Tag: Gunnar E

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New Cubase 14 Is Designed to Inspire 

Press Release

Steinberg releases the latest version of Cubase, with innovative new features for music creation, beats and grooves, audio optimization, scoring, and effects that make composing, producing, and mixing more inspirational than ever. 

HAMBURG, Germany — Steinberg has today announced the immediate availability of Cubase 14 with significant new features and enhancements that make the award-winning music production software truly designed to inspire. 

Cubase 14 offers three different versions which give users a natural creative pathway — from those taking their first steps with the powerful yet intuitive tools of Cubase Elements through intermediate-level users with Cubase Artist all the way to the comprehensive, industry-standard features of Cubase Pro, which is used on countless well-known recordings by high-profile artists. Cubase provides everything musicians and producers need, for every genre of music, skill level and budget. 

The new features in Cubase 14 put creativity first, enabling users to create music which is unique and innovative while making the writing, mixing, and production processes more inspiring and intuitive than ever before.

New features to power your creativity 

Cubase 14 introduces six powerful, intuitive Modulators which allow users to modulate any parameter of a track or channel that contains an audio signal. With an LFO and Step Modulator among others, this is a major new feature that will help to push the creative envelope of many music productions. 

A new addition to Cubase’s track types, the Drum Track is an all-in-one environment for the creation of complex drum patterns and offers comprehensive features that allow users to build custom drum kits. At its core are the new Drum Machine, a versatile hybrid of drum sampler and percussion synthesizer and the Pattern Editor for programming propulsive, dynamic beats, randomizing grooves, and exploring new rhythmic worlds with just a few clicks. 

Refined audio mixing, editing and processing 

The full MixConsole can now be opened in the Lower Zone of the Project window, allowing channels to be re-arranged via drag and drop for faster, more intuitive mixing. 

The event volume curve editing in Cubase 14 has been enhanced so that users can optimize their audio with draw tools that are familiar from automation editing to edit fades and adjust static event volume offsets. 

New effects in Cubase 14 include Shimmer, a reverb plug-in that lives up to its name. Then there is StudioDelay, a distinctive, easy-to-use delay with quick access to built-in effects like modulation, distortion, reverb, and pitch. Autofilter is a filter specially designed for modulating its cutoff frequency via the input track or sidechain signal. Cubase 14 introduces Underwater, a brand-new signal processor for building atmosphere and space for vocals or lead instruments with the well-known “party next door” effect. And to round out the new additions, a Volume effect allows control of volume independently of the MixConsole volume fader. 

Notation is now even more elegant and powerful 

Cubase 14 introduces a revamped Score Editor built on technology from Dorico, the cutting- edge music notation and composition application from Steinberg. The new Score Editor provides a powerful, notation-based MIDI editor which will allow users to quickly and easily examine and edit music as notation while producing great-looking parts for live recording projects. 

More to discover 

Customers will appreciate that Cubase 14 is a true evolution, with the many new features and enhancements to the already comprehensive feature set, making it the perfect solution for music-makers of all levels. 

  • DAWproject file format support for seamless project transfer between DAWs. 
  • The enhanced Range Selection tool provides many new functions and workflows. 
  • The play probability of each individual note in the Key Editor can be set to add variation to projects. 
  • The performance monitor shows exactly when and where projects are pushing the processor’s limits. 
  • Backup files are now stored in a dedicated Auto Saves folder. 
  • More colors are included with SuperVision to visualize meters based on frequency or intensity. 
  • The Control Room has been given an aesthetic makeover. 
  • SpectraLayers Go 11 adds new spectral audio editing tools for music, sound design, restoration, and repair. 
  • Enhancements to immersive audio, including Dolby Atmos monitoring speaker layouts and support for up to fourth-order Ambisonics. 
  • Further improvements to audio connections, project management and import/export, enhanced video engine performance, and much more. 

Availability and pricing 

Cubase Pro 14, Cubase Artist 14, and Cubase Elements 14 are available from resellers and through the Steinberg Online Shop. The suggested retail price for Cubase Pro 14 is 579 euros or 579.99 US dollars. The suggested retail price for Cubase Artist 14 is 329 euros or 329.99 US dollars. The suggested retail price for Cubase Elements 14 is 99.99 euros or 99.99 US dollars. Prices may vary according to region. 

A range of downloadable updates and upgrades, crossgrades, and education versions are exclusively available through the Steinberg Online Shop. 

