohmunity.” Ohm Studio will allow musicians to work with friends while sharing the same tools at the same time, as if they were together in the studio.

With Ohm Studio, it will be possible to set up a productive workspace to make music together and with ease. No more big file transfers, no more endless setup incompatibilities. Collaborators will be able to communicate with each other thanks to the built-in chat system which makes it simple to share any thought, instruction or comment.

When searching for partners, you will now be able to draw from a worldwide pool of musicians. The Ohm Studio Cohmunity will allow users to discover collaborative projects and find new people with whom to make music, searching by style, mood, skill, city, country and more. You may discover that the drummer or the singer you have always been looking for is only a few clicks away.

Ohm Studio will also be an elegant tool to showcase your own work and skills, in order to be discovered and/or be invited into groups or sessions. Could it be that you have just the right profile those Brazilian guys need for their funky nu-soul project?

For those who have a traditional “local” band/project, made up of people from the same town who actually enjoy meeting and playing together, Ohm Studio will be a great way of expanding workflow, as the creation process will no longer be limited by the 2 hours they’re actually able to share the same physical place. Those great ideas which always seem to manifest the second one gets back from the studio will not be lost anymore. And the work will continue, even if Peter’s garage is not available for the next few weeks.

The Cohmunity is the place where all Ohm Studio users will gather to find partners to make music with, view others profiles, create groups with others, share ideas on the forums or post projects mixdowns. Mixdowns can be posted on the group’s profile, as demos. In short, the Cohmunity will be a one stop place for collaborative work. It will be possible to access the Ohm Studio Cohmunity features from the application itself or from any web browser.

Pricing has not yet been announced. Ohm Studio should be available as beta testing wraps up by the end of 2010. You can request a spot in the limited beta via the link below.

www.ohmstudio.com

Discuss Ohm Studio in our Applications forum.

Just in time for a new decade, Renoise gets an upgrade from executive suite to penthouse with a panoramic view. The Renoise Pattern Matrix, both a bird’s eye view and a song editor, is the missing link that pushes Renoise’s unique approach to music composition to the next level. It’s the perfect companion to the “eyes on the details” appearance and capabilities of the Pattern Editor.

Renoise is a complete music production environment for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. It features full ReWire support, FX and instrument VST/AU plug-in support, automatic plug-in delay compensation, multi-core load balancing, MIDI I/O, audio recording, flexible audio output, graphical & numerical parameter automation, modular parameter routing, and much more.

In Renoise 2.5 meta-devices (FX units that receive and transform parameters and other non-audio data) are now interconnectable across tracks. This opens the door to more modular approaches, like linking LFOs or key/audio signals all throughout your mix. Two new meta-devices round-up this “do anything” experience, giving the sound artist the freedom to connect and modulate all parameters with all others.

That’s just the beginning. Vastly improved MIDI mapping, automated rendering of plugin instruments to samples, a native guitar & bass amp simulator FX, performance optimizations, GUI improvements and much more…

Renoise 2.5 Sneak Preview (click to zoom)

Beta versions are exclusive to registered users. The first public 2.5 versions will be Release Candidates. The final version is expected to be released at the beginning of next year.

The price of Renoise will change from €49 to €59 when the final version is released – This price is for a multi-platform license. That means that a single license is valid for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. To ease the transition, everyone that buys Renoise 2.5 before the final version will get Renoise for the old price of €49. This covers upgrades up until and including version 3.5.

www.renoise.com/about/what-s-new-2-5

Discuss Renoise in our Applications forum.

Harrison, the manufacturer of world-class analog and digital consoles, is proud to announce Mixbus: A virtual “analog console” integrated into a full-featured Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) based on the Ardour open-source workstation project.

Mixbus “True Analog Mixing” provides critical mixing functions in a knob-per-function interface. “True Analog Mixing” is based on Harrison’s renowned 32-Series and MR-Series console designs, plus Harrison’s proprietary digital mixing technology. Mixbus enables you to record, edit, and mix a musical performance in-the-box while getting a sound that harkens back to the golden age of album recordings.

Traditional DAW mixers were designed by companies with no pedigree in music mixing, and they suffer from well-known flaws. Harrison eliminated these flaws in Mixbus by completely replacing the DAW’s internal mixing engine and applying proprietary True Analog processing.

