satya

https://www.musicradar.com/news/korg-microkorg-2 microKorg 2 will be released in June of this year. We'll be checking out the synth at NAMM next week the most noticeable upgrade is the synth's 2.8-inch colour display, which offers advanced control of the synth's parameters alongside animated effects and an oscilloscope view that visualizes your patches. Like its predecessor, microKorg 2 is built around a virtual analogue synth engine. The synth's polyphonic architecture can handle up to eight voices, and sounds can be layered in Dual mode to create multi-timbral patches. The synth comes with 512 presets categorized into eight banks labelled by genre, and custom sounds can be saved in its 64-slot patch memory.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2024-martin-remasters-its-affordable-x-series-acoustic-guitars-available-from-dollar599 https://www.andertons.co.uk/search?search=martin x&tduid The remastering breaks down to what Martin details as a number of improvements in playability and cosmetics. On the latter side, new High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) patterns make for some eye-catching looks with cocobolo, ziricote, and Brazilian rosewood joining mahogany, koa, and all-black. Elsewhere, the remastered X Series guitars also feature headplates that match the model's respective HPL pattern, along with refined rosettes .Specs include satin tuners, Martin E-1 electronics with a built-in chromatic tuner and volume, tone, and phase controls.

https://www.korg.com/in/products/synthesizers/grandstage_x/ The interface on the Grandstage X has been designed with live players in mind, and promises to be very intuitive. You can layer and split at the touch of a button, and there are dedicated level controls for each part. The keyboard has Korg’s RH3 weighted hammer action, and we’re intrigued by the key-touch slider, which promises “instant control over volume and timbre changes with each keystroke”. There are Nutube-powered analogue-style effects, an EQ and multiple delays and reverbs. The Grandstage X also has a slight arranger keyboard vibe with the inclusion of a rhythm and chord progression function, which creates a backing track that’s said to complement your playing. There’s no shortage of competition in the stage piano market, but with its distinctive look and (hopefully) high-quality sounds, the Grandstage X could definitely be a contender. There’s no word on a price yet, but you can expect it to arrive in June.

https://www.korg.com/in/products/synthesizers/kingkorg_neo/ This 2013 61-note keyboard never really seemed to fully capture the public’s imagination, but Korg has now taken the XMT virtual analogue engine that powered it and stuffed it into the more compact KingKorg Neo. The Neo will be available from February priced at £949/£1,099

https://www.kiiveaudio.com/products/distinct-pro? Kiive Audio have released Distinct Pro!, a cutting-edge distortion and dynamics processing plugin, available at the intro price of £48.00, increasing to £80.00 after the promotion. Distinct Pro! takes what you know and love from the original Distinct! unit, and brings all new circuits plus allows for complete control of the ultimate saturation circuit – perfect for any scenario. Distinct Pro! is available to PC and Mac users (VST3, AU and AAX).

https://www.samplelogic.com/products/realms/ref/8/ Sample Logic has announced the release of an update to its flagship reverb/spatial audio plugin. Designed to help you unleash your creativity with reverb, convolution, delay and chorus, Realms Cinematic Spaces now comes with improved external MIDI and DAW controls. In celebration of the update, Realms is on sale for $50 USD instead of $99 USD until January 21st, 2024. It comes in VST/VST3 and AU plugin formats for Windows and Mac.

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/sontronics-acquired-2b-heard-limited Following years of amazing growth and exciting achievements, Lisa and I felt the time was right for Sontronics to fulfil its potential through the fresh vision of new owners. After 30 years in the music industry and 20 years building the brand and team to where they are today, I wanted to find the right people who would show Sontronics the same love that we have at the same time as pushing it forward and expanding its reach. The team at 2B Heard are hugely respectful of what we’ve achieved and also understand what the brand represents to its loyal users, and I’m confident that through their skills and knowledge they will reach new markets and carry the brand into the future.” - Trevor Coley, Founder & Designer, Sontronics “We are delighted to take over the helm at Sontronics, and we’re looking forward to building upon the firm foundations that Trevor and Lisa have established. I have admired Sontronics from afar for many years and I’m very proud to be welcoming this incredibly well respected brand, its beautifully designed microphones and its skilful team into our fold. Thanks to its solid range of products and plenty of new ideas in the pipeline, the future is looking very bright for Sontronics!” - Sam Nankivell, Director, 2B Heard

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/yamaha-seqtrak-all-one-production-system https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/music_production/music-production-studios/seqtrak Yamaha SEQTRAK all-in-one productioninstrument drum machine synth sampler The latest addition to Yamaha’s music production line-up combines drum programming with synthesis and sampling, and despite its compact form factor, also manages to squeeze in an onboard sequencer and a collection of effects. Housed in a lightweight, portable enclosure, SEQTRAK features an intuitive interface and a wealth of hands-on controls, offering an all-in-one production solution that can capture and develop ideas anywhere. The SEQTRAK is available now, priced at $599.