Customers who have activated Cubase Pro 13, Cubase Artist 13, and Cubase Elements 13 or earlier versions from October 9, 2024, are eligible for a free, downloadable grace period update for their particular version of Cubase. 

New features at a glance 

  • Modulators for adding movement to your music [Pro] 
  • Pattern Sequencer and Pattern Editor to radically enhance your rhythmic world [Pro・Artist]
  • Drum Track all-in-one environment for drum creation and sequencing [Pro・Artist]
  • Drum Machine for designing and sampling drum sounds [Pro・Artist]
  • Powerful event volume curve editing and streamlined workflows for better gain staging [Pro・Artist] 
  • Shimmer effect for creating ethereal soundscapes [Pro・Artist]
  • Revamped Score Editor based on state-of-the-art Dorico technology [Pro・Artist・Elements]
  • Enhanced MixConsole for faster, more intuitive mixing [Pro・Artist・Elements]
  • Supremely versatile StudioDelay [Pro・Artist] 
  • Underwater plug-in, simple but effective for vocals and lead instruments [Pro・Artist・Elements]
  • AutoFilter plug-in for enhanced filter movement [Pro・Artist]
  • A range of other tool and performance improvements [Pro・Artist・Elements]

Promotional video

More info

https://www.steinberg.net/press/2024/cubase-14

About Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH 

Steinberg is known the world over for its music and audio software and hardware solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling innovative products for musicians and producers in the music, film, post-production and multimedia industries since 1984. Steinberg products are used by Grammy and Oscar award-winning composers, engineers and producers. 

Visit www.steinberg.net for further details. 

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e-instruments SLOWER

Press Release

Hamburg, GERMANY, September 2024

e-instruments announce the release of SLOWER, an innovative instrument library for NI Kontakt Player that offers music producers and composers a unique sonic experience brimming with new sounds and analogue textures. SLOWER captures high-end sample content recorded on four distinct tape machines, each played back at half speed resulting in all sounds being one octave lower to create rich and evocative tones.

SLOWER: A New Dimension in Analogue Sound

Designed for those seeking emotional, analogue-inspired textures, SLOWER delves into the world of half-speed tape to deliver an extraordinary range of sounds. The library features an eclectic mix of keys, guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, and rarities such as the dulcimer and harmonium. These sounds are transformed by the half-speed tape process, resulting in everything being one octave lower to produce deep, warm, and nostalgically rich tones, available across four distinct types of tape machines: Studio, Portable, Cassette, and Dictaphone.

SLOWER – Key Features

  • Analogue Authenticity: Experience genuine, pitched-down tape sounds that bring rich, organic layers to your music.
  • Four Tape Machines: Explore a variety of tones with Studer, Uher, Tascam, and Sony tape machines, each offering distinctive audio qualities.
  • Diverse Instruments: Access 65 sound sources, including keys, synths, guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, and rare instruments, all recorded on four tape machines.
  • Preset Library: 230 presets from top sound designers, offering a wide range of sounds to inspire creativity.
  • 27 Effects: Unlock extensive sound processing with curated delays, distortions, reverbs, and filters, all customisable in a five-slot FX chain.
  • Modulation Matrix: Dive deep into sound design with assignable LFOs, modulation envelopes, a step modulator, aftertouch, and more.
  • Macro Controls: Transform sounds in real-time with three single-slider macros, enabling dynamic and expressive performances.
  • Additional Tape FX: Add extra wobble, noise, and flutter to enhance the tape characteristics as needed.
  • Reverse Samples: Create ethereal, slow-attack sounds with the reverse parameter.
  • NKS and Kontakt Compatibility: Compatible with Native Instruments Kontakt 7.10.2 or the free Kontakt player, with full NKS integration.

The Art of Half-Speed Tape 

Half-speed tape recording transforms familiar sounds into something entirely new and captivating. By slowing down analogue tape playback, SLOWER introduces a wealth of texture that digital methods simply cannot replicate. The natural wobble, flutter, and noise inherent to tape add depth and warmth, enhancing acoustic timbres and bringing out lower frequencies to create thick, mellow sounds. This technique imbues music with a unique emotional quality, adding a magical, nostalgic layer to any composition.