Harrison consoles are known for their great-sounding EQ, filters, dynamics, and bus summing on every track. Now Mixbus offers every engineer a real Harrison music console “in the box”. With a logical knob-per-function interface, the user works with the fluidity of a traditional analog recording studio while retaining the convenience of a DAW. Mixbus enables the user to record, edit, and mix a musical performance “in the box” but get a sound that harkens back to the golden age of album recordings.

Mixbus Features:

• Straightforward “knob per function” mixer layout based on Harrison’s renowned 32-series and MR-series music consoles.
• Precision DSP algorithms for EQ, Filter, Compression, Analog Tape Saturation, and Summing based on Harrison’s world-renowned large format analog and digital mixing consoles.
• Unlimited stereo or mono input channels (based on available CPU power) featuring High-pass Filter, EQ, Compression, and 4 Mix Bus sends on every channel.
• 4 Stereo Mix Buses (can be used for groups or auxes) featuring Tone controls, Compression, Sidechaining, and Analog Tape Saturation.
• Stereo Master Bus that features Tone controls, Analog Tape Saturation, K-meter, and Limiting to help you make polished mixes.
• Plugin delay compensation to support effects such as parallel compression.
• Comprehensive “at-a-glance” metering with peak, peak hold, and compressor gain reduction visible on every track and bus.
• Extensive DAW features via the Ardour Digital Audio Workstation.
• Supports AudioUnit plugins and any CoreAudio interface.

Mixbus requires a dual-processor (or more) Intel or PowerPC Mac running OS X 10.4 or 10.5, a 3-button mouse with scroll wheel, and 100 MB available hard disk space. A minimum 1 GB of RAM is recommended. Mac OS X 10.6 support is coming soon.

An introductory price of $79.99 is available direct from Harrison.

www.harrisonconsoles.com

Discuss Mixbus in our Applications forum.

MOTU has released Digital Performer 7. This update delivers a fresh suite of classic guitar pedal emulations, a guitar amp emulator modeled after classics from Fender and Marshall, a physical modeling speaker cabinet emulator with mixable mic positions (close, near and far), and inline EQ & Dynamics in the Mixing Board.

Digital Performer 7 also offers workflow enhancements like a consolidated V-Racks display alongside your sequence in the Mixing Board, Channel Strip and Info Bar mixer controls that follow the track you’re working on, realtime crossfades, Wave64 support for recording files larger than 4GB, range automation modes, lead-sheet creation with inline lyrics and chord symbol tools, freely resizable Counter window, Marker Counter, and more.

For beginners and experts alike, Digital Performer 7 delivers advanced features in an intuitive, streamlined design, and provides industry-leading support for Mac OS X Core Audio and Core MIDI services. Built from the ground up for Mac users, Digital Performer 7 takes full advantage of the latest advances in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard’s multi-threading and multi-processor operation, sample-accurate MIDI Time Stamping, Core MIDI patch list support, Audio Units plug-ins and virtual instruments, support for multiple Core Audio interface drivers and more. Whether you’re completing a surround sound DVD, or you just want to write a song and burn a CD or MP3 file, Digital Performer 7 gets you there quickly with elegance and ease.

Digital Performer 7 requires Mac OS X v10.4.7 or later (including Mac OS X v10.6), a PowerPC G4 1 GHz or faster CPU (including PPC G5 CPUs and all Intel processor Macs), 1 GB RAM, a display with minimum 1024 x 768 resolution, and a CD-ROM drive for installation and authorization. MOTU recommends a multi-processor, multi-core PowerMac G5 or Intel processor Mac, 2 GB RAM or more, and a minimum 1280 x 1024 resolution display.

You can purchase Digital Performer 7 direct from MOTU online. Upgrades from previous versions of Digital Performer are $195, while upgrades from Performer are $295. Upgrades from a competing DAW, including MOTU’s own AudioDesk, are $395.

www.motu.com/products/software/dp/

Discuss Digital Performer 7 in our Digital Performer forum.

Propellerhead Software today released Record, the recording software that puts the musician in focus. Record combines effortless recording and a stunning software mixer console with a limitless rack of audio processing gear that builds itself or can be infinitely customized. Over 50,000 users tested Record during its beta test period, which began in May.