https://www.presonus.com/en/new-eris-family/eris-pro/ PreSonus Eris Pro 4 point-source coaxial studio monitor compact immersive Dolby Atmos PreSonus refreshed their Eris studio monitor line-up in September 2023, introducing an array of new and updated models that included the Eris Pro, a coaxial design available with 6.5 or 8-inch drivers (along with a 10-inch subwoofer). Now, they’ve announced the launch of another model, the Eris Pro 4, which offers a more compact version of the design that’s well-suited to applications such as immersive mixing rooms. As its name suggests, the latest addition to the range is loaded with a 4.5-inch coaxial driver that incorporates a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter. It promises to deliver a detailed transient response, with a natural sound that helps to combat listening fatigue. The single point-source design also helps to ensure accurate phase alignment between the drivers, delivering a wide ‘sweet spot’ and maintaining a symmetrical dispersion pattern — factors that are always desirable, of course, but become even more crucial when configuring accurate multi-speaker immersive setups.

IK Multimedia’s latest release makes many of the features found in their popular iRig Stream Mic Pro available at a lower price point. The new iRig Stream Mic USB combines a high-quality capacitor mic with a 16-bit/48kHz USB audio interface, offering a compact all-in-one solution for content creators on the go. The design employs a half-inch gold-sputtered capsule and features a cardioid pickup pattern, and includes a built-in switchable high-pass filter to help tackle unwanted low-frequency rumble and noise. In addition to the mic signal, the iRig Stream Mic USB is capable of accepting a stereo line-level input via a 3.5mm mini-jack, and will combine both signals into a single stereo track which is made available to the host device via a USB-C connector. Helpfully, it also boasts a loopback feature to allow audio sources from a computer to be mixed in with the mix output. A second 3.5mm mini-jack socket then provides a headphone output for monitoring purposes. The iRig Stream Mic USB is available now, priced at €99.99. https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigstreammicusb/

Yup

Computer Music Arrived for subscribers now

https://www.adsrsounds.com/software-developer/pspaudioware/ Regularly $99 USD, Twin-L for Windows and Mac (VST/VST3, AU and AAX) is on sale for only $19.99 USD until January 31st, 2024.

https://vstbuzz.com/deals/30-off-ba-1-synthesizer-plugin-by-baby-audio VSTBuzz are offering 30% off BA-1 by Baby Audio for a limited time, now only 63.00, (usually 90.00). The offer ends January 29th. BA-1 is based on a portable 1980s synth with a toylike appearance and a gritty sound. Despite its small size, it left a big mark on music history, while still flying somewhat under the hype radar. The original has been used as a secret weapon for bubbly synth textures by some of Sweden’s most successful pop producers of the past two decades. It was also a staple of 1990s digital dancehall and beloved by the indietronica scene for its raw lo-fi quality. The ‘CS01’ – as the original is called – has never been properly captured in software form. So for our first ever synth, we started there.

https://puremagnetik.com/products/drejin-grain-silhouette-shaper Puremagnetik have released Drejin, a granular effect, available to monthly ($9.00 per month) or yearly ($89.00). It will be archived next month for a one-off purchase option. The Drejin Grain Silhouette Shaper is an innovative tool for manipulating sound through triggering a granular cloud based on specified thresholds and envelopes. This allows for the creation of granular echoes or silhouettes of the original audio signal, resulting in unique textures and granular slap-back reflections. With its capabilities, it is perfect for producing textural swells, ambient spaces, and intricate echoes from buffered content. Drejin is available to PC and Mac users (VST2, VST3 and AU).

https://soundiron.com/products/hopkin-instrumentarium-aquaalt Soundiron have released Hopkin Instrumentarium: Aquaalt, a unique Lute, available at the intro price of $29.00, increasing to $39.00 after the promotion. Aquaalt is an experimental custom creation from the mind of master instrument inventor Bart Hopkin: A unique Lute with a steel bowl resonator. This handcrafted contraption’s bridge delivers the string vibrations directly to the bowl’s flat bottom. As the strings sound, a small amount of water moves in the bowl, causing ever-changing resonances and creating unusual, dreamy sounds. Made of wood and metal, Aquaalt has a richly acoustic essence that resounds brightly through each note. With the body mounted on a swaying stand, the player can rock the lute to keep the water in the bowl moving. It can be played by plucking or bowing, occasionally with a slide to vary the string pitches. Aquaalt requires a full version of Kontakt 6.2.2 ir later.

https://www.g-sonique.com/psytrance-synths-8000x1-vst-au-plugin.html G-Sonique have released Psytrance Synths 8000 X1, a synth aimed at Psytrance, Full-on Psy, Neo Goatrance and Progressive Psytrance producers, available at the intro price of €25.90 for the first 100 customers increasing to €49.00 after the promotion. Psytrance Synths 8000 X1 is an advanced progressive synths, efx sounds, synth hits, drones, pads, twisted Psy sounds, mystic alien voices, surfaces, and especially Psytrance leads. Psytrance Synths 8000 X1 is available to PC and Mac users (VST and AU).

