Focal Releases Two New “Alpha Evo” MonitorsNew affordable Focal monitors offer 5-inch and 6.5-inch drivers
Montreal, Canada — March 25, 2021 — Today Focal has announced that it is shipping the new Alpha Evo monitors, Alpha 50 Evo, and Alpha 65 Evo. These replace the current Focal Alpha 50 and 65 models in that range, while the current Alpha 80 are still available. The two new Focal Alpha Evo products are available at retailers in the US and Canada on March 25, 2021, and have suggested retail prices of Alpha 50 Evo $349. USD each, and Alpha 65 Evo $449. USD each.
Alpha Evo 6.5
Focal evolves its Alpha range with the newly unveiled Alpha Evo. New features, new technologies, new design: The Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 65 Evo studio monitors offer high performance at a price unrivaled in their market, providing ultra-powerful, professional tools to more people than ever. With these new products, the French brand showcases once again its sound expertise and its position as a global leader.
Performance & Versatility Dedicated to music creation and all reproduction, the Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 65 Evo offer excellent sound coherence, no matter where a user is listening. For renewed performance, Focal has chosen an aluminum inverted dome tweeter to ensure vast sound dispersion, as well as the Slatefiber cone. This recycled carbon cone, produced exclusively by the French brand at its Saint-Étienne workshops, has been chosen for its neutrality and dynamics. Focal is constantly renewing its offerings, drawing on its acoustics expertise of over 40-years and its innovation capacity. This is demonstrated by the new large laminar port, which limits distortion noise.
New Features: Evo for Evolution. The Alpha Evo monitors boast a new ?-inch (6.35mm) TRS input jack, in addition to the XLR and RCA analog inputs, an automatic standby mode that can now be switched off by the user, and inserts for wall and ceiling fastening. All these new features make Alpha Evo a truly versatile monitor range for Mixing, Mastering, DJs, and Broadcast. In terms of amplification, the monitors are each equipped with two class D amplifiers. The high current capacity of these amplifiers allows full control of the signal dynamics. They also allow high volumes to be reached without distortion. Each of the loudspeakers picks up the smallest details in the mix, across all musical styles.
Design and Cabinet-Making The monitors feature a 5/8-inch (15mm)-thick MDF cabinet and incorporate internal braces to ensure it is highly robust, even at the highest levels of acoustic pressure. The bass-reflex design has been used to ensure easy acoustic integration in even the most cramped spaces. In terms of aesthetics, the traditional cube monitor shape makes way for rounded contours. The side panels create a sophisticated, robust, and modern design which contributes to excellent acoustics and a unique and harmonious signature style across the collections.
Key features of Focal Alpha Evo monitors: * Excellent dynamics * Wide dispersion enabling the same sound to be maintained throughout the entire room * Slatefiber cone manufactured in France * Identical tonal balance at both low and high volume * Connect up to 3 audio sources * Inserts for wall fastening * Automatic standby mode can now be switched off by the user * Protective grills included
The new Focal Alpha Evo products are available at retailers in the US and Canada on March 25, 2021, and have suggested retail prices of Alpha 50 Evo $349. USD each, and Alpha 65 Evo $449. USD each.
About Focal Naim America Focal Naim America (formerly Audio Plus Services) is a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands including Focal Professional, SPL of Germany, IsoAcoustics, Zaor Studio Furniture, Vicoustic, and EarSonics. Based in Montreal with U.S. shipping facilities in Champlain, NY, the company has sales personnel located throughout the United States and Canada to professionally service their active roster of more than 350 specialty A/V and Pro Audio dealers. The company specializes in products and services for the professional audio and performing musician markets, as well as the home theater and custom integration (CI) market – both residential and commercial – for North America.