“We figured it was time that someone took a fresh look at recording from a musician’s perspective. Not needing to bolt music features onto an aging audio application, we truly started from scratch with full knowledge of today’s computer architectures and capabilities. Record is the result,” says Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO. “In short we wanted to do what we’ve always done—help people make more and better music.”

Built for independent minded musicians, Record has the feel of a million dollar recording studio with the streamlined simplicity of a tape deck. For guitar players, the built-in virtual POD from Line 6 brings a wide range of top quality guitar amps and cabinets. Record’s software mixer’s sound is faithfully modeled after the renowned SSL 9000K hardware with flexible routing, full dynamics, EQ, advanced effects handling and complete automation. With its state-of-the-art dynamic multicore audio handling, Record uses a computer’s processing power to its fullest. Users will never have worry about track counts, latency issues or adding that extra reverb or effect. With a straightforward interface, it won’t get in the way of ideas and will inspire users to make more music.

Owners of Reason have seamless integration in Record with their Reason instruments and devices. Not only will Record open Reason files directly, if Reason is installed and registered, all Reason devices appear in Record’s rack without plugging-in or launching a second application. For Reason owners, Propellerhead offers a special sidegrade called Record for Reason Owners that provides a complete copy of Record and updates any version of Reason to work with Record. For new users who want to buy both together, Propellerhead offers Record + Reason Duo, a bundle of both programs in a single package.

Record is available for sale worldwide today from authorized Propellerhead dealers and through Propellerhead’s online store.

• Record standalone software:  $299 / €279
• Record + Reason Duo bundle:  $629 / €535
• Record for Reason Owners sidegrade:  $149 / €129

www.record-you.com

Discuss Record in our Reason & Record forum.

Steinberg has announced the release of the brand-new CI2 Advanced Integration USB studio featuring a USB-powered audio interface and controller in one portable unit alongside the Cubase AI 5 music production software.

The CI2 houses two balanced XLR/jack combo connectors with high-quality microphone preamps plus onboard +48V phantom power. A dedicated high-impedance switch on the first channel lets you jack an electric guitar or bass directly into the CI2. And with 24-bit resolution and a sampling rate of 48 kHz, the CI2 provides a professional digital audio recording standard ensuring stunning sound quality.

Leaving the best for last is the console’s AI Knob, harnessing Steinberg’s Advanced Integration technology for seamless interaction with the included Cubase AI 5 music production software.

On the software side of things is Cubase AI 5, a lean Cubase version without the bells and whistles yet providing all the tools you are looking for to compose, record, edit and mix your music with ease.

Together, the CI2 hardware and Cubase AI 5 software present a complete plug-and-play solution for live stereo and band recording and producing, ready to be set up wherever you wish.

Shipping of the CI2 Advanced Integration USB studio commences at the end of September.

www.steinberg.net/en/products/hardware/ci2.html

Discuss the Steinberg CI2 and Cubase AI 5 in our Cubase & Nuendo forum.

Apple today unveiled the next version of Logic Studio with major upgrades to Logic Pro and MainStage and more than 200 new features that simplify complex tasks. Logic Pro 9 features a new set of Flex Time tools that allow Logic users to manipulate the timing and tempo of audio quickly and easily. New Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins provide realistic virtual guitar amps and stompbox effects to create amazing custom guitar rigs.

Flex Time is a new collection of tools that allow musicians to quickly manipulate the timing and tempo of recorded audio, including vocals and instruments, to create tighter performances. Using the Flex Tool, individual beats in a waveform can be moved effortlessly with a mouse click, without the need for tedious slicing and editing. Audio Quantize can instantly fix or adjust the timing of an entire performance by aligning notes and beats to a musical grid with a single menu selection. Varispeed provides the ability to slow down and then speed up an entire multi-track production to help record challenging parts. Flex Time also enables recorded tracks to be moved between different Logic projects and matched together, even if they were performed at different tempos. All Flex Time edits are performed non destructively and in real time, even when using the highest quality settings.

The new Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins give guitar players incredible new recording and sound design capabilities. Amp Designer recreates 25 legendary vintage and modern amp heads in beautiful detail with matching controls and 25 paired speaker cabinets that emulate the sound and feel of a guitar running through a real tube amplifier. Guitar players can create their own custom rig by mixing and matching amps, cabinets, reverbs and EQs, and can choose from three different microphone types that can be positioned in 3D space to capture the ideal guitar tone. Pedalboard adds an assortment of 30 guitar stompbox pedals that can be arranged in any order to produce a wide variety of lush, creative effects including overdrive, distortion, fuzz, delay, chorus, flange, phaser, tremolo, treble boost, wah and more.