https://www.stagecraftsoftware.com/products/beatrebuilder/ Stagecraft have released Beat ReBuilder, available at the intro price if $40.00, increasing to $120.00 after the promotion. Grab beats out of thin air! This plugin deciphers a beat and adds layers of sound on it. You can use this to replace or augment parts of a beat, or as inspiration for new midi patterns and audio loops. Using audio classification, Beat ReBuilder detects various beat hits like the snare, kick, or high hat. With this data, you can layer on your own samples on top of the beat or replace it entirely. Alternatively, you can drag-and-drop the MIDI data for use in your own drum machine.

https://www.vsl.co.at/en/News/2024-01_Woodwinds_Festival The Vienna Symphonic Library has announced a special sale of the Synchron Woodwinds Collection in addition to free bonus patches offering new “Lyrical Legato” and “Virtuosic Legato” articulations for the included flute, oboe, and clarinet. Lyrical Legato offers a slower, a bit more pronounced and beautifully natural transition between notes in slow and medium tempos. The also included new Virtuosic Legato is specifically designed for fast phrases. Registered users of Synchron Woodwinds can add the new legato articulations for the flute, oboe, and clarinet, free of charge, simply by using the Vienna Assistant. The bonus patch will also be included in every new purchase of Synchron Woodwinds. Synchron Woodwinds is the TEC Award 2023 nominated virtual instrument collection including 13 solo instruments and 7 ensembles, recorded in the large hall of Synchron Stage Vienna. Captivating performances by world-class artists were extensively sampled with a new level of dynamic expressivity and musicality to create a versatile, flexible and very nuanced library that adds characcter and authenticity to any arrangement. Synchron Woodwinds is currently available at a special price of $467 USD for the Standard Library (regular $625 USD), and $672 USD for the Full Library (regular $893 USD). To mark the occasion, all other woodwind libraries of the Synchron Series, SYNCHRON-ized Series, and Big Bang Orchestra Series, are available at major discounts as well. The offer is available at Best Service and in the VSL store until February 5th, 2024.

https://www.pluginboutique.com/meta_product/81-Bundles/89-Complete-Collection/5552-AudioThing-Plugins This new version has been rewritten and redesigned from scratch, and now features modulation, effects, a space simulator, an impulse response generator, and a lot of improvements and new features. Changes in Fog Convolver v2.2 Added Impulse Response Space Simulator. Added new DIY bank. Added more IRs to Unusual bank. Added macOS 14 Sonoma support. Added AAX Silicon support. Fixed path issues when moving projects between macOS and Windows. Improved graphic memory usage. Regularly priced 69 EUR/USD, Fog Convoler 2 for Windows, Mac and Linux (VST/VST3, AU, AAX and CLAP) is on sale for 39 EUR/USD at the AudioThing store and from Plugin Boutique until February 4th, 2024.

https://audioplugin.deals/product/groove-shadow-elastik-by-ueberschall/ FOR 9$

https://audioplugin.deals/product/riffer-3-by-audiomodern/ Audio Plugin Deals has announced an exclusive sale on Audiomodern’s creative MIDI sequencer plugin for Windows and Mac. Offered at over 50% off regular, Riffer 3 generates random riffs for your sounds, software and hardware. Riffer is on sale for $24.99 USD until January 30th, 2024. It comes in VST/VST3, AU and AAX plugin formats.

https://musicdevelopments.com/ MusicDevelopments has announced an update to its unique, non-destructive, phrase-based music prototyping software designed for composers, songwriters and musicians of all musical styles. Changes in RapidComposer v5.1 AI suggestions implemented in various places in the program. It is possible to get suggestions for chord replacement, chord progressions, chord rules, scales, phrases, tracks, song structure. An OpenAI API key is required to use this functionality. AI chat window added to ask music composition related questions. RapidComposer will extract and display musical suggestions from the reply, ready for inserting into the composition. “Bend up”, “Bend up+reset” and “Bend up+release” presets added to CC browser (and used in GPT guitar solo/licks suggestions). Phrase Editor CC editing menu: “Insert CC browser selection”. UI improvements in the Chord Selector, “For Chord Progression” tab. New idea track option: “Remove used phrases from list”. Fixed: in Digital Performer 11 the RC VST3 plug-in failed validation scan. Phrase Editor: fixed rubber-box selection when editing note CC’s. ‘AI Suggestions’ chapter added to the user guide. Stability improvements. RapidComposer for Windows and Mac is available to purchase from $79 USD. The update is free for all version 5 owners.

https://www.waves.com/ Waves Audio has launched a limited time flash sale on its vocal plugins and bundles, offering discounts of up to 90% off on a selection of 34 products. The Vocal Production bundle comprising 17 of the music industry’s most popular vocal plugins is on sale for $299 USD. Additionally, you can get up to 2 free plugins with a purchase during the promotion.

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