Rock Ability album released

New Cjed’s album, Rock Ability, is available through all platforms, including youtube and Deeser

Free iOS FM Payer / framework

Audiokit Pro released a free FM instrument for iPad. It also provides audiokit, an open source audio framework.

NI String Ensemble

Native Instruments unveiled String Ensemble, a 34 GB (in compressed format) strings library that features a 60 instruments ensemble with automatic divisi, true polyphonic legato and 4 mic positions. It is priced 499 EUR.

The audio demos sound big, more processed than VSL or HL Strings, however close to strings from movies scoring.

Bela D Media Kontakt demos

Bela D Media provides full working Kontakt demo versions of their choirs libraries. First available are Panthom Voice and V Alto Choirs (see download links following audio demos).

Eastwest Hollywood Orchestra

EastWest released Hollywood Orchestra collection, that bundles Hollywood String, Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion (Diamond version, 680 GB, provided on external USB3 drive). It is available at an introductory price of $599 / EUR653, that is 80 percent discount from buying separate products (and is about the same price as was Symphonic Orchestra Gold 10 years ago).

Roland D-50 / D-20 converters

From these service manuals (here for the D-50 and there for D-20) we learn that both Roland synths use Burr-Brown PCM54 D/A converter. However the D-50 added a 4 bits chip to convert the lower 4 bits from 20 bits signal (better headroom for internal processing and better dynamic for output).

Kontakt Akkord Guitar : add old patterns

Since Kontakt 4, the Akkord Guitar  module has been revamped down. The pattern editor isn’t available and provided presets don’t cover the whole list from Kontakt 2.

In fact all patterns settings are still there (in the script), however the pattern knob only give access to 24 of these.

By going to script tab from editing instrument, then clicking on Edit, we can see the script by selecting “Apply from” drop list and selecting “Editor/Patch”.

The whole original patterns data are stored in tabs that store corresponding style, velocity and duration values for each pattern’s step. Each tab (pattern_x_style, pattern_x_velo, pattern_x_dur) stores 16 patterns data. Also there are 4 tabs (pattern_1_style to pattern_4_style, the same for velocity and duration) then 64 patterns.

The target pattern (that is number 0 to 63, mapped along 4 tabs) is computed using two indirections. The index (position) of the pattern knob (0-23) is a mapped to (corresponding value in pattern_helper_new tab) an index from pattern_helper_tab, whose corresponding value is the pattern position. For example first knob position (that is value 0 in pattern_helper_new tab) maps to first entry in pattern_helper_tab, whose value is the pattern number.

I modified first values in  pattern_helper_tab (patterns 43, 42, 27, 56, 57, 58,59). The corresponding pattern for position 58 is wonderwall (see declaration in pattern_4 tabs), as 58/16 = 3 (tab1 corresponds to 0, tab2 to 1, etc.) and remaining is 10 (that is 10th entry in tab4 following the first one).

Then by clicking apply and changing pattern knob position up and back (for changes to be applied) the new patterns are available (their names however aren’t updated). The updated settings can be saved when closing the instrument (save a new one).

Update : loading a Kontakt 2 project into a more recent Kontakt version, the Akkord Guitar pattern editor is available.

Native Instruments Strummed Acoustic

Native Instruments presents Strummed Acoustic, a 8.5GB acoustic guitar libray that provides strumming patterns (as was Kontakt 2’s Akkord guitar) . It is priced EUR99. Audio demos are available.

Avid ProTools First

Avid announced ProTools First, a free version that includes most ProTools features : XPand2 synth plugin, Midi editor, Elastic pitch and time, 16 tracks recording, 20 effects (including D-Verb) that can be extended through the in-app marketplace, 3 free cloud projects.

Also ProTools 12 was presented, that will include collaborative cloud-based work.

Omnisphere 2

Spectrasonics presented Omnisphere 2, that adds 400 new waveforms, wavetable morphing synthesis, granular synthesis, new filters, 3000 new patches, a new interface and new effects. It is priced $499.

NAMM new audio interfaces

New audio interfaces were announced during winter NAMM :

• Focusrit Clarett series (thunderbolt, 1ms latency, Midi, 24bit/192kHz; Red2 and Red3 plugin suite), no pricing yet
• M-Audio Deltabolt 1212 (thunderbolt, 32bits/192kHz), priced $500
• Arturia Audiofuse (192Khz, USB, 3ms latency), priced $599
• Roland Super UA (1bit DSD and 32bit PCM, USB), no pricing yet

 

Also Apogee presented Apogee Groove, a portable USB DAC (asynchronous, ESS Sabre DAC, 4 DACs per channel)

Roland FA EXP09/10 collections / future of sound

As expected, Roland released free FA EXP-09 (samples from SRX10 Complete Piano) and EXP-10 (samples from SRX06 Complete Orchestra).

Now they should provide new samples, as these are very old (strings sounds from SRX04 were released back in 2001, and weren’t really greater than the ones from 1999’s SRJV-12 Orchestral II, that I’m still using/layering with VSL and Hollywood Strings).

Also 2005’s piano samples from SRX10 still seem to be the basis for supernatural piano sounds (FP7-F one only improves their dynamic and resonance – some interpolation algorithms to model notes decrease from short samples data and smooth sample/layer switch, while managing equalizing differently in low end and providing better converters). Since JV80 Roland had the best samples compression technology and interpolation algorithm, however they now need new sample materials (or they will have to stay on synth like emulations and Z3TA like sounds).

It then seems we have reached a step in quality (no really new piano nor orchestral library these last 3 years – VSL Dimension Strings went towards more modelling/additive synthesis however the base samples weren’t improved, as these are used as partials).

This is time for custom stacked/layered sounds (I succeded in producing were nice Strings layers using SO, VSL, Strings Essentials, HL Strings and samples Roland SRJV12 stereo strings, also an impressive church organ by layering two famous D50 patchs with a free Kontakt based library). Electric guitars still rely on Amplitube.