HUMCAST is HUMTOO’s podcast series…Meet EntropiK, the budding producer of media music in multiple genres including classical, electronic and easy listening, and also a performance/ recording duo who make beautiful and boundary-breaking music featuring cello and electronics.

As a producer of media music, EntropiK.humtoo.com is also gaining a solid and favourable reputation. In the past 12 months, they have scored 2 award-winning short films: Enfant (by AdamR) and Le Cinquième Jour (David Forest Animations) and have licensed a vast number of their tracks for a variety of media platforms including documentaries, corporate films, commercials and films.

They have a growing list of short films scores to their name and collaborated on a feature film score for the British independent horror film, Bane.

Check out the Podcast HERE.

More info www.humtoo.com

Updated Voxengo Beeper v2.1 and Voxengo Stereo Touch 2.1 free audio plug-ins are now available for download.  These plug-ins can be loaded into any audio host application that conforms to the VST or AudioUnit plug-in specification.  Plug-ins are compatible with Windows (XP and later versions, 32- and 64-bit) and Mac OS X (10.4.11 and later versions, Intel and PowerPC) computers (2 GHz dual-core or faster processor with at least 1 GB of system RAM recommended).

These maintenance updates include the following changes:

* Beeper’s “Period” parameter’s minimal value is now 1 second.
* “Radial” knob mode can be now disabled completely.
* “Off-Line Render” indication added.
* Knob read-outs now require a single click for keyboard entry.
* Occasional crashes in WaveLab and other hosts fixed.
* Host sample rate switch-related problem fixed.
* Minor visual improvements implemented.
* Plug-in initial loading time reduced.
* The “VST Function Sync” global switch was added that fixes crashes in some hosts (i.e.  Tracktion).
* Parameter automation on AU Mac OS X now shows real parameter values.
* Preset “update” function implemented in the preset manager.

Voxengo Beeper

Beeper is an auxiliary audio processing AU and VST plugin which you can use to insert short beep, noise burst or silence signals to any sound material.  This plug-in may help you protect your work from stealing.  It is safe to apply this  plug-in to any mission-critical material because plug-in does not perform any processing on the audio between signals.

Voxengo Stereo Touch

Stereo Touch plug-in implements a classic technique of transforming a monophonic track into spacious stereophonic track by means of mid/side coding technique.  This plug-in is most effective on monophonic sounds without overly  sharp transients: it works great for both acoustic and electric/overdriven guitars, synthetic pad sounds and even  vocals.

Denon DJ has announced two new professional DJ products: The DN-X1700 mixer and DN-S3700 digital media turntable. Debuted at PLASA and MusicMesse respectively this year, these products represent the top of Denon DJ’s range.

Designed as an ultimate DJ performance tool, the Denon DN-X1700 boasts standards of quality, control and performance exceeding anything that has gone before. Years of collaboration with top professional DJs around the world have gone into the development and engineering of this, the world’s best DJ mixer. Joining the DN-X1700, the Denon DN-S3700 is a direct drive, digital media turntable and USB / MIDI controller. A third generation product development, the DN-S3700 boasts performance standards and features that set it far apart from the CDJ crowd.

Distinguishing itself from all other flagship offerings in attention to layout, construction and component quality, absolutely nothing in the design of the DN-X1700 has been sacrificed to considerations of cost or mass production. At a glance this is a highly ergonomic 4-channel ‘industry standard’ size tabletop mixer. It’s spacious, highly tactile control layout features studio quality 60 mm Alps K Series channel faders and a 45 mm FLEX cross fader, large high quality rubberized control knobs with LED ring metering, a high visibility 3.5 inch TFT colour LCD display and extended 24 point LED channel and output metering. Headline performance features include exceptional signal processing technology, independent parametric 3-band EQ with Kill on every channel, two built-in independent and combinable EFX processors, two USB2.0 audio and MIDI control interfaces, and Matrix Input Assignment – with digital input and MIDI / USB audio.

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Authorizes Connection Between Pro Tools M-Powered 8 and Onyx-i Series Mixers

LOUD Technologies Inc. (parent company of Mackie) today announced it has signed an agreement with Avid® that licenses the use of Mackie’s new Onyx-i Series Firewire Recording Mixers with Avid Pro Tools M-Powered™ 8 software.

To enable use with Pro Tools M-Powered 8, users will need to purchase the Mackie Universal Driver upgrade ($49.99 USD). Once the driver is downloaded and installed, the Onyx 820i, 1220i, 1620i and 1640i mixers can be used with Avid Pro Tools M-Powered 8 software.

“For years, Mackie customers have wanted to combine the familiar workflow of an analog mixer with the world’s most popular DAW,” remarked John Boudreau, VP of LOUD’s Music Gear group. “Through our newly-signed agreement with Avid, Mackie’s Onyx-i mixers now make this possible.”