MainStage 2 lets musicians use all the instruments and effects from Logic Studio to turn their Mac into the ultimate live performance rig. The new Playback plug-in provides musicians with a backing band, allowing them to perform with pre-recorded audio, like drums, sound effects and other accompaniments that can be triggered to play while they are performing live. The new Loopback plug-in allows musicians to record, layer and jam along with their own performance so a single musician can lay down a rhythm and then play a lead over it.

Logic Studio also includes the new Soundtrack Pro 3 and Compressor 3.5 for encoding in a variety of formats. Soundtrack Pro 3 adds powerful new audio editing tools including Voice Level Match which extracts volume information from the vocal content of one clip and applies it to another without altering any other audio content, so editors can easily correct mismatched voice levels. An enhanced File Editor includes new tools to make sophisticated edits and fine tune volume adjustments by targeting specific frequencies such as the rustle of a paper or the bump of a desk without affecting dialogue. The new Advanced Time Stretch feature stretches and compresses audio with incredible precision using three Apple-designed algorithms or other algorithms available as third party plug-ins. Soundtrack Pro and Compressor are also available as part of the new Final Cut Studio, allowing Final Cut and Logic users to collaborate and share files.

Logic Studio is now available at Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $499 and existing users of Logic Studio and Logic Pro can upgrade for a suggested retail price of $199. Full system requirements and more information on Logic Studio can be found at www.apple.com/logicstudio.

Logic Express, a streamlined and even more affordable version of Logic for GarageBand users who want more power and control, will ship in August for a suggested retail price of $199.

Renoise 2.1 Final has just been released. This version makes it easier to integrate Renoise with your studio and promises to make live performing a lot more interesting.

The idea behind 2.1 is that until Renoise has features like a piano-roll, an arranger and audio file streaming, you should at least be able to use them through external means. That is why they have added routing features to connect Renoise to other audio applications. With ReWire on Mac OS X and Windows, and the Jack Transport protocol on Linux, you can finally combine the best things about trackers and sequencers.

Performing live with Renoise is more flexible than ever. First of all, you can keep editing a pattern while the song continues to play. That makes it possible to do some last minute changes before playback actually reaches that pattern. Secondly, you will be able to queue patterns. When playback reaches the end of the pattern, it will ignore your pre-baked sequence and go to the blinking pattern instead. It’s like going off-road: if your audience likes it, why not take the scenic route?

To top it off they threw in a couple of new devices. The ominously named Hydra Device multiplexes movements from one slider to a maximum of 9 outputs. Mythological experts know why 9 of them. The Key-Tracking Device modulates any parameter according to an incoming note pitch. Real nice for frequency dependent effects. And finally, the MIDI-Control Device is a pimped up replacement for the MIDI CC Device. You can now send and automate several non-CC parameters to MIDI Instruments, such as Pitchbend, Channel Pressure and Program Change.

Maybe you have a different DAW of choice, but you are interested in creating music from a different point of view? With ReWire and Jack Transport, Renoise wants to excel alongside your other audio applications. They invite you to download a demo and give it a try.

Purchase Renoise for €49.00 (US $71.90) to unlock features such as rendering to .wav, rendering selections to samples, and ReWire without hiss and limited inputs. The Mac version requires OS X 10.3.9 or later, on an Intel or PowerPC CPU.

Discuss Renoise in our Applications forum.

Propellerhead Software today unveiled Record, the recording software that puts the musician in focus. Record combines effortless recording and a stunning software mixer console with a limitless rack of audio processing gear that builds itself or can be infinitely customized.

“We figured it was time that someone took a fresh look at recording from a musician’s perspective. Not needing to bolt music features onto an aging audio application, we truly started from scratch with full knowledge of today’s computer architectures and capabilities. Record is the result,” says Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO. “In short we wanted to do what we’ve always done—help people make more and better music.”

Built for independent minded musicians, Record has the feel of a million dollar recording studio with the streamlined simplicity of a tape deck. For guitar players, the built-in virtual POD from Line 6 brings a wide range of top quality guitar amps and cabinets. Record’s software mixer’s sound is faithfully modeled after the renowned SSL 9000K hardware with flexible routing, full dynamics, EQ, advanced effects handling and complete automation.