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.### Many more Focal Alpha Evo photos available & high-resolution available, email: pauljdb@gmail.com
Nembrini Audio announces availability of vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb-emulating Voice DC30 plug-in par excellence
PAVIA, ITALY: analogue saturation circuits digital reproduction specialist Nembrini Audio is proud to announce availability of its Voice DC30 plug-in — meticulously modelled on a vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb, the iconic British-built 30W 2×12 combo guitar amplifier that defined a generation of sound, to bring its incredible tone (traversing from chiming, clean qualities with a brilliance bordering on grittiness to darker, more overdriven timbres) to today’s DAW-driven world while extending the possibilities of the original hardware with new features — as of March 15… Iconic in both name and tone, the vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb — produced from 1979 through to 1984 — is readily recognised by British musicians (and, indeed, beyond those shores) for its ‘jangly’ high-end sound, something that Nembrini Audio has truly tapped in to with its meticulously-modelled Voice DC30 plug-in. Put it this way: thanks toNembrini Audio’s acclaimed analogue saturation circuits digital reproduction specialism, Voice DC30 allows anyone access to the signature sound of the hardware original by bringing both enchantingly clean and raucously overdriven tones to their chosen computer platform — or iOS.
Indeed, Voice DC30 pairs perfectly with the intricacies of anyone’s playing style, resulting in a sound that is truly their own. On the face of it, then, Voice DC30 could well be viewed as a vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb-emulating plug-in par excellence. Working with software has, however, allowed its creator to take things to another level by bringing a host of new features to the present-day production table. It is perfectly possible, therefore, to select between six different guitar CABINET emulations and four MIC emulations with on/OFF AXIS position switches and continuous POSITION and DISTANCE knobs. Additionally, a complete MIXER section — with multiple PHASE, SOLO, MUTE, and PAN controls — allows users to blend MIC 1, MIC 2, and AMBIENT levels. Above and beyond that, the IMPULSES LOADER lets users load up to three third-party impulse responses that can also be blended with dedicated PHASE, SOLO, MUTE, and PAN controls. Additionally, a useful IMPULSES browser window is included so that users can easily search through their third party impulse response files. Finally, there is also a NOISE GATE section with THRESHOLD and RANGE controls alongside a meticulously-modelled CLEANER circuit with HARSH– and RUMBLING-reduction controls. Clearly anyone lusting after that readily-recognisable, generation-defining vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb tone needs look no further than Nembrini Audio’s authentic-sounding Voice DC30 plug-in, pushing further forward in today’s DAW-driven world.
Vox AC30 is a registered trademark of Vox Amplification Ltd. Voice DC30 was developed by Nembrini Audio SRL based on its own modelling techniques. Vox Amplification Ltd has not endorsed nor sponsored Voice DC30 in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.
Voice DC30 is available for purchase (as an iLok-protected AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plug-in for macOS 10.9 or newer and Windows 7 or newer) at an attractive introductory price of only $39.00 USD until March 31, 2021 — rising thereafter to a regular price of $137.00 USD — from here: https://www.nembriniaudio.com/products/voice-dc30-guitar-amplifier
In a home studio setting there are a few things to consider when working on a mix, sound designing , or generally exploring sound that will be eventually played back in other listening environments. One of the major factors is of course how a mix will translate across different audio monitors.
Because of this necessity for mix translation, it is not uncommon to have more than one set of monitors in your set up. Often times this can pose an issue for home producers on how to accurately switch between monitors and gauge how a mix is translating between monitors.
I tend to handle a lot of preset design, and testing of gear pre and post release. This means I am often trying to evaluate sound for a variety of environments and use cases. Often I need to be critical of strange unexpected behavior in audio gear. Listening on more than one set of monitors and with a variety of options can be critical for this task.
This is where the SPL Marc One comes into play. The obvious actions are of course the ability to simply flip a switch and flick between two sets of monitors. This sounds trivial but there is more to it than that.
The first is that there are two sets of monitor inputs, one with a sub and one without, I tend not to use the sub output as my monitors sub has a built in cross over so the stereo out routes through the sub. Between the A/B monitor switch is the OFF position. This is a handy quick mute function to turn off both monitors.
The volume control is a large knob with analog control. This is important to me. It means monitoring at lower volumes will not reduce audio quality of playback as some digitally controlled devices may do. It also means that I always have direct hands on control of my audio level, no glitches or hang ups will prevent control.
