The storms parted, the clouds cleared, the rain
ceased and the sun shined brightly south of Los Angeles as audio developers flew
in from around the globe to greet the bigger-than-ever crowd that turned out for
this year’s NAMM
conference in Anaheim. The conference is by far the largest audio trade show of
the year in the United States. The 103rd NAMM show proudly boasted 1,428
exhibitors hosting their current audio, MIDI and other musical and recording and
performing-related goodies to 78,091 gear-hungry registrants.
The Sweet Sound of Software
Despite the continued popularity of analog modular
and analog-modeled synths and outboard processors, the virtual studio tools trend
continued. Even more companies released products enabling sound junkies to
MIDI program and control their software synths, samplers and other instrument
modules inside the computer, while the software audio effects modules continued to get
stronger, richer, warmer and cleaner.
Ableton showed off its over-the-top latest incarnation of Live
4 — which features fully integrated MIDI programming features —
including two free virtual samplers, “Impulse” and
“Simpler” — which delivers ReDrum-like capabilities to Live.
Ableton also unveiled a brand-new virtual synth for use in Live, called
“Operator.” The new
synth module features modular and FM synthesis, with some amazing-sounding
presets done by sonic design icons Richard Devine, Robert Henke and others.
Live 4’s new MIDI programming functions are super intuitively designed and you can drop some special new Live MIDI effects, as well as the
any VST, AU or stock Live audio effects onto Live MIDI tracks, just like you do with audio tracks in Live. As always, there are countless hours of entertainment to be spent with this fun and easy-to-use, great-sounding app.
BIAS demoed its squeaky clean
noise-reduction software, Sound
Soap Pro, its multi-track audio editing app, Deck 3.5 and its well-loved software mastering suite Peak
4.1. Sound Soap initially came out as an app for removing background noise from movie sound, but it performs amazingly for any type of sonic cleansing.
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Serious Remote Mixing. The hand held Tranzport device lets you control your DAW remotely. So you can keep mixing from across the room.
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Cycling ‘74 showed off the latest incarnations of its Pluggo, Max,
MaxMSP and Jitter software, and announced that its RTAS, VST and AU-compatible
plug-in set, Pluggo
3.5, is available for Windows XP, and coming soon for Mac OS X. Pluggo 3.2.2
is currently available for Mac OS X.
Digidesign showed off its Pro Tools 6.7 software, which now includes Beat
Detective in the LE version, along with many other added features and enhancements
including improved tempo editing, color coding and better management of external MIDI
devices. Digidesign also displayed its amazing compressor and limiter plug- href="in, “Smack,” which is available for both Pro Tools HD and LE systems.
In the Emagic-turned-Apple booth, long-term Logic gurus Phil Jackson, Dot Bustelo and
Jeff Taylor Cross shared their secret Logic tricks with the crowd, giving demos to the audio hungry in the latest attributes of Logic
Pro 7, Logic
Express, Apple’s 64-track, loop-based composition program Garageband,
and Apple’s loop-based, film-scoring app, Soundtrack.
Some lucky Logic
Pro 7 users were treated to demos on several of the app’s new features, including a very Auto-tune-like, plug-in
that actually won’t suck up all your DSP, called “Pitch
Corrector,” the amazing “EXS24” sampler and a cool new drum
module called “UltraBeat.”
FXpansion displayed the latest version of its killer apps, including an upgraded version of its BFD
drum module software instrument, now complemented by expansion products,
including the XFL 22GB Expansion Pack for BFD and 8-bit
Drum Kit for BFD. FxPansion also showed off its highly popular VST-to-Audio
Units adapter and its VST-to-RTAS
adapter.
IK Gets Even More Sonik
IK
Multimedia hosted demos on its wide line of virtual samplers and effects
processors, including the mega soft sampler Sample
Tank 2 XL, Sonik Synth 2, Sonik Capsules, the insanely powerful plug-in amp module Amplitube, and the virtual mastering application, T-Racks.
MOTU demonstrated the power of its DP 4.5 DAW composing software, version 2 of its Mach 5 software sampler plug-in, and its new software synth, the MX4, alongside an expanded line of FireWire hardware interfaces (see hardware section below).
Native
Instruments hosted some amazing demo sessions of its ever-expanding and highly in-demand software line, which now includes Traktor DJ Studio, Guitar Rig,
Kompakt, Spectral Delay, Absynth 3, Battery 2, FM7, B4, Intakt, Kontakt 2, Reaktor and Vokator. The entire line of NI plug-ins and software instruments is now available in a bundle called Komplete 2.
The Propellerhead
Software booth was active as always, surely visited at least once by every computer-based
recording junkie at the show. The effervescent James Bernard’s pep quotient was off the charts as usual as he recruited for and participated in several
Reason jam sessions throughout the show. On display at the booth were demos of the
latest versions of Propellerhead’s amazing stand alone virtual-rack recording module, Reason and its beat-slicing sister app, Recycle.
