DOMINO is an analogue synthesizer with a VCO in the tradition of MS20 and TB303.
Technical Specifications
Connections
Pricing & Availability Availability: June 2011 Pricing: €299 (excl. taxes) | |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Eowave Domino Analogue Synthesizer
Got an iPhone or 3G iPad? Apple is recording your moves
"Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps. We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations."
Read the full article here:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/04/apple-location-tracking.html
SKnote GTS-39 Limiting Tube Compressor
GTS-39 was modeled after an old limiting tube compressor. According to SKnote, it has been developed by testing and measuring real hardware.
It includes:
- Input and output gain controls.
- Release time control.
- Custom "hold" control (delays release for envelope control).
- Stereo/dual_mono switch (for stereo imaging).
- 8x oversampling for nice distortion.
Pricing & Availability
The plug-in is available in VST format for Windows and Mac OS X. SKnote announces an introductory price of $19,99 until April 30th, then it will be priced at $29,99.
Cartec Audio Pre-Q5 Preamp
"The CARTEC PRE-Q5 is a high quality transformer based microphone preamp for the API 500 series format that incorporates a passive inductor equalizer, and a balanced output attenuator. The circuit is identical to our PRE-Q1A, but without the front panel controls for the High/low boost controls. The fully balanced stepped output attenuator (constant impedance T-pad) allows saturation of the output transformer while controlling the output level (allowing you to really drive the PRE-Q5 without clipping the next item in your signal chain). The Line level switch allows all of the features of be used both during tracking and mixing. you could send pre-recorded sounds to the EQ section or use the a combination of the EQ and transformer saturation to enhance synths or any existing sounds."
$899 at Zen Pro Audio
http://www.ZenProAudio.com/cartecaudiopre-q5.aspx
Blue Microphones Reactor
The new multi-pattern Reactor pushes the envelope of modern microphone design and performance while making multiple mic setups more accessible. Reactor fuses an innovative pattern selection method with a swiveling capsule head for perfect positioning, and features Blue's premium condenser capsule, fully discreet Class A solid state components, and proprietary preamp for simple live switching between patterns (Cardioid, Omni or Figure-8). To facilitate use in multiple mic setups (like Mid/Side, X-Y), Reactor's capsule head rotates a range of 90 degrees for perfect positioning in tight spaces and easy pattern adjustability. Reactor's recording pattern selection is both intuitive and stylish, featuring LED backlighting on the pattern indicators and a magnifying element that compliments its forward-looking design.
$499 at Sweetwater
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Reactor
WAves Q-Clone $48 (80% off)
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Alchemy is the ultimate sample manipulation synthesizer
"Alchemy is the ultimate sample manipulation synthesizer which can turn your musical dreams into reality. It's a synth powerhouse and yet is easy to use thanks to its performance controls and remix pads. The library of contemporary sounds explores new sonic territory ranging from cutting-edge pads and sublime soundscapes to ultra-fat basses and synths.
Alchemy is perfect if you just want quick and easy access to inspiring sounds. The perform section gives access to the most important controls for the current preset, making it simple to tweak. The remix pad makes it possible to quickly try different variations - simply click and drag to morph between the eight sounds.
Alchemy ships with over 3GB of exclusive samples and a library of 600 presets from many of the world's top sound designers. With eight carefully designed variations of each sound, it's like having 4800 presets! Sounds range from soaring pads to endessly evolving soundscapes and playable arps. All sounds are arranged in categories for rapid access to the sound you require, to keep your inspiration flowing. There are also a variety of sound libraries available to further extend your library.
Alchemy allows you to manipulate sounds in ways which are impossible with any other soft synth or sampler. Alchemy features the most powerful additive synthesis engine with the most accurate resynthesis available in any plugin, which allows you to create unique sounds. Alchemy also features spectral and granular synthesis, sampling, and a fat sounding virtual analog engine - it's like getting five synths for the price of one! You can morph or crossfade between sources for anything from vector mixing, to morphing one voice into another. Listen to the music player above to hear the huge variety of possibilities.
You can import your own samples from SFZ, WAV or AIFF files. A wide range of analog modelled filters are included, in addition to a flexible rack of effects which includes all those from CamelPhat and CamelSpace as well as many new effects such as a high quality reverb. The innovative modulation system is extremely flexible, yet easy to use. Alchemy also features a powerful arpeggiator with the ability to import the groove from any MIDI file for immediate synchronization to your beats. You can find all the details in the easy to read manual.
Alchemy uses remarkably little CPU given its many advanced features. Thanks to the great care that went into development, you can use many instances simultaneously on modern systems."
Fans gobbling up 'World's Biggest Pac-Man' game
If you wasted too many hours of workplace productivity playing Google's Pac-Man tribute, you'd better call in sick for this one.
To promote Namco-Bandai, the creators of the arcade classic, an Australian firm has created what it's calling the World's Biggest Pac-Man game.
And it's letting users make it even bigger.
Soap Creative, which designed the official Pac-Man website, rolled out the online game last week. Since then, players have gobbled up nearly 270 million dots and sacrificed the life of video-game history's hungriest golden orb more than 1.4 million times.
Maybe more impressively? Fans have helped created more than 12,600 interlocking mazes. Players can play on multiple mazes in a single game. The exits that let you zoom to the other side of a maze in the original version of the game transport you to the next maze in this one.
"It has been labeled 'an internet hit,' the world's biggest waste of time and time-wasting brilliance," the massive game's creatorswrote on their website. "All of which we are happy about."
The project grew out of a collaboration between Namco and Microsoft Australia, and uses HTML5, the emerging tool for building web applications (and the latest version of HTML, the most popular coding language).
Some of the user-created levels mimic the style of Pac-Man's original mazes. But many others add a new dash of creativity.
A glance at the game's main page shows mazes whose walls form images of robots, mushrooms, a yin-yang symbol and what appear to be several self-portraits.
Other mazes celebrate video-game classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario Brothers and Space Invaders.
Of course, this being the internet, not all images are as creative, or in good taste.
The company says its constantly scanning new mazes for inappropriate images, including an anatomical favorite of juvenile minds everywhere.
"We're happy that the 'penis to non-penis levels' ratio is well below 1:100 (the standard for user generated campaigns) ...," the company wrote on its blog. "We've been watching the moderation closely, so every penis has a short life."
Strawberry Mojito
I love to make mojitos. This is a refreshing cocktail. Would you want it? What's your favorite drink?
Strawberry Mojito Recipe
1.5 ounces of simple syrup
3 fresh strawberries
5 fresh spearmint sprigs
soda water
1/2 lime
2 ounces of light rum
2. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the glass, add the rum and stir well. Fill glass with ice and top off with soda water.
3. Garnish with mint sprigs or strawberry slices. Makes 1 drink.
Toshiba to be Sole Supplier of iPhone LCDs?
Plans to invest in a Sharp production facility have been reportedly dropped by Apple, with the company choosing instead to use Toshiba as the sole supplier of liquid crystal displays used in the iPhone.
A report in Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyu Shimbun claims that “Sharp was no longer a candidate for Apple’s investment,” and that the company wishes to avoid placing full dependancy on one country for the production of iPhone LCDs. It is believed the Tohoku area earthquake – which could have effected component production – may have persuaded Apple to think twice about its investment in two suppliers located in Japan.
Sharp has since issued a public statement denying the rumors, insisting that the report “contradicts the facts,” and requesting the paper retracts its report. If the rumors are true, however, it would be a substantial loss to Sharp.
Malaysia's anti-gay camp violates law says minister
A camp set up to correct the effeminate behaviour of Muslim schoolboys violates the law and should be abolished, says Malaysia's women's minister.
Sixty-six schoolboys identified by teachers as effeminate began counselling this week to discourage them from being gay.
They are undergoing four days of religious and physical education.
An education official said the camp was meant to guide the boys back "to a proper path in life".
But the women's minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said singling out these children based on perceived feminine mannerisms was traumatising and harmful to their mental health.
The camp violates the Child Act, which protects children without prejudice, she said.
Gay rights groups have also criticised the measure, saying it promotes homophobia in the Muslim-majority country where gay sex is still illegal.