The Marc One Front and back
Next to the volume is our Stereo controls. This allows us to quickly flip between mono, stereo and Flipped monitor configurations (flipping the left channel to come out the right speaker and visa versa.) I have to admit while I am used to using a mono control for mixing , the left right flip was a bit of an eye opener to me. Many people have a dominant ear and its been proven that we perceive music differently in one ear and speech in the other. I found myself using this switch more often than I expected and it really helped me trouble shoot some strange audio issues.
Next up are two small LED that indicate if the converters are being overloaded. This can not be understated. I have become very aware of the sound of modern day converters overloading and how they can alter your sound. in the modern age this can be slightly more complicated than in the past due to converters having soft clipping built right into them. Often times this soft clipping isn’t the harsh digital clipping we have grown accustomed to spotting so easily. Having a quick overload LED indicator is quite nice to just confirm that you are within the limits before any sort of distortion can occur.
Now before moving on lets just talk a bit about those converters. These days converter tech has really exploded and we have some fantastic chips out there. the SPL Marc One takes advantage of this by using the AK4490 converter chip for the USB audio which enables sampling frequencies up to 768kHz. Those numbers are rather astounding and delivering a 10Hz–200kHz frequency range, 121dBu of dynamic range, -99dBu of self-noise, and 0.002% total harmonic distortion. These are literally top shelf numbers.
These Analog audio inputs can be blended with USB digital audio inputs utilizing the convert mentioned above. there is a smooth control to blend between these inputs.
Next up with have the Headphone controls. Here you will notice a familiar volume control but then you are presented with a “Crossfeed” control. This is the Phonitor Matrix headphone controls. What this does is essentially allows your headphone output to have a bleed across left and right channels while also simulating speaker angle of 30 degrees and a center level of -1db. All controlled through one Crossfeed knob to adjust to taste and your headphones no longer sound like static left right cans on your head. They feel like speakers in a physical space. What I like about this is that it didn’t feel like an effect slapped onto a mix. listening to familiar material it simply made my headphones melt away and I felt like I had a pair of monitors at a proper listening positioning in front of me. There is still proper channel separation going on but it doesn’t feel hard line like headphones usually feel. I found my self enjoying music with headphones on and preferring the crossfeed turned up about 3/4 of the way up.
My Use case might be a tad different from others. One of the recommended methods of operation is of course to send your DAW output direct to the USB input on the Marc One. For me I was primarily using the Analog inputs and I would use an Ipad input into the Marc one for sound designing presets on the ipad. I like to work stand alone from my computer quite a bit and my audio interface often acts as a patch bay without forcing me to use a DAW. This method was seamless with the Marc one and VERY helpful. It essentially means you have the highest quality iOS audio output available… whats not to like?
So lets get to the cons… I had tho really think about this and honestly I think the only thing I would have liked to see included on this would be a way to disengage the sub on channel A with a footswitch while still sending audio out channel A (this is often a separate device though and understandable.) I also would have really liked a Dim as well.
Overall I really enjoy it. much of the design is over the top with quality. Thats something I can always get behind. Who do I think really benefits from a controller like this? I think especially people with audio interfaces that do not already have monitor controlling built in certainly. However I currently use a MOTU 828es as my main interface and it has monitor controlling built in already. Thing is the MOTU has a Mute and mono but it does not have the immediate analog volume control, the channel swap, the Crossfeed Phonitor headphone mix nor the ability to add in the USB audio of an external source without having to dive into my software.
SPL Marc One Monitor and Recording Controller Features:
Monitor and recording controller built with top-drawer components
Switchable outputs for 2 pairs of speakers
Subwoofer output switches on and off with speaker pair A
2 analog stereo inputs and 1 digital input — enough to hear your mix and reference tracks
3 monitoring modes: Stereo, Mono, and Channel Swap
AK4490 converter chip enables sampling frequencies up to 768kHz
Class AB output stage with ample power for a wide range of popular headphone models
Phonitor Matrix with Speaker Angle, Center Level, and Crossfeed parameters for a speaker-like monitoring experience
Supplied 12V plug-in power supply
Secondary internal power supply generates +/-17V for the analog audio sections for pro levels up to +22.5dB
Price$799 USD
If you don’t want the USB capabilities. you can opt for the SPL Control one which offers the same features minus the USB input and monitor blend for $599
Focal Releases New “Clear Mg Professional” HeadphonesNew updated model of popular Focal headphone now uses magnesium cone for even greater dynamics
Montreal, Canada – February 16, 2021 – Today Focal has announced that it is shipping the new Focal Clear Mg Professional headphones (“Clear Magnesium Professional”), a new model of their popular Clear Professional headphones but with the addition of a magnesium (Mg) cone for even greater dynamics with a remarkable tonal balance across the full audio spectrum. The new product is available at retailers in the US and Canada on February 16, 202, and has a suggested retail price of $1,490. USD.