Rhythm and Bliss
Submersible Music flexed its percussive muscle, announcing an expanded
drummer roster for its Drumcore
virtual drummer software. DrumCore is a very easy-to-use app that allows you to
select and audition beats based on drummer or feel and change the tempo in real-time.
Once you find something you like, you can mix it up a bit using the built-in
“Gabrielize” button. This function throws you a slightly altered version of the
beat, so you can feel even more like you have a real drummer on hand.
DrumCore currently includes specially programmed and recorded kits and hits from drummers like Jeff Anthony
(Sheryl Crow), Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj
Mahal), Sly Dunbar (Bob Marley, Black Uhuru), Zoro (Lenny
Kravitz, Bobby Brown), Michael Shrieve (Santana) and more.
Spectrasonics proudly displayed its Atmosphere
Dream Synth, Stylus
RMX drum and effects module and its ultra rich-sounding Trilogy
bass module. The Trilogy bass module sounds so sweet, you will likely not touch
your real bass again after getting this puppy installed. Stylus RMX is an
amazing-sounding drum module with an
intuitive interface and super big-sounding, onboard plug-ins.
Spectrasonics
also announced the arrival of version 1.2 of Stylus RMX, which adds several new features including three new pro-quality effects
modules, plus expanded compatibility with major host apps like Pro Tools and Logic.
Sony demoed a wide array of its ultra cool plug-ins, including the
constantly in-demand Oxford EQ, Inflator and Dynamics plug-ins, which are available in bundles for Pro Tools LE, as well as Pro Tools HD.
Dark Sonic Textures
Sony also showed off an expanded collection of sample libraries, including some super
sweet-sounding yet gritty drums and drones created by none other than sound design
kingpin Keith Hillebrandt (sound designer for Useful Noise v.2, Diffusion of Useful
Noise, Poke In the Ear, and Nine Inch Nails “The Fragile”) and
percussive wonder, multi-instrumentalist and composer Jerome Dillon (of nearLY, Howling
Maggie and Nine Inch Nails), called ArhythmiA.
This twin-volume sample collection delivers
4 CDs full of dark and dirty rhythmic delights in the form of 24-bit .wav files, Recycle files (.rx2), and ACID files. Further,
there’s a special treat on each CD: an ACID demo file with starter songs
created by Dillon and Hillebrandt, combining their ArhythmiA samples with other
loops from the ACID library.
Waves held a firm spot near the Digidesign booth, showing off its well-renowned,
can’t-be-mixed-without, award-winning plug-ins, including its Convolution
Reverb collection, L3, Q-Clone and Renaissance plug-ins and bundles.
DSP Software
TC Electronic kicked down yet another cool plug-in for its PowerCore
line of DSP hardware. The new VSS3 Stereo Source Reverb can be used as either a VST or AU plug-in.
And of course, the Universal Audio booth was swarmed as usual with
plug-in hungry people trying get a peek at the latest incarnation of software for
the UAD-1.
The UAD-1 comes in two plug-in configurations: the Studio
Pak, which includes the UAD-1 and the following plug-ins: the 1176LN, LA-2A,
Pultec EQP-1A, Fairchild 670, Cambridge EQ, Nigel Guitar Processor, Channel
Strip, RealVerb and DreamVerb.
The UAD-1 Project
Pak is comes with the UAD-1 card and this plug-in set: CS-1 Channel Strip,
DM-1/L Delay Modulator, RS-1 Reflection Engine, EX-1 EQ and Compressor, Nigel,
Realverb Pro, Pultec EQP-1A, 1176 SE Limiting Amplifier, Preflex Amp/Cab Simulator, Gate/Comp, Phasor, Mod Filter, Trem/Fade,
Mod Delay and Echo.
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Sweet, Haut Interfaces
Core Audio has indeed made things easier when it comes to hooking
up new interfaces in Mac OS X. The ability to use additional Power Macs as
DSP Nodes in Logic Pro
7 a definite bonus for Logic-using Mac audiophiles.
Apogee was obviously down with the trend toward home recording, releasing a new
two-channel 192K FireWire interface called the Rosetta 200. Also on display were
Apogee’s award-winning Big Ben, Rosetta 800 and Mini series, including the perfect on-the-go
portable, 24/96K USB-connected Mini-Me interface.
