Gear Geek: A Couple of NAMM Highlights

If you're a gear junkie you've no doubt already seen the reports, but I can't help but mention a few highlights from the NAMM show and related announcements (I'm not there, but following along at home as well).

FINALLY, A Dedicated Hardware Controller for Ableton Live

Just when I was thinking of dropping my use of Ableton Live (and instead using a combination of Logic and Numerology, along with my hardware sequencers-- a topic for another day) Akai has announced the APC40...a dedicated hardware controller for Live.

The APC40 talks directly to Live and Live talks directly to the APC40. This exclusive bidirectional communication makes the APC40 an advanced controller in that it can receive feedback from the software and display it on its clip matrix of 40 triggers and on LED rings surrounding each knob. The clip matrix gives you an instant view of clip status: what's loaded, what's playing, and what's being recorded. Each state displays on the matrix in a different color so you can get a quick picture of clip state. You can shift your clip focus and get an overview of the clips you have loaded for your set. The APC40 has 16 knobs, each surrounded by a ring of LEDs. These LED rings make seeing your settings a breeze on dark stages, indicating the currently selected parameters’ values. This advanced visual feedback makes performing with the APC40 focused more on the music and less on squinting at the computer screen. In fact, you might even forget that the computer is there!

I've never quite understood why nobody had built a viable control surface for Live before. It's a wildly successful package that screams out for hardware control. There seems to be a large enough installed base. There's seemingly a post every other week with someone inquiring about such a beast. Yet until now, nothing. It looks like Akai did it just about right, as well. We won't really know until the unit ships in May...or until we read some pre-release reviews. Sigh...the timing of it all! More on Ableton's site.

Ableton also announced an integration with Max/MSP and Live 8. All sounds very cool, but I'm trying to simplify my software use on the Mac. I know, doesn't sound like me...

Virus TI2 and OS3

Access Music is in the process of a mild update on their synthesizer hardware to TI2, but the cool thing is the new version of the TI operating system:

We is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Virus TI2 series. The successor of the acclaimed range of totally integrated synthesizers adds 25% more calculating power and sports a redesigned housing and front panel. We also used new materials to bring down the weight of the keyboard versions. On the software side of things, a major feature update, OS3, will be available by the time you read this. The new operating system adds several new FX such as a Tape Delay, Frequency Shifter and several new Distortion algorithms along with a new feature called Character.

Character allows you to adjust the overall tone of a preset reminiscent of several vintage and well-known synthesizers. In addition you can emphasis certain aspects of the patch to allow it to cut better through the mix, or fade it into the background with an extra-wide stereo field.

The new distortions were built from scratch and feature an extreme dynamic range along with sophisticated controls to tailor the sound to your specific needs. They can add everything from warm, tube-like overtones to complete sonic deconstruction more reminiscent of circuit-bending. The new algorithms also include a revamped bit and sampling-rate reduction, allowing you to change the quality and cutoff point with precise, continuously variable control.

The stereo Frequency Shifter and the new Ring Modulator are state of the art algorithms modelled with old '70s stomp boxes in mind.

The Tape Delay goes way beyond the possibilities of the real Tape Delays in the '60s and '70s. It smoothly syncs to tempo, lets you decide if a Doppler effect takes place when changing the tempo, and even switching the delay time between presets is all smooth, making it perfect for performers. Last but not least, a modification to the main "VCA" algorithm enables OS3 users to design gating FX known from electro and minimal influenced music.

Virus Control has received a completely redesigned user-interface thanks to various improvement requests over the last years. The plug-in now features a side chain input allowing you to mangle audio from a sequencer track with the FX and sound engine of the hardware Virus (for selected hosts only). The best news, however, is that OS3 is compatible with all legacy Virus TIs and the Virus TI Snow, thus enabling Access' vast user base to update their existing instruments with all the new software features totally free of charge.

OS3 will be available immediately. The Virus TI2, which comes in the following flavours will also be available shortly after NAMM.

The nicest thing about this? That the new OS will run on the first generation TI hardware. Unlike many manufacturers (and some previous actions of Access) they have not abandoned their earlier customers. So far TI has proven to be a real platform for Access and their users. We've seen significant updates (support for additional I/O channels over USB, new capabilities like the Atomizer, and now these goodies). Again, very cool.

Pictures and videos can be found on the Access Music site.