Ear Trumpet Labs Expands To Introduce Josephine To Their Premier Line Of Microphones

Ear Trumpet Labs announces Josephine, the newest addition to their premier product line of microphones handcrafted in Portland, OR. A medium-large diaphragm (26mm) condenser microphone, Josephine, is designed for live vocal and ensemble use, with an avant-garde styling evocative of 1930s and 40s classic microphones. Josephine is optimized for use by singers or acoustic ensembles from 6” to 48” away. The design, form-factor, and sound are ideal for period swing or jazz vocalists or single-mic techniques with bluegrass or traditional musicians, with significantly better feedback rejection than the large diaphragm condenser's typically used in these applications.

“The original Josephine was actually the first model that I designed,” Philip Graham, founder of Ear Trumpet Labs, remembers. “It was the first affirmation of the sound quality that was achievable with this capsule and circuit design. We’ve learned a lot over the last two years about improving feedback rejection and usability onstage. I’ve always loved Josephine’s bold geometry and wanted to revisit it with a design that is extremely practical for live stage use. I love that she’s sleek, eye-catching, and incorporates all we’ve learned about building the best mics for live acoustic music.” 

The design is largely comprised from standard hardware elements and features a spherical stainless steel mesh headbasket spring-suspended in a six-inch diameter copper. The headbasket incorporates a very effective silk and foam pop filter as well as Sorbothane shock and vibration damping to minimize handling noise, and internal rubber baffles to shape the sound of the mic. The circuit includes moderate bass roll off to compensate for proximity effect, and high frequency EQ to avoid harshness and help control feedback. The cardioid polar pattern, headbasket design, and tuned electronics all work together to make a very stable live mic with an extremely natural sound and good feedback rejection.

iZotope Announces PAE

Free Online Course for Music Producers:

Learn the Pro Audio Essentials from iZotope 

New game-based educational tool offers interactive audio training
for music producers

 

iZotope, Inc., makers of award-winning software for audio production, has unveiled Pro Audio Essentials, a free game-based course for music producers to practice and improve their audio skills. This web-based educational experience is the first of its kind in the audio education space, offering a unique combination of audio games, ear training, and instructional videos that help music makers flourish in an interactive learning environment.

 

Native Instruments introduces REPLIKA XT

Native Instruments introduced REPLIKA XT – a creative multi-mode delay. The five deeply modeled delay modes span crisp digital repeats, analog warmth, and experimental textures. Additionally, seven effects and advanced options allow producer’s to add depth and width to their mixes with refined control. The plug-in is aimed at producer’s who need an easy-to-use, all-in-one studio delay for echoes, special effects, and production tricks. REPLIKA XT is available at the NI Online Shop. Registered owners of the original REPLIKA qualify for special upgrade pricing.

REPLIKA XT was inspired by some of the most revered delays in history. The plug-in features five delay modes, each with its own distinct character. Modern provides clean, precise, controllable repeats. Vintage Digital offers warm, repeats modeled after early samplers and digital delays. Analog replicates the sound of analog bucket-brigade pedals. Tape provides the punchy, smooth sound of classic tape echo units. Finally, Diffusion Mode provides swirling reverberant echoes unlike any physical space.

REPLIKA XT features a clear interface that makes even complex effects fast and easy to create. Pattern controls allow producers to create rhythmic repeats that shift organically with the music. Panning for each delay line as well as the dry signal allows a custom stereo image. The ducking feature keeps percussive hits tight while still adding space to a drum mix. Together, the controls on REPLIKA XT’s intuitive panel provide uncompromising control with a minimum of effect.

REPLIKA XT is available now at the NI Online Shop for $99 / 99 € / £89 / ¥ 12,800 / AU$ 149.

Registered owners of REPLIKA qualify for special upgrade pricing on REPLIKA XT. The upgrade from REPLIKA to REPLIKA XT is available at the NI Online Shop for $49 / 49 € / £44 / ¥ 6,280 / AU$ 79.

IK Multimedia iRig digital products unlock full Cubasis LE features

Now owners of IK’s iRig digital interfaces, microphones and MIDI controllers can unlock features inside of Cubasis LE for iPad simply by plugging in their IK hardware

May 20, 2016 - IK Multimedia, a global leader in music technology hardware and software, is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH and the newly updated Cubasis LE for iPad. Owners of select IK Multimedia iRig hardware products including iRig Keys, iRig Keys Mini, iRig Keys Pro, iRig Pads, iRig Mic HD, iRig Mic Studio, iRig HD, iRig Pro & iRig Pro DUO can now unlock the Cubasis LE feature set simply by plugging in their IK hardware. Cubasis LE provides musicians with up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks, 2 stereo inputs, 4 effects plugins (Delay, StudioEQ, Chorus, Brickwall Limiter), 25 instrument sounds, 22 MicroSonic instrument presets and 3 Allen Morgan drum instruments.

