STUDIO
May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Doug Eisengrein
ACCESS VIRUS POWERCORE
VIRTUAL SYNTH
Access has teamed up with another powerhouse audio company, TC Electronic, to bring its award-winning Virus Indigo hardware synth further into the realm of virtual instruments. Access' Virus PowerCore ($499) is based on its hardware equivalent and is built for the TC PowerCore platform. The Virus PowerCore features 16 voices with three oscillators, three LFOs, two filters and two envelopes per voice. It comes with a wide array of different oscillators and LFOs, as well as independent multimode filters and fast envelopes. Virus PowerCore boasts a 32-band vocoder and an extensive arpeggiator and modulation matrix. Access' Adaptive Control Smoothing is employed, providing analog-style, smooth parameter controls without the unwanted side effects associated with many digital synths. The onboard effects section includes chorus/flanger, phaser, saturation, distortion, analog boost and ring mod. There is a global reverb and delay with the ability to sync the predelay time to a song's tempo. The patches are compatible with Virus hardware synths, and Virus PowerCore can run under Windows or Mac as a VST instrument or as an Audio Units plug-in under Mac OS X.
Access; e-mail info@access-music.de; Web www.accessmusic.de
EDIROL FA-101
FIREWIRE AUDIO/MIDI INTERFACE
Edirol has joined the FireWire audio-interface race with a strong front-runner, the FA-101 ($695). Edirol's first FireWire piece is a 10-channel, 24-bit, 96kHz I/O audio interface. The unit is capable of running all 20 channels simultaneously at 24-bit, 96kHz, or you can perform stereo recording and playback at 24-bit, 192kHz for DVD-A and SACD quality. The FA-101 sports an all-metal chassis and doesn't need an external power supply; it is completely FireWire-bus-powered, making it perfect for mobile recording applications. The FA-101 includes two front-mounted combination XLR/TRS jacks with phantom power. Also on the front panel are S/PDIF optical I/Os, gain pots for the mic preamps, a sample-rate selector switch, a direct monitor switch, a main mix level and a stereo ¼-inch headphone jack with its own dedicated level control. The rear panel of the FA-101 houses six additional inputs and eight outputs, all on ¼-inch TRS balanced jacks. Two FireWire connectors are provided, as well as MIDI I/O. There is a connection for an optional AC power supply, and all of this is packed into a single half-rackspace design.
Edirol; e-mail sales@edirol.com; Web www.edirol.com
MOOG MINIMOOG VOYAGER ANNIVERSARY EDITION
MONOPHONIC ANALOG SYNTH
In honor of Robert Moog's 50 years designing some of the world's all-time favorite electronic musical instruments, Moog Music has released the Minimoog Voyager Anniversary Edition ($3,295), a limited-edition version of the original Voyager from a few years ago. The Anniversary Edition is an all-analog monophonic synthesizer dressed up in a black-lacquered wood chassis that glows from its blue backlit front panel. The new Minimoog Voyager is built with all of the functions of the classic Model D Minimoog. It incorporates three ultrastable true-analog VCOs, one stereo VCA, Moog's dual filters, two ADSR envelope generators and extensive modulation routings. MIDI I/O, patch storage and a 3-D mod touch surface are among the modern additions to the new unit. This 50th Anniversary Edition also includes a hidden treasure: a new bank of presets from renowned Moog players such as Keith Emerson, Herbie Hancock and Chad Hugo.
Moog Music; e-mail info@moogmusic.com; Web www.moogmusic.com
CYCLING '74 PLUGGO 3.1
PLUG-IN COLLECTION
Desktop-music tweakers went wild a few years back with Cycling '74's first release of Pluggo, a collection of roughly 75 unique plug-ins that came in one package and sold for cheaper than many single plug-in packages. Cycling '74 is back with Pluggo 3.1 ($199), which packs 19 new instruments alongside the original plug-in set. The newest family members were created by Eowave (developer of iSynth) and make full use of the Max4/MSP2 programming environment in Mac OS X. The entire collection runs beneath the hood of host applications such as Audio Units, VST or RTAS. The new version includes the entire library of classics — such as Feedback Network, Phone Filter and Swish — and M2M, a quirky new addition that converts MIDI information into modulation data for use with other plug-ins. Some of the new synth goodies include additive synths; analog-modeling percussion synths; virtual theremins; granular, FM and wavetable synthesis; and even some waveshaping for good measure.
Cycling '74; e-mail info@cycling74.com; Web www.cycling74.com
BEHRINGER BCF2000
USB CONTROL SURFACE
Behringer adds new spice to its massive gear catalog with the BCF2000 ($249.99) from its new B-Control Series. The BCF2000 is a tactile control surface for DAWs and other software with eight precise 100mm motorized faders and eight infinite rotary encoders, each with a 15-step LED. Each encoder has a push-to-set function that lets the user select, adjust and control a number of different functions. The controls feature total recall and are completely assignable, either manually or via Learn mode for use with all of the main functions of your DAW, plug-ins or soft synths. The BCF2000 sports a multifunction four-digit LED that provides dynamic parameter feedback and static display. Below each user-assignable button is a scribble strip for jotting down control names and parameters. The BCF2000 connects to a Windows XP or Mac OS X machine via USB and features one MIDI In and two MIDI Outs with a merge function so that you can cascade multiple units together for additional channels and controls.
Behringer; e-mail support@behringer.de; Web www.behringer.com
MXL V69 MOGAMI EDITION
TUBE CONDENSER MIC
Marshall Electronics (not to be confused with the British amp manufacturer) has been releasing some remarkable and inexpensive microphones under its MXL moniker for the past few years, and the newest member in the family is the MXL V69 ($399), a large-diaphragm studio tube condenser. The vintage aesthetics of the V69 are set off by its 24-carat gold-plated grille and brass enclosure. Sound is captured by the V69's 25mm (1-inch) diaphragm, and the specs boast a low noise level with wide dynamic range and tube warmth. The V69 ships with a carrying case, a shockmount, a windscreen, a dedicated power supply and the Mogami 7-pin and XLR cables.
MXL; e-mail sales@mxlmics.com; Web www.mxlmics.com
APHEX SYSTEMS MODEL 1100 MKII
MIC PREAMP
Aphex Systems — purveyor of fine, esoteric audio-processing tools — brings you the Model 1100 MkII ($2,495), a 2-channel tube microphone preamp. Building on the legacy of its older sibling, Model 1100, the newest offspring provides more features; a lower noise floor than the original, with an EIN rating of greater than 135 dBu; and integration into a high-end digital domain. It features patented technology in a classic discrete Class A tube design yet offers the modern digital-studio-environment 24-bit, 192kHz A/D converters with a stereo optical S/PDIF interface and an AES/EBU output. In addition to the mic preamps, balanced outputs are rear-mounted on XLR jacks, and separate ¼-inch I/O jacks are also provided. The input stage includes a built-in limiter that controls the output of the line or mic signal before it hits the preamplifier for transparent recordings, without the concern of overload. Other features are +48V phantom power with ramp up; a 20dB pad; Polarity, Tone and Mute switches for each channel; and sweepable low-cut filters.
Aphex Systems; e-mail sales@aphex.com; Web www.aphexsys.com
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