Exploring The Tape Machines 

SLOWER’s sounds are captured using four distinct tape machines, each imparting its own sonic character:

  • Studio: The Studer A812 and Revox PR99 open reel-to-reel machines offer warmth and fidelity, ideal for polished, high-end sounds.
  • Portable: The Uher 4400 Report IC and Monitor models deliver a compact, yet richly detailed tonal palette.
  • Cassette: The Tascam Portastudio 424 mk III embodies the unmistakable warmth and grit of cassette tape.
  • Dictaphone: The Sony M650v microcassette provides a raw, lo-fi texture, perfect for adding a nostalgic crunch.

Each machine brings its own flavour to the table, allowing users to explore and experiment with a wide range of sonic possibilities, from the refined to the lo-fi.


A Rich Collection Of Instruments And Sounds

SLOWER boasts 65 different sound sources, each recorded on four separate tape machines, as well as an extensive selection of synthesised sounds. This library transforms classic instruments – including grand and upright pianos, electric and acoustic guitars, and orchestral strings – into a broad spectrum of textures. Additionally, recordings from renowned synthesiser models provide evolving pads and intricate textures, making SLOWER a versatile tool for any genre, from Hip-Hop to Ambient and Electronica.


Advanced Sound Design Capabilities 

SLOWER is equipped with a powerful sound design engine, featuring 27 built-in effects, envelopes, LFOs, step modulator, aftertouch, and more. Users can customise a five-slot FX chain, utilising delay, distortion, reverb, filters, and other effects curated by sound designers to complement the library’s content. Reverse samples enable the creation of ethereal sounds with a slow attack, while separate controls for noise and wobble enhance the tape’s inherent imperfections. Most parameters can be modulated, offering extensive sound processing possibilities that range from subtle enhancements to dramatic transformations.


Preset Library 

SLOWER comes with 230 presets crafted by top sound designers, providing instant inspiration and a solid foundation for any project. Whether users are seeking warm, moody pianos, unique string textures, or deep wind instruments, the diverse range of presets ensures that there is always a sound to fit the creative vision.

Price & Availability

Intro Price: €99 / $99 (Ends 10th October 2024)
Regular Price: €149 / $149 Product Page: https://e-instruments.com/instruments/tape/slower/ 
Official Promo Video: https://youtu.be/hYgaOZTkUHQ
Walkthrough Video: https://youtu.be/tHR0xWgefoA  
NKS and Kontakt Compatibility:
agruta
Compatible with Native Instruments Kontakt 7.10.2 or the free Kontakt player, and fully integrated with Native Instruments NKS.
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Sonuscore’s Chroma – Upright Piano

Software Review

A TRULY SPECIAL PIANO

Once in a while you find this very special instrument. It might even be so special that you wonder why no one told you about it before. 

Chroma Upright Piano is just such an instrument.

Chroma – Upright Piano stands out a little bit extra, not just because it has such a rich history, or because it has been magnificently restored, but more for its unique character and the emotions it can convey.

It all started in a small studio where Sonuscore’s team was going to sample a grand piano. Be that as it may, someone happened to see another and much less conspicuous piano – a regular so-called “upright”, or Joanna as they used to say. When you played a few notes on this piano, you discovered that it sounded absolutely magnificent – although perhaps a little out of tune. However, it was convincing enough to decide to give it a major facelift in the form of a thorough restoration and tuning. This piano just had to be sampled and shared with the world.

Würzburger Pianohaus

The piano came from a small manufacturer, Wilhelm Diemer, who had a workshop in Würzburg, Germany. Diemer pianos were known for their brilliant quality and distinctive sound. This particular copy was approx: 100 years old and after the careful restoration it turned out to have all the acoustic properties that had been hoped for, and now it is available in sampled form as Chroma – Upright Piano.

In fact, Jonas Hausotter, one of the engineers behind the sampling of Chroma, found out that the studio that originally housed Chroma – Upright was going to close, and so he was given the opportunity to purchase the old treasure. The piano is now with Hausotter in Mainz.

The recording

Recording an upright piano may sound straightforward, but truly capturing its acoustic soul requires a sensitive approach. Jonas reveals the diverse array of microphones used to ensure every nuance could be preserved:

“We used a whole set of different microphones – many more than on a grand piano. In front of the piano we had two Coles 4038s really close to the strings and another ribbon mic in the middle to fill out the stereo image. Above, we placed a pair of Neumann km140 at a distance, somewhere between 0.5 and 1 meter from the piano, and a pair of Schoeps mk5 even higher to capture the whole instrument.

