Waldorf Music has announced the full production launch and availability of Kyra in time for the 2019 NAMM Show, January 24-27, in Anaheim, California. They claim that Kyra is the world’s first fully FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) powered synthesiser featuring 128 voices each with 10 oscillators per voice, and eight-part multitimbrality with each part having its own dedicated nine-module effects unit.
The Vienna Symphonic Library has released Synchron FX Strings I, their first collection to include production-ready textures and loops, played by a 50-piece string orchestra recorded at Synchron Stage in Vienna. Synchron FX Strings I is currently available at a special introductory price until 30th June 2018.
Propellerhead Software has released Reason 10.1 which features sample loading in Europa and support for new Player devices. To celebrate the launch of Reason 10.1 Propellerhead is offering a time-limited offer. If you buy the Reason Upgrade you will get Propellerhead’s new Drum Sequencer for free worth $69 but this offer ends on May 31st, 2018.
In the Rob Papen world of synthesis, there was one type of synthesiser missing… A synthesiser that has all of the controls and features available visually all at once. Rob has plugged this gap by releasing the Go2 Synthesiser Virtual Instrument with 600 presets and priced at $49.
Spitfire Audio has released Chamber Strings Professional For The Kontakt Player Platform with string articulations and techniques taken from recordings of 16 of the finest strings players playing the finest instruments at Lyndhurst Hall within London’s legendary AIR Studios.
By popular request, IK Multimedia’s Syntronik and Syntronik CS apps for iPad and iPhone now offer new synths from the Syntronik Deluxe Mac/PC collection. Syntronik synths recreate the sound of vintage synthesizers by using sampling and modeling to ensure top notch results. IK's DRIFT™ technology varies the color, pitch and phase of the sampled oscillators to keep them moving like actual analog oscillators.
Spectrasonics has announced a significant update of Omnisphere, the virtual instrument synth powerhouse.
Omnisphere 2.5 offers a Hardware Synth Integration feature, which allows well-known hardware synthesisers hands-on control of Omnisphere’s newly-expanded synthesis capabilities.
IK Multimedia has joined the ever growing company of brands vying for a slice of the hardware synth market announcing the new IK Multimedia UNO Synth - a sub $200 and in their words "true-analog, ultra-portable monophonic synthesizer."
Amplesound has announced the release of Ample Guitar Fender Funk Extension which brings the Fender Stratocaster 50's sound to the mix. Sampled with the Middle and Bridge pickup, AGF Extension has been designed to sound bright and just right for any Funk music.
Ample Guitar Fender is priced at $109 and Funk Extension is priced at $49. Both are available with a 28% discount until April 19th, 2018.
Today, our friends at Toontrack have just released a new keyboard expansion for EZkeys called Dream Machine that Toontrack say is a hybrid / preset-driven instrument designed for use in modern pop, ambient soundscapes and soundtracks.
Spitfire Audio has been working with Hans Zimmer, to create a string sampling library like no other with no fewer than 344 of the greatest players in London assembled at AIR Studios to have technology transform them into an extraordinary-sounding ensemble available as a plug-in aimed primarily for composers by composers and the result is Hans Zimmer Strings.
Roli has released the Songmaker Kit, a portable music studio for creating a track anywhere using gear that is three music-making devices in one. The kit showcases ROLI BLOCKS, the modular music creation system that launched in 2016. While it’s possible to create dozens of kits with different Blocks, the Songmaker Kit’s combination of Seaboard Block, Lightpad Block M, and Loop Block is a tried and tested configuration for next-level music-making.
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, EastWest is offering 50% off of many of their products including the EastWest/Quantum Leap Hollywood Series with orchestra, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choirs, Ministry of Rock, Silk, Stormdrum 2, and Goliath.
Having shown the Magneto Eurorack module at The 2018 NAMM Show, Strymon is proud to announce the availability of its first foray into the Eurorack small-format modular market with a Four Head dTape Echo & Looper module designed to create expansive soundscapes and evolving, otherworldly tones.
The team at e-instruments, makers of some of the finest Kontakt based instruments has announced TouchOSC layouts for Upright. TouchOSC is a customizable open sound control (OSC) and MIDI control surface app for mobile devices. You can buy it in Apple‘s App Store and at Google Play. (Links)
Q Up Arts has announced the availability of California Keys which is compatible with Native Instruments’ KONTAKT (5.5 full version or free player) platform as a sampled suite of instruments centred around a Fazioli 10ft grand piano presented in stereo and surround, scripted and designed for expressivity and playability to fit every style of playing, partnered with a set of vintage keyboards.
Our friends at Toontrack have today released a new EZX drum library called UK Pop for Toontrack's popular drum instruments EZ Drummer 2 & Superior Drummer 3.
Akai Pro has announced that its MPC Software has been updated to v2.1. This major update for both LIVE/X Standalone Firmware OS and MPC Desktop Software introduces a number of new workflow enhancements and stability improvements.