Digidesign proudly displayed its new extended line
of hardware for live sound. There was a definite buzz going on at the show about the ICON and the
soon-to-ship Venue live sound board. The Venue allows bands to use all of the
same plug-ins at their live shows that they use in their Pro Tools sessions. In addition, Pro Tools HD, the USB-connected MBox, Digi 002 LE FireWire, Digi 002 LE Rackmount and the Command
8 Control Surface were all attracting steady attention from the crowds.
Edirol showed off yet another cool-looking, portable, FireWire-connected audio
interface called the FA-66. This phantom-powered device gives you 6-ins and 6-outs of 24 bit/96K audio, including 2 XLR/TRS combo ins, 2 RCA ins, 4 balanced +4dBu outs and optical
S/PDIF and a built-in analog limiter.
MOTU courted the mobile-recording crowd once again with its latest high-quality
FireWire-connected interface, the Traveler.
This interface lets you record 24-bit 192K audio on the road, bus powered. Plus, you
get a 16 channel MIDI interface in the same box. Also on display were MOTU’s 896HD and 828mkII FireWire interface, and its 2408mk3, HD192 and 24I/O interfaces.
M-Audio showed off an entire line of 24-bit/96K USB and FireWire-connected audio and MIDI
interfaces, including the Audiophile USB, FireWire 1814, FireWire 410, Firewire
Audiophile and FireWire
Solo. However, one new Pod-like
interface, the “Black Box,” drew serious attention, giving recording
enthusiasts access to 12 virtual amps, 43 beat-synced effects, a beatbox and an
audio interface all combined in one USB-connected device.
DSP Hardware
Synthax, an enthusiastic distributor for the well-loved RME Hammerfall line,
introduced the new Fireface
800 — a FireWire 800-connected interface — to a group of DSP-hungry, laptop-wielding audio fiends. This sweet interface gives you up to 56 channels of
record and playback at sample rates of up to 192K.
TC Electronic also wowed the DSP-hungry crowds with its latest and greatest PowerCore
DSP hardware and plug-ins. TC’s PowerCore line comes in both FireWire and
PCI-connected configurations, and gives users access to extra DSP for running more
plug-ins than could be handled natively.
Universal Audio showed off its successful hardware line, including the untouchable and vintage-modelled  1176LN limiter,  2108 and  2-610 mic and instrument pre-amps,  2192 audio interface and UAD-1 cards, as well as the sweet and tasty UAD-1 plug-in packages (outlined in the “DSP Software” section above).
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| Smooth Operator. Ableton
unleashed Operator — a carefully crafted, analog-modeled software synth for use in its Live 4 app. |
Keyboards and Controllers
Controller companies once again tried to out-do each other. But with
M-Audio’s acquisition of Evolution and subsequent acquisition of M-Audio by Avid, a lot of the best stuff was consolidated down to just two booths: M-Audio and
Edirol.
However, Cycling ‘74 gave the others a run for their money when they showed
off a very different and new type of tactile control surface that is more virtual and Kaoss-pad like than
your standard knobs and buttons-oriented control surface, called the Lemur.
“I have
got to have this,” said Richard Devine, with the enthusiasm of
a kid in a candy store, holding up a picture of the Lemur. For an artist that
regularly performs with a laptop and different controllers, the Lemur is
definitely an exciting new option.
Edirol displayed a number of controllers and keyboards—including
the PCR series of 25, 32, 49 and 61-key controller keyboards,
many of which include audio interfaces as well. The PCR-1
is a great combination of controller-meets-interface, particularly for mobile recording
and performing, as it weighs just 2lbs, 11oz. It even comes with a gig bag, too.
Frontier Design showed off its popular gizmo, Tranzport, which debuted at AES and
just started shipping. This hand held controller device allows you to control your DAW from
remote locations, so you don’t have to stop the mix session while you go to, say... answer the phone. The Tranzport works with most popular DAWs, including Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, DP, Sonar and others.
M-Audio put its expanded line of controllers and keyboards on display, from the legendary Oxygen 8 and the UC-33, to DJ
controller/mixers like the  X-Session.
Roland announced the V-Synth XT, a rackmount version of its well-received V-Synth
keyboard. Both models combine multiple analog-modeled oscillators with real-time
pitch, time and format control over a waveform, plus sampling capabilities, COSM
filtering and an arpeggiator. The XT version is scheduled to ship in April.
The Virus captured
attention, with Access adding a USB port to the back of new models, allowing for
easier communication between the outboard Virus and your DAW.
Pro Audio How To
Pro Tools guru and audio engineer Ken Walden was caught cruising the show floor
brandishing the latest Recording, Engineering and Pro Tools training DVDs from his company, Secrets
of The Pros. Walden has worked in the studio with and
engineered on records for Metallica, Santana, Primus and Booker T Jones and comes highly endorsed as a Pro Tools and recording expert.
Following the successful launch of his “Recording and Engineering
Basics” DVD,
Walden just completed work on a new Pro Tools tutorial DVD
which starts shipping this week.
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Interviews
