New Products, December 2008

Dec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Asher Fulero

STANTON SCS.3D DaSCRATCH

USB MULTITOUCH DJ CONTROL SURFACE

Primed to become a superstar, the SCS.3d DaScratch ($299; www.enterthesystem.com) USB controller looks to the future of digital DJing and music production. The multitouch-sensitive StanTouch surface has three interactive modes, each of which responds to finger motions for a fun way to intuitively control your software of choice. In Slider mode, the touch pad becomes three virtual sliders; you can slide values up or down or press an absolute position to jump there. In Circle mode, the pad becomes two sliders, one that goes around the perimeter of the touch pad and another vertical slider in the center — great for moving audio in vinyl style or scrubbing style. In Button mode, the touch pad becomes nine zones that behave like trigger pads to control anything you like. Five layouts offer quick access to different functions, and there are dedicated touch sliders for gain and pitch. The four dedicated Trigger buttons at the corners remain assigned even as you change modes, and there are four dedicated transport controls at the bottom. DaRouter software for Mac/PC manages DaScratch and includes several app presets, as well as a handy generic preset for customizing with MIDI learn-capable software. Multiple DaScratch units can physically link together via magnetic sides that snap in place. Just make sure not to set your 2-inch master tape next to your DJ bag.

LINPLUG RMV

DRUM SYNTH/SAMPLER/LOOPER PLUG-IN

Another in a long line of powerful computer audio tools from LinPlug, the RMV drum synthesizer ($179; www.linplug.com) is a complete rhythmic center for your productions, giving you the total drum programming package. Even Ableton Drum Rack users should look closer. RMV sports 48 polyphonic pads for playback/manipulation that can hold either a solo sample or more than 10 specialized drum synthesizers, six independent sliced loop modules or a powerful drum sampler module that can itself hold, layer and velocity switch/crossfade as many as 30 samples for detailed multisampled drums. Four specialized libraries let you search the huge amount of individual drums, full kits, MIDI grooves and sliced audio loops. A rich rack of insert effects are augmented by the Varizer, a humanizer for natural feel changes, and because nearly every parameter throughout is MIDI controllable, you can impart a human element whenever you wish. With lots more to offer, beat heads should definitely give RMV a try.

UNIVERSAL AUDIO MOOG MULTIMODE FILTER

PLUG-IN FOR UAD-1 CARDS

Conceived in collaboration with Moog Music, Universal Audio Moog Multimode Filter ($199; www.uaudio.com) plug-in for UA's UAD-1 DSP card system is a precision-modeled re-creation of Moog's classic 4-pole VCF design. Along with a few modern features, it remains true enough to the original sound to earn the Moog Music logo. Available lowpass, highpass and bandpass filtering with realistic analog saturation (including a +20 dB switch) and artifact-free tone impart that realistic analog feel to sounds you put through it. A flexible tempo-synced LFO section with six waveshapes makes it move in a variety of ways. Filter Spacing and LFO Offset controls offer stereo image options, and the whole plug-in can also operate in mono. To help alleviate the DSP drain of multiple instances, the package also includes a lighter SE version, so you can stack away and get filter-happy.

MACKIE U.420 AND U.420D

FIREWIRE PRODUCTION/PERFORMANCE MIXERS

Mackie has made a leap to embrace the younger, more tech-savvy producer world with its U-Series mixers, the U.420 ($299) and the U.420d ($359; www.mackie.com). Named for their U-shaped panel layout, these highly adaptable devils aim to be your workspace centerpiece, whether you're a DJ, producer, podcaster, Web video producer, multikeyboardist or anyone else looking for a good small-format mixer. The U.420 has four channels, each with high-headroom stereo line inputs and small volume knobs. The more DJ-oriented U.420d has two microphone channels with optional hi-Z Direct Box mode and faders instead of volume knobs, as well as two stereo line inputs with a crossfader for DJing. Both units feature 3-band full-kill EQs, Mackie-designed RIAA phono preamps, fully functional cueing, self-mono-ing outputs for use with a single monitor onstage and a large main volume knob with LED metering. The FireWire integration includes a dedicated volume knob and a Loop-Thru feature that allows the main mix to be routed back into the computer for recording the entire mix as you go.

KORG M50

KEYBOARD WORKSTATION

Available in 61- or 88-note models, the Korg M50 Music Workstation ($1,499, $2,499; www.korg.com) brings the powerful EDS (Extended Definition Synthesis) sound engine and full-size TouchView touch-screen interface to a mid-range keyboard for the first time. The M50 has all of Korg's up-to-the-second hot sounds divided into 608 programs with 384 Combis, including a new three-stage stereo piano with damper resonance. Tons of insert and master effects with presets, independent EQ, full drum-track capabilities with built-in grooves, a powerful polyphonic arpeggiator and a Sequencer mode with 128 songs all help encourage creativity and expand the palette of potential sounds. The 61-key version has Korg's new semiweighted Natural Touch keyboard, while the 88-key version carries its RH3-graded hammer action keyboard, the lightest fully weighted keyboard Korg has made. A software editor for Mac/PC lets users edit sounds from a computer and can even operate as a plug-in instrument for any VST, Audio Units or RTAS-compatible software to free up some CPU cycles. The M50's SD card slot allows for easy backup or quick computer-free swapping of data.

DIGIDESIGN PRO TOOLS 8

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION

Despite the competition, Pro Tools reigns as the DAW heavyweight champion after all these years, and the new Pro Tools 8 (www.digidesign.com) extends its arms into the future with a sleek new GUI and up-to-the-minute technologies with new customizability for more flexible use across production styles and studio sizes. Track counts go to a maximum of 48 for LE/M-Powered users (or 64 with the optional Music Production Toolkit 2), and the powerful new Score Editor lets you turn all your MIDI data into editable, arrangeable and printable scores or even export in Sibelius SIB format. A host of new included virtual instruments offers a wide range of production power: Mini Grand Piano, Boom drum machine, DB-33 tonewheel organ and Vacuum synthesizer. Other improvements include greatly expanded MIDI production tools, Elastic Pitch for easy pitch-shifting from within the Edit window and a very elegant Comp Track that includes a rating system for remembering those late-night take decisions the next day. Larger supported file sizes, expanded ICON control, Satellite Link for HD systems, support for Windows Vista (32-bit Business or Ultimate) and many more editing and mixing enhancements can all help keep Pro Tools at the top of the studio food chain.

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