Chris Gahagan, Senior Vice President of Products at Avid said, “Avid has made openness a key component of its ongoing strategy, and this agreement with LOUD is a perfect example of how we continue to open up our ecosystem.  As joint developers of the HUI protocol, Avid and LOUD have a history of working productively together, and we’re pleased to be working together on this latest endeavor to provide our customers with more choice and flexibility when it comes to unleashing their creativity.”

Mackie Onyx-i Series FireWire Recording Mixers are now available at Mackie-authorized dealers worldwide. For more information on this series, please visit http://www.mackie.com/onyxiseries.

Voxengo is a multi-functional vocal channel strip plugin for professional audio and sound production applications, available in AudioUnit and VST plug-in formats, for Mac OS X and Windows computers.

Version 2.3 update includes the following changes:

* The “RT Max” spectrum analysis option added.
* Spectrum’s precision does not depend on the oversampling level now.
* Side-chain routing presets now appear dimmed to reduce confusion.
* Parameter automation on AU Mac OS X now shows real parameter
values.
* Preset “update” function implemented in the preset manager.
* Selected filter’s curve is now always shown, not only when hovered.
* Control points can now be double-clicked to disable/enable the filter.
* The “VST Function Sync” global switch was added that fixes crashes in some hosts (i.e.  Tracktion).
* Control surface readout now displays musical note.
* “Density mode” implemented in level meters.

Combining several professional quality processing modules, Voxformer was designed to be a comprehensive solution for all your vocal processing needs – be it spoken or sung vocals.  In most cases Voxformer can be used for processing of a wide range of instruments beside vocals.

Voxformer features:

* Two built-in vocal compressors
* Two-band compressor operation
* Asymmetric compression
* 5-band equalizer
* Real-time FFT spectrum analyzer
* Noise gate (de-breath) module
* De-esser module
* Presence boosting module
* Saturation module
* Residue listening mode
* Multi-channel processing
* Internal channel routing
* Channel grouping
* Mid/side processing
* Up to 8x oversampling
* 64-bit floating point processing
* Preset manager
* Undo/redo history
* A/B comparisons
* Contextual hint messages

Demo version of Voxengo Voxformer and other pro audio plug-ins can be downloaded at the Voxengo web site

American Music & Sound (AM&S) has been appointed USA distributor for beyerdynamic Pro Audio Products including the company’s vast offering of wired and wireless microphones, headphones, and broadcast related products, effective January 1, 2010.

“This is a momentous occasion for AM&S,” comments Lynn Martin, President of American Music & Sound. “With more than 85 years experience manufacturing the world’s best microphones and pro audio products, beyerdynamic is an incredible fit with our other live sound product lines, and we are looking forward to expanding their penetration in the US. Together with beyerdynamic, we are now able to offer the finest transducer-to-transducer live sound solutions in the United States.”

Additionally, Paul Froula has been appointed National Sales Manager for American Music & Sound. Froula, an industry veteran, has managed various beyerdynamic business units for a decade. “This union offers tremendous synergy with the AM&S portfolio of brands. The ability to offer the market with end to end solutions will provide the next level development for the beyerdynamic brand. We continue to extend our reach into the market and look forward to this partnership with AM&S”

For more information about beyerdynamic, please visit http://www.beyerdynamic-usa.com

American Music & Sound (AM&S) is a leading independent US distributor of Pro Audio, Musical Instruments, and Music Creation Products from the world’s finest manufacturers including Allen & Heath, beyerdynamic, Focusrite, Fostex, NetCIRA, Hagstrom Guitars, Jay Turser Guitars, Kurzweil Keyboards, Mano Percussion, Ministar Guitars, Nord Keyboards, Novation Keyboards, Phonic, Profile Stands & Tuners, Quik Lok Performance Structures, Studiologic Keyboards, Turbosound, Vestax, Walden Guitars, and Wharfedale Pro.

Tweet for the chance to win a MacBook? Count me in!

iZotope, Inc. is giving away a MacBook loaded with its software and signed by RZA of Wu-Tang, but it has decided to pick the winner in a rather unusual manner by rewarding their twitter followers.  The contest, which is celebrating the release of iDrum: RZA of Wu-Tang, asks users to follow @iZotopeInc and then tweet a simple message. Only lasting for a week, iZotope is hoping to utilize Twitter’s networking qualities to reach targeted audiences with this contest.

RZA, founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, produced 17 original tracks for this new app.  iDrum: RZA of Wu-Tang gives users unprecedented access to remix actual original sounds and beats on their iPhone and iPod touch and represents an entirely new way for fans to interact and experience an artist’s music.

The winner will receive a new Apple MacBook that comes loaded with select iZotope software and signed by RZA. To enter into the contest, users must follow @iZotopeInc and tweet a specific message. Users will have until11:59PM on December 16, 2009 to tweet and be entered. At the end of the contest, iZotope will randomly choose a twitter account holder following @iZotopeInc who has tweeted the specified message. For complete contest details and official rules, visit http://www.izotope.com/rza/.

About iZotope, Inc.
iZotope is a research-driven audio signal processing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its hardware products, software products, and audio technology are used by millions of people in over 50 countries, from hobbyist musicians to GRAMMY Award winners. iZotope focuses on developing innovative audio technology for professional and consumer applications. This core technology is presented to customers in its award-winning product line and through its extensive licensing program, which now includes an iPhone middleware SDK. For more information, please visit http://www.izotope.com/.

Tech Producer DSP goes over 16 Gigabytes

Cluster Sound launches a massive upgrade for Tech Producer DSP that now goes over 16 Gigabytes. Registered users can download the new section Drum Rack section expressly dedicated to Live users and two Xpander Packs (Induster & Downclock). The free libraries in detail:

CS Dracks – Drum Rack Section
CS – DRACKS is a massive upgrade for Ableton users and consists of 4.360 Drum Racks clips & devices. The Drum Racks are obtained by converting the REX2 loops included in your Tech Producer DSP and allow Live users to benefit of slicing technique.

Induster – Xpander Pack 05
Induster is an electro industrial loop library, specifically designed for incisive downtempo productions. Electro-fi your tracks with the infusion of glitchy breaks, digital synths, agressive and disjointed ryhthms, modular hi-frequencies microbeats and much more. This powerful download collection consists of 170 worldclass quality WAV loops, 170 REX and 340 Ableton Live devices and Drum Racks.

Downclock – Xpander Pack 06
Concrete machine sounds, vocodized beats, glitches and blips, crispy noises, distorted low frequencies. Downclock is an industial loop library with a minimal mechanic flavour and consists of 190 worldclass quality WAV loops, 190 REX and 380 Ableton Live devices and Drum Racks. These punchy and terse loops are built around puzzle structures that will allow you to create customized rhythms in few steps, the sliced versions (REX – Live DRacks) guarantee you easy manipulation and re-structuring.

For more information, visit their web site at www.clustersound.com

Digidesign is giving you a nice start to the new year by upgrading all its users to Amplitube 2 DUO http://www.amplitube.com/Main.html?prod_ATDUO.php

Protoolerblog says http://www.protoolerblog.com/2008/01/04/amplitube-2-duo-ampeg-svx-uno-now-available-free-to-digidesigns-amplitube-le-users/

AmpliTube 2 DUO is a special edition of AmpliTube 2, IK’s award-winning amp & stompbox modeling software. DUO updates AmpliTube LE’s features with more realistic tone, separate preamp, EQ, & power amp modeling, and all new amp, cabinet, mic and stomp-box models.

For a limited time, you can also receive Ampeg SVX UNO too!

Ampeg SVX UNO delivers one of the four classic Ampeg® amps from Ampeg SVX. Like AmpliTube 2 DUO, Ampeg SVX UNO gives you access to models of classic gear, from an Ampeg® bass chorus pedal to the famous BA-500 amp and cabinet.

So Led Zeppelin’s reunion gig – did here anyone go?  Are you “Big Mick” Hughes? Audiotechnews would love it if you were; you and your wife.

Robert Plant’s personal sound engineer, Roy Williams, was on the desk too! I suppose it was a case of one hand each on the desk, and the remaining digits meeting to form a bond of fear and mutual respect.  Yes ATN means holding hands.
Pro Sound News reports this.

As Big Mick admitted afterwards, “The pressure for this gig was definitely on!”

With that in mind, audio for the show was supplied by various UK-based sound rental companies, including Britannia Row and Major Tom Ltd., the latter of which brought an enormous Meyer Sound PA based around Milo and Mica loudspeakers, while the former had, among other gear, a Midas XL8 digital mixing system on hand for the FOH position and a Midas Heritage 3000 handling monitors at stage-side. Making an unofficial real-world debut, Klark Teknik’s DN9696 high resolution hard disk recorder was used to record the event for posterity.

To be fair, more than a few (reporters) remarked on rough spots in the mix early on, but The Independent, Billboard and Uncut all conceded that the sound was on track by the time “Black Dog,” the evening’s third number, began–and fans quoted in The Telegraph went so far as to call the evening’s audio “fabulous.”

“It was like a rollercoaster ride,” Big Mick laughed. “You had better hold on tight!”

Fantastic. Audiotechnews knew he wasn’t going to get tickets, so decided to forget all about it.  All of a sudden, he wishes he’d had the kick drum fader, and maybe some toms.