Archive for: synth

M-Audio Venom Virtual Analog Synth & Editor

M-Audio has been developing Venom for the past few years they recently launched an affordable virtual analog synthesizer.

The Venom 49-key synthesizer combines the character of classic analog synths with modern digital processing to deliver an aggressive, infectious new sound. Even though you can dial up nice atmospheric pad with the Venom, the synth has a more Nord-like brittle edge to its sound, which Avid describes as “angry and downright nasty.” It’s hard to determine where this will sit in today’s music, but there will be quite a few budding and mature synthesists who will have no problem plunking down around $500 (street) for this new entry.

Features:
» 49-key, full-size, synth-action keyboard
» 12-voice polyphony, each voice including:
— 3 oscillators with 41 waveforms and 53 drum sounds sampled from vintage analog synths, FM digital synths, and drum machines
— pulse-width modulation, sync, FM, and ring modulation
— resonant multimode filter with tube saturation limiting
— 12 dB/octave (2-pole) low pass
— 12 dB/octave (2-pole) band pass
— 12 dB/octave (2-pole) high pass
— 24 dB/octave (4-pole) low pass
— 24 dB/octave (4-pole) band pass
— 24 dB/octave (4-pole) high pass
— 3 LFOs with selectable sample-and-hold
— 3 AHDSR envelopes
— 16 modulation routes
» 4-part multitimbral operation with independent MIDI-syncable phrase sequencers
» 512 onboard Single patches
» 256 onboard Multi (layered) patches
» 2 global bus effects: Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser
» 1 insert effect per multitimbral part (4 total): Compression, EQ, Distortion, Bit Reduction, Decimation
» classic arpeggiator with up, down, and alternating patterns
» tap-tempo and manual BPM control from top panel
» built-in USB 2.0 audio/MIDI interface (USB 1.1 backward compatible)
— 2 x 2 24-bit, 44.1 kHz operation
— mic, instrument, and stereo line level inputs route to DAW
— synth sounds route to DAW
— DAW audio output mixes into main outputs
— stereo main audio outputs (1/4″ TS)
— stereo headphone output (1/4″ TRS)
— master volume knob; instrument and mic gain knobs
— MIDI In and MIDI Out (5-pin DIN)
» large custom LCD
» 4 rotary encoders and 1 button for performance control and editing
» dual-function octave up/down and transpose controls
» assignable pitch bend and modulation wheels
» sustain (1/4″ TS) and expression (1/4″ TRS) pedal inputs

You can even use Venom as an audio interface with Pro Tools M-Powered (Requires Pro Tools M-Powered 8 or higher) and other music software—forming a powerful production machine to take your music in dangerous new directions.

A nice compliment to the Venom is the included Vyzex Venom software editor. This is many users will really get creative with the synth and we have a feeling Avid will be upgrading Vyzex as Venoms fly off the shelves.

Vyzex Features:
» arrange sounds into banks, rename patches, and save backups
» patch collider feature mashes up multiple patches to create new hybrid sounds
» 16-cell modulation matrix offers comprehensive routing configurations

More information on M-Audio Venom.

Sonic Wire Sculptor

How often do you find yourself stuck on a bus or a train with nothing to do? Your iPod playlist has run out and your weekly podcasts are already on their ninth listen that day, what else is there to pass the time?

Well, the answer to that is probably lots of things – you could read a book or newspaper, you could sit and get some important day dreaming done or you could cough up £2.39 and download Sonic Wire Sculptor for your iPhone.

This app has been kicking around for a while, but I have ignored it for the price time and time again. What a fool I have been. Today it was put in front of me (on an iPad) and it took all of 15 seconds for me to decide I would buy it on my iPhone.

A very intuitive interface which requires no real musical background to use, makes composing ambient and ethereal soundscapes extremely easy and genuinely fun.

Here are a couple of videos to convince you further, enjoy.

Calvin Harris and a Synth Made of Young Women in Bikinis

Calvin Harris seems to know how to have some fun. His latest idea is a synth made of young women in bikinis of course!

“right now my foot’s getting painted with some of the special connective paint which is going to turn me into a sort of like human wire.” – calvin harris

via Wiretotheear

The Yamaha DTX Multi 12

Musical instrument manufacturers Yamaha have started to expand their electric drum-kit range as far as desktop kits.

With respect for electric kits from its peers in the bag, thanks to the hugely popular DTXtreme IIs kit, Yamaha has begun to deliver smaller, more portable friendly drum/pad machines. The Yamaha DTX Multi 12 looks more like electronic synth pads and houses 12 velocity-sensitive drum pads and a sound module in a compact, low-profile unit.

The on board sound module collect sounds from a local Yamaha Motif Synthesiser and comes as standard with 1200 individual voices. The module also caters for users to upload their own sounds and loops to the 64MB memory and assign selected pre-made patterns to specific pads, making the unit useful for triggering samples and patterns, as well as connecting it to laptops via USB for easy management of its 200 different drum kit setups for live play.

Available this December (with no exact release date yet) makes it an ideal Christmas gift, at £685.

Portable Rockstar “Beaterator” For PSP And iPhone.

UK games developers Rockstar ( famous for Grand Theft Auto series)have produced a platform/sequencer for producing tunes on the PSP. The “Beaterator” has been endorsed by US hip-hop producer Timbaland (watch his review here) who has contributed to providing a library of around 1600 samples. The Sequencer tool also has capabilities to accept any new samples you want to import yourself via memory stick.

The audio engine bounces along at 16 word-length, 22kHz sample rate and includes a mixer with eight stereo tracks, these can be looped wit a built in synth or/and a sequencer pattern. because each pattern can include up to eight sample channels you can create up to a maximum 64 samples in each tune. Extra techy info includes each mixer accommodating up to two insert effects including compression, EQ and Multi-mode Filters along with others soon to be announced. The Beaterator comes with a virtual-analogue synth (mono) with three oscillators. Each oscillator allows you to move and bend the noises with its sinewave anything up to as much as 10 percent. You can see the live demo here. The sequencer also has built in multi-mode filters and two assignable LFO’s (low frequency oscillators). On top of the standard song arrangement (which you’ll probably use most of the time) there is a session mode for playback of your loops or you can just wing it live an make it up as you go along! Glow sticks and whistles at the ready! Buying some external speakers are a must surely!

The Beaterator is due to come out in the US at the end of September (29th) at around $40, an in the UK a month later on October for £30. The developers have announced they intend to release a version of the Beaterator for the AppleiPhone, which has around twice the processing power of the PSP, for the autumn. With some expansion on the synth concept with the touch screen hopefully.