The (Ableton Performance Controller) APC40 is a dedicated controller for Ableton Live, co-designed by Ableton and the same engineering team responsible for Akai’s iconic MPC range of products. This is a dream come true for the Ableton Live community and an exciting first step into the world of Ableton Live for new users.

The APC40 features high quality controls for real-time mixing, remixing and production. 109 buttons, 16 endless encoders with LED rings, nine 45mm faders and a replaceable crossfader give musicians and producers complete control of Live’s Session View, effect devices and virtual instruments. Whether you’re in the studio or on stage, DJing, making beats, running backing tracks, firing MIDI loops or triggering sound effects, you can kiss your mouse goodbye.

Ableton Live Akai Professional APC Edition, a custom-tailored software package, comes with every APC40. This features eight audio and eight MIDI tracks plus twenty Session View scenes. It also includes all of Live’s effects and even allows custom mapping, making it a simple but adequate out-of-the-box solution for studio and stage.

The APC40 requires Ableton Live 7 or higher. The software requires any G4 Mac or faster (Intel Mac recommended), 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended), Mac OS X 10.3.9 (10.4 or later recommended), QuickTime 6.5 or higher, and a DVD-ROM drive.

Ableton is also extending “special thanks to Jeroen van Garling, AKA djsynchro, for the APC40/Liberty image, and thanks to all forum members who posted some fantastic APC40 photoshopping and had us laughing all over the office. You know who you are, guys, thank you.”

Discuss the APC40 in our Live forum.

Applied Acoustics Systems announces the release of Strum Electric GS-1, a new guitar track production plug-in for music producers and composers.

Based on the latest AAS physical modeling technology, Strum Electric includes a collection of classic single coil- and humbucker-fitted guitars, a two-channel amplifier with spring reverb, a speaker cabinet, and effects all featured in a ready-made preset library. It also includes an elaborate voicing module which automatically voices chords played on the keyboard as a guitar player would on the fretboard. Techniques such as down- and up-strokes, slides and bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm muting, muffled strings, and arpeggios are triggered by special strumming keys. Strum Electric also ships with an inspiring MIDI loops library which provides rhythmic figures, strumming patterns, and chord progressions in various musical styles.

“Strum’s great strength lies in the fact that it combines the modeling of the complete chain of elements producing an electric guitar sound—the guitar itself, the amp, and effects—with chord voicing and various playing techniques of a guitar player,” said Marc-Pierre Verge, CEO of AAS, “This allows one to get guitar sounds in about any style and create great guitar tracks easily without an elaborate knowledge of guitar playing.”

Pricing and Availability

Strum Electric GS-1 is available now at a retail price of $229. Strum Electric GS-1 runs on both Mac OS X and Windows, as a standalone application as well as in host sequencers supporting the VST, Audio Units, and RTAS plug-in formats.

Strum Electric GS-1 – Electric Guitar

http://www.applied-acoustics.com/strumelectric/overview/

Native Instruments today announced Traktor Duo and Traktor Scratch Duo, two new DJ solutions that bring the acclaimed Traktor Pro platform into a lower price range, offering an affordable entry into the world of digital DJing.

The new Traktor Duo software offers many of the advanced features of Traktor Pro like auto-syncing, looping, integrated EQs and filters, and more, in an easy-to-use 2-deck configuration. Automatic beat-gridding in combination with the Sync Lock function makes sure that the tracks in Traktor Duo never drift out of sync, giving users more time to focus on the creative aspects of digital mixing. Extensive Crate Flick cover artwork support also allows users to visually browse music libraries in an especially efficient way.

Traktor Scratch Duo combines the Duo software with the durable AUDIO 4 DJ 24bit/96 kHz audio interface, creating a professional time-code controlled DJ system. Traktor Scratch Duo is the 2-deck DVS solution for users that do not want to compromise on quality in any way. It is based on the industry-leading 2kHz high-resolution time-code technology of Traktor Scratch Pro that allows for extremely responsive and precise hands-on control through turntables and CD decks.

Traktor Duo and Traktor Scratch Duo will be available in April for $119/€99 and $399/€349 respectively. Owners of either one will be able to upgrade to the Traktor Pro software at a discounted price at any time, gaining access to 2 additional decks, a full range of over 20 effect types, Internet broadcasting and audio recording functions, as well as extended sync and MIDI features.

A Traktor Pro Demo Version is available. It requires Mac OS 10.4.x or higher and an Intel Mac.

The iPhone and the iPod touch are marvels of technology. I’m constantly amazed at what they can do. I was recently talking to Jordan Rudess (of Dream Theater) about the iPhone and its potential for music. He mentioned a new iPhone app called Bebot that he’s been working with. Check out this YouTube video for a great demonstration of Bebot.

What’s amazing is that some of the technology in Bebot was first seen in the Continuum, a very high-end MIDI controller. While Bebot isn’t exactly the same, the fact that it’s $1.99 is staggering.

The iPhone is clearly maturing. With people like Jordan helping developers understand what musicians need, the platform will continue to grow in new and unique ways. As it does, you can count on Max OS X Audio devoting more time to new musical instruments—iPhone and iPod touch.