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Native Instruments Holiday Giveaway

Two special gifts as a thank you to all registered users


Native Instruments today launched their annual holiday giveaway with two special gifts as a thank you to all registered users. Until December 31, both gifts are available for download from the Native Instruments website. For producers, DRIVER is a filter distortion effect designed for subtle to drastic sound manipulation, while five new Remix Sets for TRAKTOR's Remix Decks will be released as a free bundle for Native Instruments' DJ community. Here's what they have to say about each...

DRIVER is a creative filter distortion effect for adding dynamic motion and texture to source material, designed by the creator of MASSIVE. The filter section delivers a wide range of effects, from extremely smooth to completely saturated. DRIVER offers low pass and notch filters, plus a distortion unit and versatile modulation sources. The diversity and quality of the resulting sound are consistently inspiring, and let producers segue smoothly from a warm, high-quality filter effect to all-out sonic mayhem. An envelope follower and audio modulation allow users to animate or transform the original signal, taking the sound beyond what the filter and distortion sections do alone. DRIVER can also be triggered via sidechain for dynamic effects that move with the music and integrates seamlessly with MASCHINE.

The five TRAKTOR Remix Sets in Native Instruments' holiday giveaway provide users with diverse sounds ready for immediate use in TRAKTOR's Remix Decks. TRAKTOR Remix Sets are premium-grade loop and one-shot sample packs, providing DJs with new expressive possibilities for their sets, allowing live remixing and creative track manipulation. TRANSISTOR PUNCH and DROP SQUAD are sets of new samples based on sounds from successful MASCHINE Expansions. DEEP GROOVE provides users with a set of sounds specifically created for deep house and techno styles, while ETHNIC PERCUSSION provides loops and one shots featuring rhythms from Indian and Latin music traditions. HOLLYWOOD CRUNCH is an exclusive Remix Set created by producer Comfort Fit, featuring hand-selected sounds from his personal collection. All five TRAKTOR Remix Sets are available together as a free download.

Pricing and Availability:
These special offers are available until December 31 from the Native Instruments website.

More information:
www.native-instruments.com/holidays2012

Create Unnaturally Wide Mixes

Musicrow's SuperPan for Reaktor uses psychoacoustics for panning effects


Musicrow has updated Golden Ensembles for Reaktor to v3.09. The update includes a new Reaktor ensemble: SuperPan.

They tell us that SuperPan is a special panning effect that enables users to place sounds out of the speakers. Based on sophisticated psychoacoustic methods, SuperPan can be used for the creation of unnaturally wide mixes, for special 'pop out' effects, and for adding unusual motion effects within regular and distorted spaces. Many surprising pre-made 'spacey' presets are included.

Main Features:

  • Pan out of the speakers
  • Create super wide stereo mixes
  • Extreme 3D effects
  • Add unusual motion
  • Modulators: Two Sequencers and an LFO
  • Many surprising 'spacey' presets

Pricing and Availability:
SuperPan is available as part of Golden Ensembles 3 that now contains 45 ensembles, synthesizers and effects for NI Reaktor 5. The update is available for free for Golden Ensembles 3 users.
Musicrow also offers Golden Ensembles 3 for a special Xmas price of 99EURO (Instead of 169Euro) until 31 Dec, 2012.

More information:
www.mcrow.net/superpan.htm 
Golden Ensembles

Cubasis App Now Available For iPad

Steinberg's digital audio workstation is streamlined for the iPad


Steinberg has announced the release of their latest iOS app, Cubasis, a multitouch sequencer streamlined for the iPad that offers discerning musicians a reliable, portable music production solution in the proven Steinberg quality.

Carlos Mendoza Rohde, product marketing manager at Steinberg, told Sonic State, "Cubasis for the iPad is what many of our customers have been waiting for, and all Cubase users will instantly feel at home with it. And with unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, export to Cubase and lots of loops, sounds and effects, Cubasis is sure to meet the expectations put upon a sophisticated music production and recording software."

Supporting iPad's multitouch gestures, Cubasis opens to the familiar arrangement window with its track list and inspector known from Steinberg's professional Cubase music production system. Cubasis offers export to Dropbox, AudioCopy and SoundCloud plus project compatibility to its desktop equivalent, Cubase, for Windows and OS X operating systems.