Below we had a pair of Gefell m930s under the keyboard and a pair of Sennheiser mkh8020s behind the piano. And let’s not forget the RUMBLE position – a single LOM Audio Geophone attached to the metal chassis, providing a unique depth of sound.”

This detailed microphone placement allows the Chroma – Upright Piano to offer a rich, multidimensional soundstage. Whether you want the intimate closeness of the ‘Front’ position or the wider perspective from ‘Above’, each microphone captures a different aspect of this piano’s character.

The articulations: The source of creative expression

What really sets Chroma – Upright Piano apart from other piano libraries is the Chroma method: the articulations. They didn’t just record the standard tones; they pushed the boundaries and included both felt, muted, plucked, flageolet and string articulations. Each one offers a unique texture and emotional depth, which can provide a large palette to paint your musical stories.

“The felt sounds really good! We also recorded muted notes because we loved them so much on the grand piano we sampled earlier. Picked notes – probably my least favorite because it was killing my fingers – and flageolets, which sound really cool with their harmonic content. And this time we used a real violin bow instead of an E-bow,” explains Jonas.

In NI’s Kontakt, these articulations can be mixed and played in parallel, allowing you to explore a wide range of emotions and textures, from the soft, intimate whisper of felt notes to the incredibly beautiful overtones of flageolets and literally everything in between. It’s a playground for creativity, offering you the tools to create deeply expressive and unique compositions.

Round Robins bring your music to life

Round Robins are an often overlooked feature, but they play a critical role in bringing a sampled instrument to life. Chroma – Upright Piano has eight different Round Robins that alternate, and they also sampled 27 touch layers for the standard and felt articulations, even more than they did for Croma – Grand Piano. This makes every note you play feel organic and dynamic, capturing the subtle nuances that make real pianos so captivating.

“It makes the instrument more alive because you capture so many small nuances with the small differences in touch,” notes Jonas. This attention to detail means Chroma – Upright Piano responds to your touch just like a physical piano, adding depth and realism to your playing.

Is Chroma – Upright Piano a better piano then?

Yes, it is in any case very different with its whole set-up; sampled with lots of different microphones, its many different articulations – and the possibility to mix these, 91 different factory settings (preset) and 27 different touch levels for a very nuanced and dynamic sound.

And yes, I probably also think it sounds better than most upright pianos I’ve listened to. There is a warmth in the sound that you rarely find in the sampled world. And the feeling when playing the Chroma – Upright Piano is also very special. You get extremely close to the feeling you can experience when you play a really good physical piano.

Chroma – Upright Piano is a very useful piano for both quiet piano ballads in the singer/songwriting tradition, for composing film scores, for traditional pop music and everything in between.

It’s also an excellent complement to Sonuscore’s Chroma – Grand Piano, if, against all odds, you think a grand piano takes up a bit too much space in the mix – we’re of course also talking about the sampled version.

In addition to the possibility of mixing different articulations, you also have the possibility to vary the amount of mechanical sound that normally occurs when pedaling and hammering on keys.

Conclusion

With Chroma – Upright Piano, Sonuscore presents a very useful and good-sounding alternative to all sampled full-size grand pianos that can be encountered in the music world. It has a warm, soft and full character and lots of different articulations that you can control in real time with modulation wheels, or other control devices via NKS. I was especially fond of the felt-muffled articulation and the flageolet variant, but also the plucked articulation felt both exciting and useful at the same time.

Chroma – Upright Piano has been sampled with no less than 27 different pitch levels and this naturally contributes to the truly realistic feeling you get when playing the piano. This one comes highly recommended!

System requirements

• Works with the free version of KONTAKT PLAYER

• KONTAKT Version 7.10.4 or later

• macOS 10.15 or later

• Windows 10 or later

• 8GB RAM (more recommended)

• At least 17 GB of free hard disk space. SSD is recommended

• Some of the presets for CHROMA – UPRIGHT PIANO need a powerful CPU to run smoothly; an Intel i7 processor or better is recommended.

Facts

Sampled upright piano

INFO & DEVELOPMENT Sonuscore, www.sonuscore.co,

PRICE Chroma Upright: 149 euros; crossgrade from Chroma Grand Piano to Chroma Upright: 99 Euro; Chroma Upright + Chroma Grand Bundle: 239 Euros

PLUS 

  • Sounds absolutely beautiful
  • NKS compatible
  • Works with the free Kontakt Player version
  • 27 velocity layers
  • About 90 different presets
  • You can mix different articulations
  • Four different microphone positions

MINUS

  • Why hasn’t anyone told me about Chroma – Upright Piano before?