The global leader in acoustics, Focal continues to innovate and presents a new work tool for sound engineers and producers: Clear Mg Professional. The French brand has gone even further than it did for its first Clear Professional headphones, offering even more impressive performance. Clear Mg Professional has ambitions to become the leading professional headphones.
Focal’s Innovation Makes All the Difference The Clear Mg Professional circumaural, open-back headphones are designed for music creators looking for a reliable tool in terms of quality and transfer speed. While the first Clear Professional headphones incorporated 15/8” (40mm) full- range speaker drivers with Aluminum/Magnesium ‘M’-shaped inverted domes, Clear Mg Professional has these same speaker drivers, but in Magnesium. After four years of research and development, the engineers at Focal have designed this new material to obtain an even more optimized combination of the key criteria for speaker drivers of lightness, rigidity, and damping. The St. Étienne brand first positioned itself on the global market of Hi-Fi headphones in 2016. This unique expertise, combined with French manufacturing mastered in its own workshops, allows the brand to guarantee uncompromising quality.
Precision, Dynamic, and Speed Thanks to this new cone, combined with the frameless 1″ (25mm)-diameter and 1/4″ (5.5mm)- high copper voice coil, the sound experience is made even more precise, delivering impressive detail across the full spectrum while preserving excellent tonal balance. The flexibility of the surround offers lightness, therefore more dynamics and impact across the full frequency spectrum. The open grille inside the earcup extends the high frequencies and follows the ‘M’ profile of the cone more closely to further reduce adverse effects. With a 24kHz breakup, the high frequencies are extremely linear and the transient signals are respected.
Comfortable Work and Luxury Finishes Everything is designed for work comfort, as well as aesthetics. The design of the headband displays a constant curve and the weight of the headphones is distributed evenly across the head. The solid aluminum yoke is covered with a structured black paint, for sleek design and scratch resistance. Instead of the traditional vertically rotating mechanics, these have been moved within the headband for even greater comfort. This allows for excellent sealing, while the red & black blends classic and modern looks. The thermoformed carrying case shaped to fit the Clear Mg Professional, and with smaller dimensions, is woven in colors to match the headphones. Finally, two low-resistivity OFC 24 AWG copper cables are supplied.
Key features of Clear Mg Professional: • A brand-new magnesium cone for even greater dynamics • A remarkable tonal balance across the full spectrum • The bass is articulated right down to the low frequencies • The level of detail in the high frequencies • Comfortable and ergonomic • Low impedance (55 Ohms) • Two OFC 24 AWG copper cables supplied: 16.5ft (5m) spiral cable with 1/4″ – (6.35mm) TRS jack 3.9ft (1.2m) cable with 1/8″ (3.5mm) stereo jack connector with 1/8″ (3.5mm) jack and 1/4″ (6.35mm) jack adapter • Rigid carrying case supplied
The new Clear Mg Professional product is available at retailers in the US and Canada on February 16, 202, and has a suggested retail price of $1,490. USD.
