Prefer the "a la carte" approach to virtual amps/effects for your guitar to the "all you can eat buffet" bundle? Native Instruments' new Guitar Combos series will offer three amp models with effects: Twang Combo: models Fender Twin Reverb AC Box Combo: models Vox AC-30 Plexi Combo: models Marshall JMP50 Each features cabinet emulation with […]

Reaktor is already a so-insanely-powerful-it-makes-my-head-hurt powerhouse combining sound creation, sampling, effects, and interactivity. Now get ready for Native Instruments' Reaktor 5: Core Technology: Low-level signal processing is now woven into the DNA of Reaktor, so you can build custom oscillators, filters, EQs, delays, and the like from scratch. (Look out, Max/MSP, in other words!) And […]

Terry Smythe has digitally scanned 2,650 vintage piano rolls (and counting) and converted them into zipped-up MIDI file archives. Those are standard MIDI files, folks, so fire up GarageBand or Live or whatever and see what you can do with them! Check out the technical details of how it was done; there are enough people […]

TC Electronic has loads of new hardware at Musikmesse (see their roundup of announcements), but the biggest news is for guitarists: The G-System is a new high-end floor based guitar system. Think TC Electronic's high-quality effects, but for guitarists, plus analog loops, amp switching, floor control, and 9VDC power for your pedals. Effects don't skimp, […]

Reaktor 5 looks poised to be the most intense sound generation studio ever (see earlier report). More juicy details: Predesigned building blocks for creating custom instruments and effects Better sound quality: anti-aliased oscillators, over-sampled structures and high-quality interpolation delays Real sampling and beat syncing everywhere: true, live sampling, plus effect modules with auto-normalisation and tempo-synchronous […]

Native Instruments may be rocking out Germany at the Musikmesse conference, but that didn't stop them from throwing a huge invite-only bash in L.A. CDM's Pierce Case was there, and caught a live demo of a beta of Reaktor 5, plus a live demo of Guitar Combos by Guitarist Joel Whitley. California actually got a […]

Logic Pro 7.1 is now available from the online Apple Store. (No word yet on whether you'll find it at Apple Retail.) Thanks for the tip, Indicator! In brief: they've added everything we've been waiting for (US$19.99 upgrade). Most exciting news: Better Apple Loops Integration: You can now create your own loops using Logic or […]

Not new, but worth mentioning: fREQ is a project exploring the conversion of drawn waveforms into sound: visual waveforms control a drone in real-time. You can download a free mouse and keyboard version (PC only). That's fun, but the installation version (first shown about a year ago) is cooler: it takes an outline of the […]

MIDI drum kits are cool again. But buying them? That's boring. Build them instead. Handy musician Nathaniel Andrew has step-by-step instructions for building DIY drum triggers on the cheap. (via audioserve) You'll need to score yourself some cheap Remo practice pads, and there is a little bit of hard work, though nothing impossible. Nathaniel claims […]

Continuing the 'oldie but goodie' links for today is the 'virtual gramophone / digital needle'. (via audioserve) This is practically ancient, 2002, but I hadn't seen it, and it's hilarious. Ofer Springer pretends never to have seen vinyl records before and treats them as "archeology," trying to reconstruct the means of recording turntables using a […]