Links

INFO https://www.sonuscore.com/shop/chroma-upright-piano/

Here you can listen to some of the presets that Chroma – Upright Piano offers:

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Cherry Audio Unveils Atomika Synthesizer

PRESS RELEASE

Cherry Audio, a leading innovator in music software development, is excited to announce the release of Atomika. This highly anticipated virtual instrument pays tribute to the legendary Polivoks synthesizer, manufactured in the former Soviet Union from 1982 to 1990. Cherry Audio’s Atomika faithfully recreates the unique character of the Polivoks while adding new filter options, full polyphony, an arpeggiator, integrated studio-quality effects, and more.

Designed in collaboration with award-winning DSP developer Mark Barton — who recently made waves in producer Anthony Marinelli’s “Why Modern Digital Synthesis Is More Analog Than Analog” YouTube video — Atomika is a faithful emulation of the original duophonic analog synthesizer. The synthesizer retains the iconic Polivoks filter and adds new controls and expanded filter modes, including highpass, notch, and peak responses. This updated version is provisioned with state-of-the-art software features tailored to meet the needs of modern music production.

Atomika elevates its capabilities with enhanced polyphony, expanding from duophonic to a robust 16-voice polyphony. It adds unison oscillator stacking, an expanded LFO with more waveforms, and comprehensive performance controls, including velocity, tracking, aftertouch, and pitch and mod wheel response. These enhancements ensure that Atomika not only captures the essence of the original but also provides modern conveniences and an intuitive user interface.

Another standout feature is Atomika’s second panel, which includes a versatile arpeggiator and four studio-quality effects — Phasor, Flange/Chorus, Echo, and Reverb — with a dedicated effects LFO for expanded parameter modulation. The stunning 3D user interface is immersive and customizable, with the options to display panel labels in the original classic text and a “hide keyboard” feature to maximize workspace.

Atomika provides users with a wide range of sonic options with over 350 carefully designed presets by Cherry Audio’s team of experienced sound designers. Its extensive MIDI mapping capabilities ensure smooth integration into any studio setup, offering a versatile and expressive synth plugin for all music producers.

With its blend of rare, classic character and cutting-edge innovation, Atomika promises to inspire creativity and elevate music production with new sounds that go far beyond the original hardware. It offers an unparalleled experience for synthesizer enthusiasts who have long wanted to try the original hardware. Priced at only $49, Atomika is the ideal choice for music producers looking to incorporate the sounds of one of the world’s rarest synthesizers into their projects.

Even more extraordinary sounds are available directly from Cherry Audio with the Chain Reactions for Atomika Preset Pack ($9.99, sold separately), featuring 100 more presets by talented sound designer James Dyson that explore Atomika’s atmospheric side through arpeggios, effects, modulation, and aftertouch.

Cherry Audio’s Atomika synthesizer is available for macOS (10.13 and above) and Windows (7 or above) in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats. A free 30-day demo is available. Visit cherryaudio.com for additional product details, a deep-dive instructional video, system requirements, and an extensive collection of awe-inspiring sound demos.

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Native Instruments Komplete 15 – Press Release

Native Instruments releases Komplete 15, Kontakt 8, and Kithara 

The biggest Komplete update ever includes over 50 new instruments, effects, and expansions, offering everything you need to make the music that matters to you.

Berlin, September 23, 2024 – Native Instruments is proud to release the biggest update ever to its flagship production suite, Komplete 15. Now available worldwide, Komplete 15 offers an incredible selection of sounds and endless ways to shape them. Order before September 30 and receive iZotopeʼs Neutron 4 professional mixing suite for free (worth $249 USD). 

Whatʼs New in Komplete 15? 

Komplete 15 introduces over 50 newly included instruments, effects, and Expansions, providing an unparalleled range of creative tools to take your productions from start to finish. Whether you’re scoring a blockbuster film, producing chart-topping hits, or exploring new sonic landscapes, Komplete 15 provides a vast array of sounds to keep the creative flow going. 