With its state-of-the-art dynamic multicore audio handling, Record uses a computer’s processing power to its fullest. Users will never have worry about track counts, latency issues or adding that extra reverb or effect. With an easy to grasp interface, it won’t get in the way of ideas and will inspire users to make more music.

Mac OS X System Requirements

• Intel Mac, multiple cores highly recommended
• 1 GB RAM or more
• DVD drive
• 2 GB free hard disk space (Record may use up to 20 GB cache disk space)
• Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
• Monitor with at least 1024×768 resolution
• Core Audio compliant audio interface or built-in audio hardware
• Free USB port for Propellerhead Ignition Key
• Internet connection for registration

Record begins beta testing today and will be available for purchase worldwide on September 9, 2009. Record will be available through all Propellerhead dealers worldwide at a suggested retail price of $299 / €299.

Propellerhead will also offer special bundles and pricing to its users through its retailers.

Discuss Record in our Reason & Record Forum.

Ableton has announced the release of Ableton Live 8 and Live 8 Suite. Two new instruments, Collision and Latin Percussion are also available; both are included in Ableton Suite 8. Live 8 and Suite 8 enhance the Ableton vision of creative, real-time digital music with a wealth of new techniques, effects and most-wanted workflow improvements.

These include a new groove engine, revamped warping techniques, live looping, five new effects (including the Ableton Vocoder), crossfades in the Arrangement View, group tracks and a reworked MIDI editor. Ableton Suite 8 includes all that plus a massive, inspired sound library and all the instruments a musician could hope for, including a wide range of synths, a sampler, electric and acoustic drums (new: Latin percussion), mallets (new: Collision), numerous sampled instruments and a new, even mightier Operator.

New in Ableton Live 8:

• New groove engine: new groove library, extract grooves from audio or MIDI, real-time groove quantize. Includes grooves from the legendary Akai MPC and E-mu SP-1200 machines
• New warping engine: warp audio events by adjusting the events on the timeline, updated Beats Warp Mode, new Complex Warp Mode, slice audio files to MIDI tracks based on transients
• Looper: classic sound-on-sound looping without the limitations of a hardware device. Record, overdub, undo and more without touching the computer. “First loop sync,” simple loop management
• New effects: Vocoder, Multiband Dynamics, Overdrive, Limiter and Frequency Shifter
• Workflow enhancements: including real-time crossfades in the Arrangement View, enhanced MIDI editing, group tracks, multiple track selection, a screen magnifier and more

New in Ableton Suite 8:

• World-class sound library: completely new sound library with real-world “Sound Objects,” presets, grooves, templates and, above all, over 1,600 beautiful sounds
• Collision and Corpus: a unique physical-modeling instrument for authentic mallet sounds and creative percussion. Includes Corpus, a separate effect that reproduces Collision’s resonator section*
• Latin Percussion: a collection of acoustic percussion instruments from the worlds of Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and African music, plus a wide selection of clips and grooves for authentic usage*
• Operator, Ableton’s renowned do-it-all synthesizer, has been given a major overhaul. New filter types, more modulation routing options and additive wavetable synthesis with drawable partials make Operator more powerful and flexible than ever.
• Plus these existing Ableton instruments: Sampler, Electric, Tension, Analog, Drum Machines, Session Drums** and the Essential Instrument Collection 2**.

*Collision and Latin Percussion are also available separately. **Boxed version only.

Come on into the forum and join the discussion.

Fresh code, innovative drag-and-drop MIDI mapping and plug-in management, auto-configuration with PreSonus hardware, insanely good audio quality, unlimited tracks and plug-ins per track, and a powerful, inventive Start page that literally puts the whole project right in your hands are just a few of the compelling features that make Studio One the next generation in audio software. Far from just another music-production program, Studio One changes the rules of the game, giving you a complete, easy-to-use solution from raw tracks to finished master, while supporting the latest standards and technologies.

A powerful tool that will appeal to professionals and hobbyists alike, the Start page (above) allows you to access recent songs and projects, create new ones, configure external devices, and access tutorial information, demo songs, and a special PreSonus news feed. You can download updates and support materials directly from the Start page, without ever leaving Studio One.

Studio One features: