SonicProjects Stringer - ARP Omni, Logan, Solina

YouTube via virtualoberheim
"http://www.sonicprojects.ch/stringer/

Already quite an old video, now finally provided on youtube too. All sounds in the video are coming from the SonicProjects Stringer.

Stringer was released in September 2006.

SonicProjects Stringer is a VSTi plugin for windows that provides top quality samplesets of the following 3 string machines:

- ARP Omni 2 ( the successor of Solina )
- Logan String Melody II
- Welson Symphony

You can get more informations about these machines here:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/stringer/...

Each of these machines has its own distinct sound. The three different characters complement each other very well:

ARP Omni 2:
Clear, shining, shimmering

Logan String Melody II:
Fat, warm, organic, middy

Weson Symphony:
Balanced, restrained, smooth

The goal was to achieve the highest audio quality possible in order to leave the original sound untouched. That's why only highend equipment and a reference wordclock were used to sample every single key of the machines at 24 bit resolution. The 241 samples were then restaurated and cleaned from hum and noise. To preserve the original movements within the sound the loop points were searched manually according to the natural "loops" caused by beats which resulted in loop lenghts up to 4 seconds. With this method the looped sampled tone can't be distinguished from the original and there are no noteiceable loop points. A lot of work, but worthy to capture those really glorious sounding machines with the original character leaving untouched.

You can listen to clips in better audio quality than youtube and in stereo here:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/stringer/...

There are two engines that allow to layer and split two sounds, tune and pan them, and change the attack and release times. The two engines even can be sent to individual stereo outs on demand for separate external processing.

The samples are completely loaded into the RAM (140mb), no disk streaming needed. This means: Compact and easy on CPU. Available for Receptor too with free crossgrade from the PC version.

Note that there are also a few other string machine emulating plugins containing "Stringer" in their names:
- Falkelab Stringer
- Numerikart Stringy Stringazoide Stringer
- Easytoolz easy-mr.stringer"

VisualVox polyphonic 0.9

"The time has come to announce the release of the world's first published polyphonic tone manipulation software. The dream of musicians to isolate single notes out of chords and so to manipulate most forms of recorded audio has come true on the 20th of January 2009.

Applications:
* Change chords or single wrong notes in polyphonic recordings
o To fit pieces into your composition that otherwise would not have been accessible due to their key
o To creatively play around with recorded audio like with a midi instrument - it will play your musical ideas by a click but it still sounds like the real instrument
* Isolate the natural harmonics of instruments, manipulate them, take your instruments under the magnifying glasses to understand their sound
* Create real sounding harmonizations, i.e. make chords out of monophonic parts of audio
* Correct intonation problems of any instrument or voice while keeping the formants as they are
Create artificial vibrato, stretch the formants, rearrange melodies, draw frequency curves with your mouse to access monophonic and polyphonic audio in a way it has never been possible before

This first version of VisualVox polyphonic costs only 25 Euros as being a student and not a big company I still need your suggestions to remove any possible inconveniences. The final version 1.0 will cost 99 Euros but the upgrade from version 0.9 will cost only 50 Euros. (Prices do not incude taxes dependent on your location)"

You can find samples on site. via sequencer.de

NAMM: Extend - Introducing Max for Live

YouTube via AbletonInc
"Max for Live puts the power and potential of Max/MSP inside Live. Create all the instruments, effects and extensions you've ever wanted. Go beyond the common and predictable, and transcend the limits that conventional tools impose. Build completely unique synths and effects, create algorithmic composition tools, or fuse Live and controller hardware into radical, new music machines. Join a society of makers and share ingenuity.

Max for Live was co-developed by Ableton and Cycling '74."

NAMM: Touch - Introducing the APC 40

YouTube via AbletonInc
"The APC40 (Ableton Performance Controller) is a dedicated controller for Ableton Live, designed by the same engineering team responsible for Akai's iconic MPC range of products. This is a dream come true for the Ableton Live community and an exciting first step into the world of Ableton Live for new users."

NAMM: Ableton Live in 60 seconds

YouTube via AbletonInc
"Who is Ableton? What is Ableton Live? What's so great about it anyway? Who uses Live? Why? All the answers are here, in this one-minute movie."

What's new in Ableton Live 8

"New in Ableton Live 8
Version 8 enhances the Ableton vision of creative, real-time digital music with a wealth of new techniques, effects and most-wanted workflow improvements."

NAMM: What's new in Operator?

YouTube via AbletonInc
"Operator, Ableton's renowned do-it-all synthesizer, has been given a major overhaul. We opened up the hood, took a long hard look inside and did some serious hot-rod stuff..."

HOBOscience MIDI Controller and Key_boardz

via HOBOscience
"This is an analog midi controller I made to control software built in MAX/MSP. It uses a MidiTron, a MIDI analog/digital I/O Interface connected to a computer with an M-audio Uno, a USB MIDI interface. This translates the analog messages to MIDI, readable by MAX/MSP.
This can be used to control any sort of MIDI device/program/message. I use it most to control a 8 step drum machine (below). It is set up as a glitch patch, the messages often getting crossed and the resulting audio having digital feedback and general unreliable glitchiness to it.

The controls on the instrument include 20 assignable potentiometers (knobs), 5 assignable photocells (at varying resistance), and a patch-bay allowing the user to decide which knobs or photocells are linked to which pin outs on the MidiTron (you can basically choose which knob (or light sensor) controls what function in your software, allowing you to change control over software parameters physically, without going into code.

Computers and programing can get a brother down, this is a physical answer to my digital pain."

Moog ModA

new pics added to the Moog Satellite Synthesizer ca. 1977 flickr set by echoplex.

Not sure what this mod is exactly.

tags do include filter and envelop

Update: label shot added below.

Minimoog Voyager Old School to be Discontinued

via Moog Music

Obama's inauguration speech - live mashup

YouTube via timexile. It does go somewhere.
"Most significant international events don't have a pre-warning but this one did, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to mash it up live with my live remix/mashup/improv machine which I made. It's all improvised using the BBC world service live web stream. Unfortunately the web stream flaked out at the beginning of his speech so I had to start part way in."