VirSyn makes us happy with this reverb, Reflect which is somehow a crossover between the algorhytmic and convolution reverbs. It uses both method to produce good-quality sound environments, check its web page for listening to the results. The normal price will be 169 euro but for a limited time, until 30th September you can buy it for 99 euro only. VST, AU, RTAS are supported, on every Mac and PC.
Digidesign presents two lighter versions of their Pro Tools-only flagship sampler, Structure. First, Structure LE has limited editing functions plus limited sample mapping capabilities if you compare it with the original but costs only 150 USD. It comes with a 3 gigabyte sound library. There is an even-cheaper version, Structure Free which has a sample library of885 megs, and further limitations. It can play four instances at a time, no database handling, partly-adapted MIDI Learn, four parts multitimbral only, only a stereo pair of audio output, and no effects. But still not so bad, isn't it? Check the detailed specs and features comparison table here.
Ableton is out with a light version of their flagship sequencer product. Live LE costs you 150 USD (download version), and has the next serious limitations if you compare it with the original: the number of the channels is maximized in 64, handles maximum 2 audio inputs and 4 outputs, soft instruments'number is limited in 8, effects in 12 at a time, there is no Freeze, no Rendering, does not use your MIDI outputs, no ReWire, and no video player. But it's still a nice toy, isn't it?
Attention funky and disco users: Scarbee offers a sample package for you. Black Bass contains 2.8 gigabytes of real, live, fingered bass sounds for 100 USD, sampled all four strings fully. There are numerous articulations implemented which are all well-known for the bassist but not me. What I can explain is the automatic selection of the proper strings while playing - a smart algorythm finds them from the previous notes. There are a nice slide feature also, has a feature for setting release times randomly - check the product's web page if you are interested more...
A company called ims says they produced the application everybody wanted since a long time: it can convert multichannel, multi-instrumental, polyphonic, mixed audio files to MIDI arrangements. The software's name is intelliScore but it has no demo version which could easily prove whether it is true or not - but here is their website, try to catch them if you want. Price is 130 USD, or, a light version can be ordered for 80 USD also which converts only a single polyphonic channel. Send your real-life experiences on the topic please (if you have any).
Roger Linn, father of the modern drum computers is in the news again: the Master now has a personal web page where he places comments on some very new and hot musical instrument solutions. The page can be found here, and we can read about some well-known gadgets: Reactable, Tenori-On, Monome etc.
Dave Smith keeps the Prophet 08 campaign very hot: now he has published the user's manual of the new analog supersynth online, you can download it from here. We still haven't read it, if you find something cool please comment this post.
From the big names here is Roger Linn who is still active also: the man who invented the digital drum machine now presents a guitar effect, AdrenaLinn III. The small box is available through his website for 375 USD and promised to be distributed via ordinary shops for 500 USD. Main feature of the new effect is modeling 40 kind of amplifiers, and has a huge bunch of additional effects: compressor, tuner, stereo reverb, filters and so on. It receives not less than 10 MIDI switch controllers plus two continuous controllers. Since it is a Linn product there is a built-in sample based drum sound generator and sequencer (its sounds can be triggered from the MIDI input also). In both cases the periodic effect programs can go after the tempo as well as the small, 32-step sequencer which can be applied to the filter frequency. This is not only the guitarists' dream machine, is it? There are numerous additional effect which will fire your fantasy so check the official webpage now.