Cubasis LE is the compact version of Steinberg’s streamlined, multitouch sequencer for the iPad, providing the same look and feel of its bigger brother Cubasis. Specially designed for quick and easy operation, Cubasis LE makes recording, editing and mixing a breeze. Cubasis LE includes MicroSonic, an intuitive and easy-to-use virtual instrument which can be played with IK’s iRig Keys line or iRig Pads MIDI controllers with no additional setup. Song ideas can be captured with up to four audio tracks with IK's iRig interfaces and microphones, and further edited and polished to perfection with the integrated editors, mixer and selected effects. Thanks to the project importer, musicians can even open Cubasis LE projects in Cubase - both on Windows and Mac. With touch-intuitive production tools, Cubasis LE opens up a new world of creative possibilities.

To access the Cubasis LE features, users simply need to download the free Cubasis LE app for iPad, launch it and connect a compatible IK iRig accessory to their iPad. Products that unlock the feature set include the iRig Keys line of MIDI controllers including iRig Keys Mini, iRig Keys and iRig Keys Pro; iRig Pads 4x4 MIDI controller, iRig HD, iRig Pro and iRig Pro DUO interfaces, and the iRig Mic HD and iRig Mic Studio digital microphones.

When users upgrade to the Cubasis full feature set they also get Inter-app audio, which means musicians can use their IK hardware and IK apps like AmpliTube®, AmpliTube MESA/Boogie®, AmpliTube Fender®, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix™ and AmpliTube Slash, plus SampleTank, iGrand Piano and iLectric Piano inside of Cubasis LE to get the best possible industry-standard tones and sounds.

With IK’s iRig Pro DUO, players can record multiple channels in Cubasis LE simultaneously. They can connect everything from high-end phantom powered condenser microphones to guitars, basses, keyboards and more. Each channel has its own input gain control so players can dial in the perfect amount of input signal for recording. With iRig Pro DUO, players can also hook up their outboard MIDI controllers thanks to the included TRS to MIDI-DIN cables and dedicated MIDI in/out jacks.

Cubasis LE unlocked features

• Up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks
• 2 assignable physical inputs and stereo output
• Audio I/O resolution of 16-bit/44.1 kHz
• iOS 32 and 64-bit support (depending on the device used)
• MicroSonic with 25 virtual instrument sounds
• Mixer with 4 effect processors
• Sample Editor and Key Editor
• Export to Cubase
• Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported
• Import audio from iTunes music library
• Audio mixdown and MIDI export

Unlocking the Cubasis LE feature set

Launching Cubasis LE runs the app in demo mode. To unlock the LE feature set of Cubasis LE, a compatible IK Accessory has to be connected to the iPad.

How to unlock the LE feature set of Cubasis LE
1. Launch Cubasis LE on your iPad device.
2. Connect a supported hardware device.
3. Wait for pop-up confirmation that the LE feature set has been unlocked.

Pricing and Availability

IK’s compatible hardware products are available now from the IK Online Store or from Authorized IK retailers worldwide. The iRig Keys line of MIDI controllers includes: iRig Keys Mini for $/€79.99, iRig Keys for $/€129.99, iRig Keys Pro for $/€149.99. iRig Pads, IK’s 4x4 Pads MIDI controller is $/€199.99. iRig Mic HD is $/€129.99, iRig Mic Studio is $/€179.99, iRig HD is $/€79.99, iRig Pro $/€129.99 & iRig Pro DUO is $/€199.99.

Cubasis LE is free to download on the App Store and the features set will be unlocked once compatible hardware is connected.

* All prices excluding taxes

To download Cubasis LE on the App Store, please visit:

www.appstore.com/CubasisLEMobileMusicProductionApplication

For more information about IK mobile accessories for iOS, please visit:

www.ikmultimedia.com/ios

iZotope Launches VocalSynth for 'Outside the Vox' Vocal Experiences

New plug-in keeps producers on trend, providing transformative vocal effects in classic and new styles

Cambridge, MA (May 18, 2016) - Inspired by decades of iconic vocal effects, from Peter Frampton to Beastie Boys to Daft Punk, iZotope, Inc. today announced the release of VocalSynth, a new creative plug-in for music producers and sound designers in search of distinctive vocals.

 

 

  VocalSynth is the first ever plug-in to bring together four advanced vocal engines - Vocoder, Polyvoice, Compuvox, and Talkbox - alongside specialized vocal effects and pitch correction. This unique combination of tools opens up fresh potential for vocal transformation: the ability to blend the modules unlocks sounds that were previously impossible, and genre-based presets ensure that classic vocal sounds are just a click away.