Cubasis features unlimited audio and MIDI tracks. Recorded tracks can be mixed with the integrated mixer, processed with more than ten audio effects the likes of compressor, equalizer and delay, and edited within the easy-to-use Sample Editor.

Steinberg tells u sthat the included 70+ instrument sounds are based on HALion Sonic workstation, ensuring proven quality complemented by over 300 MIDI and audio loops. These can be triggered using the virtual keyboard and drum pads or by hooking up to Core MIDI compliant external keyboard. The Key Editor allows users to add and change MIDI notes efficiently.

Cubasis is compatible with iPad 2 (48 voices), iPad 3 (64 voices), iPad 4 (64 voices) and iPad mini (48 voices) running iOS 6. Cubase versions compatible with Cubasis are Cubase 7, Cubase 6.5, Cubase Artist 7, Cubase Artist 6.5, Cubase Elements 6, Cubase LE 6 and Cubase AI 6. Installing the Cubase project import extension is a requirement.

Features at a glance

  • Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks (depending on the device used)
  • Over 70 virtual instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic
  • Mixer with over 10 effect processors (insert and send effects)
  • Over 300 MIDI and audio loops
  • Virtual keyboard and virtual drum pads
  • Sample Editor and Key Editor
  • Export to Cubase, Dropbox, SoundCloud, AudioCopy and email
  • Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported
  • Sequence other Core MIDI apps (MIDI recording only) and run Cubasis simultaneously via background audio
  • Import audio from your iTunes music library or using iTunes file sharing, use AudioPaste or set up a Wi-Fi server in Cubasis 
  • Audio mixdown and MIDI export

Pricing and Availability:
Cubasis is available as download through the App Store. The price is 44.99 euros including German VAT.

More information:
Steinberg

Pay-What-You-Want Christmas ReFill Bundle

Nucleus SoundLab and TPSD launch a seasonal promotion


In the spirit of indie game and music bundles, Nucleus SoundLab and Tom Pritchard Sound Design has launched the Christmas 2012 ReFill Bundle. The bundle allows you to choose your price for a package of 9 Reason ReFills by these two proven ReFill developers. Here's what they have to say...

"For a minimum of $9.99 you can get some musical inspiration courtesy some of the best Reason ReFills out there: Synthesis Collection, Pantheon III, Celluloid Beats and Ambient Drums.

Pay $49.99 and you get three more amazing ReFills as well: GuitarScapes, Synthetic Kits and Filter Research 2. All told, the combined regular price of both ReFill tiers is almost $300! Top Contributors will also receive further prizes.

The Christmas 2012 ReFill Bundle is the perfect bit of holiday cheer for any discerning Reason musician or producer. But it won't last forever - the sale ends December 28th, 2012. Happy Holidays from everyone at Nucleus SoundLab and Tom Pritchard Sound Design!"

Pricing and Availability:
See website

More information:
nucleus-soundlab/christmas2012

Free Samples Made With Roger Linn Drum Machines

Boxed Ear announces the free Tempest vs MPC60 sample pack


Boxed Ear has announced the release of Tempest vs MPC60, which they tell us is a free sample pack made with two of Roger Linn's most coveted drum machines, the Dave Smith Instruments Tempest and the Akai MPC60.

Two classic drum machines, both designed by "the father of the drum machine" Roger Linn. The MPC60 is a sampler first released in 1988 and is considered one of the major contributors to the development of hip hop music. The Tempest is a modern analogue/digital hybrid drum machine released in 2011.

A Boxed Ear spokesperson told Sonic State, "We thought it would be fun to bring them both together by synthesizing pure analog drum sounds on the Tempest and sampling them into the MPC60 for that tasty 12bit digital crunch."

Pricing and Availability:
Tempest vs MPC60 is free and is available now from the Boxed Ear website.

More information:
www.boxedear.com

Wave Alchemy Winter Sale

Up to 50% off selected titles


UK sample developers Wave Alchemy have just launched a winter sale with up to 50% off selected titles. The sale runs from 14th December 2012 through to 15th January 2013 offering discounts across Wave Alchemy's entire back catalogue of sample libraries.

Wave Alchemy told Sonic State, "We would just like to say a huge thank you to all of our customers and those who have supported us by purchasing our products throughout the year. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"

Bargains include 50% off the SFX Collection 02 and 25% off the Loop Tools & Grooves collection.

Pricing and Availability:
See website

More information:
www.wavealchemy.co.uk