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06-26-08 / 11:13 PM : EastWest Symphonic Orchestra PLAY : July, 15 (cjed)
EastWest announces PLAY versions of Symphonic Orchestra for July, 15. We can see the upgrades prices.
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06-26-08 / 11:07 PM : Roland Juno-Stage (cjed)
Roland presents a stage targeted version of the Juno-G, the Juno-Stage. The new 76 notes keyboard is said to be first-class (but not piano keys shaped), it includes 128Mb rom (among other a stereo 88 notes piano derived from Fantom X) and two SRX slots, an arppegiator, a vocoder, and can play audio files or midifiles from a USB key.
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06-26-08 / 10:55 PM : Roland RG-1 Digital Mini-Grand Piano (cjed)
Roland presented the RG-1, a concert digital piano (75 kg, but still far more lighter than a real grand) fitted with PHA II and Ivory feel keyboard. Videos are available.
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06-26-08 / 01:44 AM : Pianoteq Grimaldi harpsichord (cjed)
Pianoteq presented Grimaldi harpsichord, an add-on to Pianoteq 2.3 (free for registered users, and also available as a 45 days demo).
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06-25-08 / 12:07 AM : MOTU DP6 features details (cjed)
MOTU presented the new features of Digital Performer 6. The update from a previous version is priced 195$ (395$ from another program or crossgrade).
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06-24-08 / 11:56 PM : Alesis Pro Track (cjed)
Alesis just announced officially the Pro Track, an audio interface for ipod (Classic & 5th generation, and ipod nano 2nd and 3td generation) that brings two condenser mics (X/Y configuration, with phantom power), and two XLR inputs. The resolution is limited (due to ipod processor) at 16 bits 44,1Khz mono or 16 bits 22Khz stereo. So it is far behind portable recorders such as Roland R09 or Zoom H4 (24 bits / 96Khz stereo, plus effects). The pricing isn't available yet (the product is expected for the third quarter) but it wouldn't be interesting if higher than 150$.
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06-19-08 / 01:08 AM : VSL Chamber Strings II (cjed)
VSL annouced Chamber Strings II, that provides con sordino playing compared with Chamber Strings I. The strandard edition is priced 535$, and the extended one is 215$ more (16,5Gb total). Audio demos aren't available yet.
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06-12-08 / 12:07 AM : NI FM8 Transient Attacks / Deep Transformations (cjed)
NI presents 2 new Kore sound packs, FM8 Transient Attacks (200 original patchs for Kore Player, or for FM8, 2,4Mb download size, 59$) and Deep Transformations (150 effects of type FM-sound-generators, talking ring modulators, tube pumpers, artefact creators, enveloped distortion, formant delays, wah wah cloud makers, alien radionizer, vinyl FX... to apply to Kore Player patchs. The download size is 11Mb, and it is priced 79$). Audio demos are available.
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06-10-08 / 11:53 PM : Sinevibes Fantom G patchs collection (cjed)
Sinevibes presents a collection of patchs banks for new Roland Fantom G (8 planned, 4 on sale) : Drums, Synth, Bass et Atmosphere (29$ each, or 79 the four). They include 100 patchs (20 patchs for the Drums bank, but 400 added samples). Audio demos are available.
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06-07-08 / 11:35 PM : Roland SRX-11 / RD-700GX samples sets (cjed)
At RolandClan forums we learn that SRX-11 Complete Piano samples would come from a Steinway piano (New York model), recorded by Dan Blessinger (chief engineer at MartinSound Studios) and Scott Tibbs of Roland Corp (did factory demos for JVs). We also find these samples in the RD-700SX (slightly different, and with added sympathetic resonance). The Fantom X Ultimate Grand patch is said to be a Yamaha piano. The SRX11 would also sound differently (quality wise), depending on the unit where it is used (Fantom X or XV).
Finally the new Roland RD-700GX would onboard in its large memory (256 Mb, twice the size of RD-700SX one), besides the previous Steinway and Yamaha, a new Steinway, less clear, recorded at Hamburg (and named expressive piano). About the new RD-300GX, whose memory also grew twicer (128Mb), it would now include the RD-700SX Steinway NY samples !
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06-07-08 / 11:16 PM : Sonart VIRUS (cjed)
Sonart presents VIRUS, a samples library (24 bits, 8Gb, 1256 patchs) derived from the Virus synth, in these categories : brass, leads, pasds, bass, atmospheric, strings, fx. It is available in 6 formats (EXS24, Kontakt 2.1, Kontakt, Halion, SF2 and Wav), and the Kontakt version includes KSP scripts (for Kontakt 2.3 or 3), that allow deep editing.
Is is priced 50$ through download (rar archive of 2 Gb). Audio demos are planned but they aren't online yet.
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06-03-08 / 11:45 PM : Realsamples Early Pianoforte (cjed)
In its Edition Beurmann collection, Realsamples added a new volume, Early Pianoforte. As its name implies, it is an early piano (in fact between an harpsichord and a modern piano), recorded with 32 velocity layers, and available in various formats (Kontakt2, EXS24, Halion, Giga), at 16 or 24 bits, and 44,1 or 48Khz. It is priced 160$.
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06-03-08 / 11:34 PM : Akoustik Piano and software quality (cjed)
On the NI forums we find a hot thread about Akoustik Piano and its lack of homogeneous samples (also apparently some bad recorded ones). It seems that samples library development is done too much quickly, and without so many people involved (notably it often lacks an instrument expert).
We learn that the software company that provides the best quality would be Propellerhead, the editor of Reason (also made the first emulation plugin 10 years ago, Rebirth).
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06-03-08 / 12:11 AM : Roland Fantom G official audio demos (cjed)
The official audio demos of Roland Fantom G, that have been online since some weeks, show notably very inspiring percussive patchs (African mallets, bells), that in someway remind the feel of the D-50 sound (and of the so much expected Omnisphere from Spectrasonics, whose creator Eric Persing is well known for having worked for Roland, notably on the D-50 factory patchs).
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06-01-08 / 10:17 PM : Behringer Truth B2031 : boomer stops (cjed)
Yesterday one of my Behringer B-Truth 2031 monitors woofer stopped sundendly, leaving only the tweeter on, and worked again for a while (a few seconds) when powering off/in again the whole unit. I finally found a way to solve the problem : by setting the low mute and high mute switchs to on before powering on the unit (and switching these off after having pushed the main monitor power button), the boomer worked and didn't stop again.
Before that I used the power mode to switch the whole speakers off (power mode set to off) before pushing the main power button : without that the boomer produces a very loud peak sound at start - in fact at max power ! - and so triggers the overload protection -, even worse than with a guitar amp. Below the mute switch is printed for service use, so I thought it was intended to. But there isn't any mention of that in the user manual. I also set the speakers off before powering off the unit (in case of I forgot the next time I power them).
I don't know if using too much frequently the power mode switch caused this problem in the integrated filter, but the fix seems to work, now I use the two separate mute switchs (and the power mode has to bet to on when powering the unit through the main button).

