Music Technology News and Trends

MOTU has released DP Control, a free application that allows Digital Performer users to control DP over a Wi-Fi network using an iPhone, iPad or third-generation iPod Touch. Built specifically for use with Digital Performer Version 7.2 or later, DP Control gives users easy access to the most important transport and mixer functions for tracking, mixing and live performance.

Komplete 7 is a significantly expanded version of the company's software bundle. The next generation of Komplete now combines 24 instruments and effects—including five entirely new products—with more than 10,000 sounds and 90 GByte of samples.

The FL Studio 9.5 beta is available to all registered FL Studio 9 owners for testing. Users can download the FL Studio 9.5 beta from their user account page. The installer is available below the regular FL Studio registration.

The PSP 85 benefits from aggressive algorithm optimization and adds significant new features while retaining full preset and bank compatibility with the PSP 84 delay. The plug-in comes with 60 new presets and a supplementary bank containing more PSP 84 factory programs.

Audio post facilities The Surround Factory in North Hollywood, Calif, and Arvintel Media Productions in Marietta, Ga., which have worked in partnership over the past 10 years dubbing films, cartoons and commercials into English and Spanish, announced that they have "gone paperless" by adopting Apple's iPad to display scripts for voice-over talent. The Surround Factory states that the two facilities had discovered Avatron Software's Air Display software, which allows an iPad to act as a wireless display for a Mac OS X computer.

Mix magazine interview with front of house and monitor engineers on mixing for Sting and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tour

Focusrite announces the ISA428 MkII ($1,799.99 MSRP) 4-channel mic preamp and A/D converter, which the company says will supersede the existing ISA428. Like its predecessor, the ISA428 MkII features four of Focusrite's transformer-based ISA preamps, which are found in the Focusrite Forte console, as well as the same analog circuit board as the ISA428.

In Ethno World 5, users will find more than 240 professionally recorded ethnic instrument samples in the following categories: bowed instruments, stringed instruments, woodwind and brass, key instruments, bell-type instruments, metal type instruments, world drums, world percussion, and gongs and bowls, as well as new category voices and choirs.

Dante Virtual Soundcard acts like a physical sound card or audio interface, including the ability to play and record audio using any Windows audio application with standard ASIO multichannel audio support, or any Core Audio Mac application. This includes applications such as Cubase, Nuendo and Logic, and additionally for Mac, more general audio applications such as iTunes.

For those already using Ableton Live, Ableton is giving away the Partner Instrument Compilation—a free 4.4GB Live Pack that provides a selection of content taken from the Partner Instruments. It includes everything from acoustic pianos and electronic drums to exotic instruments and cinematic soundscapes; 58 Instrument Racks, 16 Drum Racks, five Live Sets and 80 Live Clips.

This free app—now available from the Apple app store—allows Digital Performer (Version 7.2 or later) users to control DP over a WiFi network using their iPhone, iPad or third-generation iPod Touch.

San Francisco–based mastering engineer John Greenham has quietly amassed a wealth of album credits for artists in numerous musical genres.

Modular audio interface and converter

L-Acoustics in Oxnard, Calif., announces that Montreal-based production company Solotech has become the first Canadian company to join the manufacturer's K1/KUDO Pilot Program. Solotech, which has V-DOSC/dV-DOSC/ARCS rig for more than a decade, has maintained a long association with Cirque du Soleil and supported tours for Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Leonard Cohen, Andre Rieu, Michael Buble and Diana Krall.

The Waves Masters on Tour event series held special sessions featuring legendary mixer Chris Lord-Alge on the evenings of Saturday, July 17, 2010, at Sterling Audio in New York City’s Chelsea Market, and Monday, July 19, 2010, at Sweetwater Music in Fort Wayne, Ind. For more than 20 years, the Grammy Award–winner has mixed artists including Green Day, U2, Nickelback, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Pink, Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, All American Rejects and others.

The xpressor 500 (approximately $840 MSRP) is elysia's new stereo compressor available in API's 500 Series format. It features a discrete audio path that constantly runs in Class-A mode and is said to combine a clear and open sound with a lot of punch.

The xpressor 500 stereo compressor available in API's 500 Series format offers a discrete audio path running in constant Class-A mode and features auto-fast attack mode, switchable release characteristic and a Warm mode switch for instant coloration of the signal.

Gen16 by Zildjian makes its debut with the Digital Vault, offering authentic, high-resolution acoustic samples of the company's exclusive master "reference" cymbals, along with rare, limited-edition cymbals never available to the public. Each cymbal has been hand-selected by Zildjian's Master Cymbal tester Paul Francis from the "cymbal vault" at the company's Norwell, Mass., workshop, and recorded by percussion samplist John Emrich.

500-series compressor from Elysia

Spat, Verb and Trax plug-ins now available