The schoolboys allegedly displayed "feminine mannerisms" - though educators in the conservative state of Terengganu did not detail what they were, the BBC's Jennifer Pak reports from Kuala Lumpur.
State officials say that, if left unchecked, the students - aged between 13 and 17 - could end up gay or transsexual.
They blame parents for encouraging boys to develop feminine traits, by dressing them up in girls' clothing at a young age.
Terengganu state's education director, Razali Daud, said the students were invited to join the camp and were not compelled to do so.
"As educators, we have to do something about it before the young ones misunderstand people and reach the point of no return," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
Mr Razali says although homosexuals and transvestites exist in Malaysia, the authorities want to limit their number.
HomophobiaGay sex is illegal in Malaysia and homosexuals say they face discrimination from government policies such as a law that makes sodomy punishable by 20 years in prison.
Activists say it is appalling that educators are persecuting children for expressing their personalities and identities.
The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality said "corrective boot camps" violate the rights of people who are perceived as different.
"It should be strongly opposed and challenged as it promotes homophobia and prejudice," the group said in a statement.
"We should send a clear message to institutions that they have no business meddling with an individual's identity and personal preference."
A campaigner for sexual rights, Pang Khee Teik, described the camp as outrageous and an example of homophobia.
"All the students will learn from these camps is that they are expected to behave a certain way," said Mr Pang, co-founder of Seksualiti Merdeka.
"And in order to avoid further ridicule, perhaps they will learn to pretend better. In the end, we are only teaching them how to be a hypocrite."
Cancer breath test 'step closer'
A breath test that can sniff-out cancer is a step closer to reality, according to a preliminary study.
Researchers found an "electronic nose" was able to identify chemical signals of cancer in the breath of patients with lung or head and neck cancer.
A cancer charity said it would take years of research to see if the breath test could be used in the clinic.
About 80 volunteers took part in the Israeli research, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Of these 22 had various head-and-neck cancers, 24 had lung cancer and 36 were healthy.
The prototype breath test uses a chemical method to spot markers of cancer present in the breath.
The hope is that one day such a test could be used in a GP's surgery to give an instant diagnosis.
'Urgent need'Researchers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - are working on a device called the nano artificial nose.
They looked at head-and-neck cancer, which is often diagnosed late, making it more difficult to treat successfully.
Lead researcher, Professor Hossam Haick, said: "There's an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head-and-neck cancer because diagnosis of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations.
"We've shown that a simple 'breath test' can spot the patterns of molecules which are found in head-and-neck patients in a small, early study.
"We now need to test these results in larger studies to find if this could lead to a potential screening method for the disease."
Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, said it was incredibly important to spot the disease as soon as possible when it was easier to treat successfully.
She added: "These interesting initial results show promise for the development of a breath test to detect head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed at an advanced stage.
"But it's important to be clear that this is a small study, at a very early stage, so many more years of research with patients will be needed to see if a breath test could be used in the clinic."
Happy Days actors sue over merchandise
Actors from the cast of Happy Days are suing CBS Studios for more than $10m (£6.1m) in damages, claiming they have been denied profits from merchandise.
They say CBS released DVDs and allowed their images to be used on products including lunchboxes and gambling machines without sharing revenue.
Anson Williams, who played Potsie, and Don Most - Ralph Malph in the sitcom - are among cast members who have brought the case in Los Angeles.
CBS was not available for comment.
The actors contend that a "if you don't ask, then we don't pay" policy conflict with contracts promising the cast a share of merchandise revenue.
The case is also being brought by Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham, Erin Moran (Joanie) and the estate of the late Tom Bosley, who played Howard.
Happy Days - which ran for 255 episodes for 10 years from 1974 - was set in the 1950s and 1960s and starred Henry Winkler as Arthur "the Fonz" Fonzarelli.
Neither Winkler or Ron Howard - who went on to become an Oscar-winning film director - are part of the claim.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Maschine Expansions -Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch
Native Instruments has introduced its new series of Maschine Expansions: affordable high-quality download libraries for its groove production system. All expansions provide new drum kits and instruments as well as pre-programmed patterns created by expert sound designers and producers, and feature a distinctive take on a contemporary sound aesthetic or musical style. The series debuts with Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch, created by Goldbaby and Surround SFX.