As before finding the fix I thought the unit won't work again (thought about a wire problem in the boomer or in the filter) I made a look again at the Yamaha NS-80M, and found they look very attractive : 75W/25W (so less than the Berhinger but still very comfortable), better details in bass register (even lower frequency range, down to 41Hz), cool design and lightning logo (and probably no loud/overload sound at start), and finally only 60W power consumption vs 200W per unit for the B2031 ! The NS80M can now be found as low as 229 euros each (189 euros for one B2031A). And with Yamaha the quality isn't a problem (see the famous NS10M).
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06-01-08 / 12:09 AM : Samples libraries / license : scandalous ? (cjed)
Some companies like BestService may allow some arrangements about their restrictive licenses when the user isn't satisfied and wants to resell the software. Basically these licenses don't allow this (or when they permit this case, the companies add dissuasive license transfert fees....).

So with a product like Synthogy Italian Grand (and many other), the only choice (liberty) left is to remove the samples library from the hard disk (to gain space at least). Not only we cannot return back a software when we aren't pleased with it (even considering we couldn't test it before - even in shops -, due to their size and number. It isn't the same with emulation plugins where evaluation versions can be provided at download), but we also have no protection of consumer basic rights here .

As we can read on purpose on that thread, buying a (hardware) instrument (synth, expander) allows to keep a value, and then to buy later a better one without to have to paid the whole (thanks to reselling). It is what allowed me to go from the PSS270 to the D20. So, as that is said in the thread, samples libraries are to the instruments, what a driving card (license) is to a car.

Since Roland is up to the quality path with its new Fantom G and RD-GX (it seems they have new great converters back, after 10 years of bad choices and marging goals), and its SRX-12 Electric Piano, hardware could come back stronger.
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