Highlights include: 

●  Kontakt 8, included in Komplete 15 Standard, Ultimate, and Collectorʼs Edition, is the latest version of the industry-standard sample-based instrument platform used by the worldʼs top producers, composers, sound designers and studios. Kontakt 8 introduces new Chords and Phrases Tools that can be paired with your favorite Kontakt instruments to quickly spark ideas and unlock new creative possibilities. Leap opens a world of looping and experimentation, while Conflux, a new hybrid instrument using enhanced wavetable features, allows you to modulate organic and synth-based sounds in real-time. 

●  Kithara, available as part of Komplete 15 Collectorʼs Edition, is a cinematic collection of guitars and plucked string instruments transformed with creative performance techniques and lush sound design. From classical, flamenco, and steel guitars to the balalaika, cuatro, and ronroco, each instrument is recorded in stunning detail, creatively performed, and transformed with rich sound design. Kithara blends raw, organic tones with modern possibilities, letting you craft everything from delicate plucks to sweeping textures. 

Komplete 15 comes in four versions: Select, Standard, Ultimate, and Collectorʼs Edition. See exactly whatʼs in each version here. 

● Komplete 15 Select—the gateway to professional-grade sound is now available in three editions: 

○  Beats: Designed for beatmakers, and perfect for hip-hop and R&B 

○  Band: Featuring sampled instruments ideal for songwriting and jamming ideas. 

○  Electronic: Powerful tools for electronic music producers. 

●  Komplete 15 Standard Includes the new Kontakt 8 along with more than 95 pro-grade instruments and effects, over 40 Expansions, and over 50,000 sounds. Get Ozone 11 Standard, Massive X, and many more powerful tools. 

●  Komplete 15 Ultimate Includes over 150 premium instruments and effects, ranging from cutting-edge synths to detailed symphonic sample libraries, and more than 70 Expansion sound packs. Aliciaʼs Electric Keys, Ashlight, and Action Woodwinds are among the new products in Ultimate. 

●  Komplete 15 Collectorʼs Edition The complete production package with over 165 instruments and 120 Expansions, providing unparalleled resources for professional production, scoring, performance, and sound design. Fables, Valves Pro, and the brand-new Kithara are new additions to crown Native Instrumentsʼ richest collection yet. 

Newcomers to the world of Kontakt and Komplete can try Komplete Start, a vast collection of free plugins, synths, and effects. 

Link: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-start/

Learn more 

Komplete 15

Link: https://www.native-instruments.com/specials/komplete/komplete-15/

Pricing and availability 

Starting today, Komplete 15 is available from the NI Shop and select retailers. 

ProductUpdate Pricing Upgrade pricing MSRP
Komplete 15 Select (price for one Edition) N/A N/A $99 / €99 
Komplete 15 Standard $199 / €199 $499 / €499 from Select $599 / €599 
Komplete 15 Ultimate $399 / €399 $1099 / €1099 from Select $599 / €599 from Standard $1199 / €1199 
Komplete 15 Collectorʼs Edition $499 / €499 $1199 / €1199 from Standard $599 / €599 from Ultimate $1799 / €1799 
Kontakt 8 $99 / €99 $149 / €149 Crossgrade $299 / €299 
KitharaN/A N/A $199 / €199 

Special offer 

Order before September 30 and receive iZotopeʼs Neutron 4 professional mixing suite for free. 

ABOUT NATIVE INSTRUMENTS 

For over 25 years, Native Instruments has been at the forefront of musical innovation. Our technology has revolutionized how people express themselves through sound across the world. 

Today, we work to provide everyone with access to the worlds of music production, audio engineering, and DJing. Our portfolio contains industry leading products such as Komplete, Kontakt, Maschine, and Traktor. 

In June 2023, iZotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance became part of Native Instruments, further strengthening the breadth of our offerings, the expertise of our team, and the potential to offer our community a streamlined customer experience. With our powers combined, we have engineering capabilities across integrated software and hardware, AI and machine learning, the cloud, and more. 

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SOFTWARE REVIEW Baby Audio Humanoid

Vocal Transformer / Hard-Tuner Plugin

Cheekiest Auto-tuner on the market?

Recently, new vocoders, voice distorters and “auto-tune-wanna-bes” have been officially released from various developers. Sometimes it can be difficult to find ones way in this jungle, but we still try to clarify the concepts a little bit…

Antares and their Auto-tune variants were for a long time quite alone in this niche, but soon both software and hardware appeared that wanted to help musicians, vocalists and producers to create a sound of their ”own”. The result, of course, was that everything sounded quite similar in many ways. If everyone tries to sound like Daft Punk or Cher, the result will unfortunately not sound very personal. But now, at least, the developers behind Baby Audio are working hard to make us sound really different on our vocal tracks. Their Humanoid is a really exciting plug-in, and of course I felt compelled to check it out.