Vintage Heat was created by distinguished sampling artist Goldbaby, and specializes on warm, saturated sounds with typical vintage grit. The library includes 50 charismatic kits with analog, digital and acoustic origins, complemented through 50 matching synthesizer sounds ranging from bass and leads to brass, pads and strings. All sounds in Vintage Heat have been sampled from vintage drum machines and sought-after analog synths, and have been extensively processed with Goldbaby's unique array of classic compressors, effect units and valve tape machines to achieve his special signature sound. Inventive sampling techniques, including the mapping of successive tape delay repeats to different velocity layers, further contribute to the original and distinctive character of the Vintage Heat library.
Transistor Punch takes its inspiration from contemporary European club music, and provides extremely crisp and punchy sounds for a wide range of electronic styles. Created by renowned sound designer Denis Gögdak of Surround SFX, the library contains 30 energetic drum kits as well as 50 new bass and lead sounds that integrate seamlessly with the factory library of Maschine. All sounds have been sampled from analog drum machines and synthesizers as well, to be meticulously processed with modern high-end outboard gear for an especially defined, forceful sound. Transistor Punch also adds 20 sophisticated multi-effect chains that provide instant sonic treatments for any groove, as well as a large collection of patterns by acclaimed producer Martin Buttrich.
Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch are available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $59 / 49 EUR each.
Vintage Heat was created by distinguished sampling artist Goldbaby, and specializes on warm, saturated sounds with typical vintage grit. The library includes 50 charismatic kits with analog, digital and acoustic origins, complemented through 50 matching synthesizer sounds ranging from bass and leads to brass, pads and strings. All sounds in Vintage Heat have been sampled from vintage drum machines and sought-after analog synths, and have been extensively processed with Goldbaby's unique array of classic compressors, effect units and valve tape machines to achieve his special signature sound. Inventive sampling techniques, including the mapping of successive tape delay repeats to different velocity layers, further contribute to the original and distinctive character of the Vintage Heat library.
Transistor Punch takes its inspiration from contemporary European club music, and provides extremely crisp and punchy sounds for a wide range of electronic styles. Created by renowned sound designer Denis Gögdak of Surround SFX, the library contains 30 energetic drum kits as well as 50 new bass and lead sounds that integrate seamlessly with the factory library of Maschine. All sounds have been sampled from analog drum machines and synthesizers as well, to be meticulously processed with modern high-end outboard gear for an especially defined, forceful sound. Transistor Punch also adds 20 sophisticated multi-effect chains that provide instant sonic treatments for any groove, as well as a large collection of patterns by acclaimed producer Martin Buttrich.
Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch are available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $59 / 49 EUR each.
Tone2 WarmVerb 1.2
Tone2 are pleased to announce the 1.2 update of Warmverb, a modular multi effect plugin with routable modules and 38 types of effects.
Warmverb lets you program and combine effect chains using up to four effects per multi-effect program.
It includes a 'Randomize' button and over 150 presets giving you access to vocoders, pitch shifters, distortion, modulators and a selection of effects.
New features:
- 64 Bit support
- SSE2 support
Announced Improvements:
- Slightly improved performance
- Improved compatibility for Windows7 and Vista Systems
- Smart installer which automatically fixes possible Win7 VST folder compatibility problems
- Improved host compatibility
- Important pop-ups are always displayed on top
- Many minor improvements
Fixes:
- Removed a small click after silence
- Fixed high CPU usage with Mac demo version
- Fixed a possible crash on Mac
Rob Papen Punch Coming in May
Rob Papen has indicated that its new Punch synthesizer is slated for an end of May release.
With Punch, you can can use synthesis and the built-in samples to build your own drumkit. Your own samples can also be loaded into Punch to complete your kit.
Punch also features a built-in sequencer, allowing the user to handle multiple patterns. These grooves can be triggered in a live environment to build a song, or for improvisation and jamming.
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