Baby Audio

Pasadena-based Baby Audio has long seen it as its mission to develope truly creative tools for music creators. And they have succeeded very well in this. If nothing else, the glowing reviews their plug-ins have received from music magazines in all corners of the world attest to this. Magazines such as Future Music, Sound on Sound and Computer Music have literally fertilized their pages with superlatives when they tested the company’s various plug-ins.

Since 2019, they have managed to release no less than 12 different plug-ins, and there is no indication that the inspiration of the developers at Baby Audio would run out. On the contrary… With the latest addition to the plug-in range, Humanoid, they show that they are prepared to go as far as humanely possible.

Humanoid

The developers themselves refer to their plugin as a ”Vocal Transformer / Hard-Tuner Plugin”. With Humanoid you can really screw up a vocal track in the most amazing ways. I’ve looked at a lot of similar plug-ins lately, but this is unlike anything I’ve come across before. Surely, some other plug-ins can be made to sound a little odd at times, but for the most part these are pretty pale copies of the classic hardware originals. But Baby Audio doesn’t stop at emulating hardware vocoders; you go All-in! Here, in addition to a normal vocoder sound, you can also create completely freaky robot voices, MIDI-controlled Daft Punk choirs, and much, much more.

The most advanced plug-in from Baby Audio?

Yes, even I am inclined to resort to such superlatives. If you start from the 180 ready-made factory settings (they are called presets in other parts of the world) you can have just as much fun as you like. There are voice effects to explore here, so it will last you many hours. But why stop at exploring presets? Humanoid offers tons of tools and customization options. It could make any experienced and calm minded sound creator going completely bananas and completely off his/her rails. And you can dig in as deep as you want; if the usual sliders are not enough, there is often a ”cogwheel” that opens additional functions.

By clicking on a cogwheel under a function, you can access additional setting options. Also you can choose a darker interface if you prefer.

Basic adjustments

If we start by checking out the most common functions, there are already plenty of possibilities for acoustic extravagances here. We have a Pitch part where you find all kinds of tools to adjust which key and/or scale we want to be in, but here there are also settings for quantization, ”robotizing” the voices and formant adjustment of them. For three of the functions, we also have the previously mentioned cogwheel that opens up further adjustment possibilities.

We also have a synth section with lots of possibilities to affect the sound. In addition to a variety of waveforms to begin with, there are also many possibilities here to further change the sounds. From the factory, the app already has 64 ready-made wave-tables and you can also import your own.

Then you can change the waveforms, time-stretch, add notes, octaves above or below, and with the transform function also ”morph” between different settings. And of course you can also control effects and create voices from your MIDI keyboard. 

The question is whether Humanoid is a synth that can be controlled with vocal elements or the other way around?

In the Utility section there are settings for range, de-essing, gating and smoothing, plus a sharpen effect that further twists the vocal effects. And whiel we’re talking about effects, of course we have to mention the ones included in this app: widen, warble, buffer and freeze. Widen is an excellent stereo widener, warble gives some sort of combined vibrato/tremolo effect, but with its own twist; buffer takes care of the buffer size and freeze of course freezes the sound temporarily. All extremely helpful!

To all this we also add a powerful filter section with both high and low pass filters, plus a really good boost function.

Can you make it sound “normal?”

Well, that’s not the idea of ​​Humanoid…

Here, instead, you can achieve really hard and fast tone adjustments that sound like a much too hard ”Auto-Tune” setting, but here you can also create robotic voices, and other strange voice parts; well, pretty much anything you can do to distort a normal singing voice.

If you can already sing cleanly and nicely in pitch, then Humanoid will make it sound completely different. And is it the other way around that you have difficulty with singing and that you’re usually forced to go on a hunting trip for the right key; yes, then in Humanoid there are always tools that can add a little extra creativity to your voice.

Humanoid can manipulate a singing voice in every imaginable way, plus a few ways you absolutely didn’t think of. And you always have the option to add as much of the effect to your voice as you think it needs with the dry/wet knob found in the output fader’s calibration panel.

The synthesizer offers lots of different waveforms, and you can also import your own wave-tables.

Not AI based

The developers firmly claim that no Artificial Intelligence has been used, exploited or harmed in the development of Humanoid. The program has been developed by ordinary, but perhaps a little extra intelligent, people. And even if the name Humanoid indicates that we could be dealing with some superhuman being, Humanoid is very much about taking the turns vocally as far as is now humanly conceivable – and then some more…

Among all known producers we find names such as

Rob Kleiner, Smitty Soul, Tommy Lee, Jae Deal, Dimitri Tikovoi, Ronan, Chris Murphy, Matt Sin and Dakota G.

They are producers who have worked with artists such as Childish Gambino, Usher, Nicki Minaj, The Chainsmokers, King Crimson, Placebo, Blondie, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Sia, The Weeknd, Motley Crüe to name but a few…

And they are all ready to sign that Humanoid is the best thing to happen to humanity since pre-sliced ​​bread.

Summary

Humanoid is an extreme vocal tuner. You just need to decide what key and scale the vocals will be sung in, and how much quantization you want to use. The app does the rest.

It’s also a voice-controlled synth. Turn the transform knob all the way to the right and you have a wave table synth that you can control with your voice. Amazingly cheeky!

You can also use it to create robot-like voices that bear no resemblance to your own voice.

Then, of course, you can mix all these effects and create something that has never been heard before. Last but certainly not least, you can use your MIDI keyboard to create and play Imogen Heap-inspired vocoder choruses with any number of strange voices.

In short; imagination is your only limitation when using Humanoid. Admittedly, this is a pretty well-worn cliché, but rarely has it felt more accurate. So damn good!

Links

This video shows how Humanoid works and what it sounds like

FACTS & FIGURES

Plugin formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit).

Supported platforms: Mac OS 10.11 and later (including Native Apple Silicon M1/M2 compatibility). PC Windows 10 and later.

Supported DAWs: All the majors, including Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, Reaper, Reason, etc.

PRICE Now: $79, Regular price $129

DEVELOPER Baby Audio, www.babyaud.io

© Gunnar E Olsson, ManMade Music

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MeldaProduction Plugins v.17

MeldaProduction just recently celebrated its 16th anniversary. However, the company have one more present for the users and for themselves as well. They now present version 17 of all their plugins. 

Introducing MPluginManager

The most important thing in version 17 is the improvement of the users comfort. Therefore, MeldaProduction created MPluginManager, which takes care of all your installations and licensing. It will keep your plugins updated, and will help you to install or repair anything without downloading unnecessary data. From now on, you will be able to manage your licenses and subscriptions from one place.  (Get it in the Downloads section)

New instruments to play with

The Companys universal modular virtual instrument, MSoundFactory, gained several new cool addons. You may check Cyberpunk Bass, Trap Bass, Cyclicity, Ethereal Keys, Alchemist Whoosh, and Organic Scape. All of them are, of course, free for the license owners. 

Other notable updates

MeldaProduction worked hard to improve the efficiency of the core and updated the compatibility of all their plugins (including the free ones) to meet current standards. Some plugins like MTurboDelay gained a lot of new presets.

Start your trial version again!

Even if you have installed previous versions, you can start your 15-day trial version again. Get MPluginManager and dive into the plugins right now. 

You don’t have to BUY the plugins

Just a reminder. The best way to use all of the plugins immediately may be to use the Subscribe-To-Own programme. All the plugins are at your fingertips for just €15 a month. 

Free-for-life updates

Of course, upgrading to version 17 of the plugins is free for all existing users, as always. 

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Toontrack & Tonex Blues

I took the liberty of recording a little instrumental blues sketch – simplest setup imaginable. Two chords, E minor and A major. For the accompaniment, I used some of my most valued plugin instruments: EZbass, EZkeys 2 and Superior Drummer 3, all from our friends up north, Toontrack company. For the electric guitar – my trusted old white Strat build, from the Musikermagasinet build series – I used a “sampling” of my own amp build, the Tweed Deluxe. I have written about this in the magazine as well. I used the magnificent TONEX software from IK Multimedia to take an audio ”fingerprint” of my amplifier. The result…? Yes, you can hear for yourself.

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Supro-test del I

Här har vi kikat – och även lyssnat, förstås – på Supro TremoVerb. I den första delen fokuserar vi på rent ljud från Supron. Vi återkommer till den ”skitigare” delen…