Analogue Solutions announces forthcoming fourth run of Colossus supersized synth that trips back to the future of analogue KINGSWINFORD, UK: following a showstopping showcase during its introduction at SynthFest UK 2019 in Sheffield, British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions is proud to announce a forthcoming fourth run of Colossus — its supersized synth that trips back to the future of analogue, albeit symbolising so much more than a powerful analogue ‘workstation’ with no fewer than 12 VCOs (Voltage-Controlled Oscillators) beating at its monumental musical heart, rather representing art, architecture, and superlative studio furniture at its hand-built best by taking its design cues from the colossal classic that is the EMS Synthi 100, although no Synthi circuit was cloned or copied in making the destined-to-be-classic Colossus fit for a new generation of high-flying owners — as of February 15… Despite design cues harking back to the dawn of analogue synthesisers with a knowing nod of appreciation to one of the largest and — at almost £100K in today’s money! — most expensive examples ever built anywhere, let alone by British trailblazing entity EMS, encompassing no fewer than 12 VCOs and eight VCFs (Voltage- Controlled Filters) and much more besides in the colossal classic that is the Seventies-vintage Synthi 100, with the 30 or so units produced in its decade-long lifespan mainly ending up in university research departments or national broadcaster’s in-house composition studios (such as The BBC Radiophonic Workshop) before becoming lost in the sands of time to almost all but serious synth collectors and restorers (including, ironically, Analogue Solutions founder Tom Carpenter himself), British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions’ suitably-named Colossus — courtesy of its imposing 1700mm (W), 700mm (D), and 650mm (H) dimensions, while weighing in at… too big to fit on the scales! — symbolises so much more than a powerful analogue ‘workstation’ with no fewer than 12 VCOs beating at its monumental musical heart, rather representing art, architecture, and superlative studio furniture at its hand-built best. But better still, Synthi circuits were neither cloned nor copied in making Colossus fit for a new generation of high-flying owners while fortunately fitting through a standard-sized doorway — unlike a Synthi 100, of course; Colossus’ creator prefers to come up with designs of its own musical making. Moreover, Analogue Solutions has chosen to make use of original circuits tried and tested in favourites from its acclaimed analogue synthesiser products, past and present, including Polymath (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/polymath-paraphonic-modular-synth) — a self-contained four-VCO PARAPHONIC ANALOGUE SYNTHESISER with ANALOGUE SEQUENCER and SPRING REVERB; Telemark (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/telemark-patchable-rack-synth) — a semi-modular analogue monosynth, much loved by bona fide synth pop pioneer Philip Oakey of Sheffield-based The Human League, a colossus connoisseur of synthesisers in his own right, thanks to owning one of the largest collections in the UK; and, more recently, Vostok2020 (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/vostok2020) — the latest (fourth) incarnation of Tom Carpenter’s semi-modular masterpiece taking some of the best parts of its iconic Vostok V2 and V3 Deluxe predecessors and bringing them together as an augmented ANALOGUE POWER SYNTH fit for a new decade. All are united by their ALL ANALOGUE VOICE & MODULATION CIRCUITS — as boldly blazoned across the former’s front panel. Analogue as in really analogue. After all, as implied by its apt appellation, Analogue Solutions truly trades on real transistors and op-amps — no CPU (Central Processing Unit) stabilised and quantised circuits, no DCOs (Digitally-Controlled Oscillators), and no digital EGs (Envelope Generators), as are often found on other so-called analogue synthesisers. Since such circuitry is based on designs dating back to the Seventies, all Analogue Solutions synthesisers proudly possess a truly vintage sound — as does, of course, Colossus, albeit taking things to a whole new level, literally so as an analogue heavyweight to be reckoned with. With 12 VCOs and eight VCFs to its own notable name, Colossus musically matches the aforesaid extensive and expensive Synthi 100, yet comes complete with a whole lot more besides. Indeed, its oscillator panel is well specified in its own right. There, the FREQ (frequency) — pitch — range of OSCILLATOR 1 through toOSCILLATOR 12 is extremely wide, and each can also be used as an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator); each features four waveforms, plus pulse width, oscillator sync, and sub oscillator abilities. All are complimented by a SAMPLE AND HOLD generator, RANDOM VOLTAGE GENERATOR, and two pink/white noise generators — namely, NOISE GENERATOR 1 and NOISE GENERATOR 2. The equally well-specified filter panel features four multi-mode (hi-, band-, and low-pass) 12dB filters — FILTER 1 through to FILTER 4, the circuit for which was originally based on the filter found in the classic dual-oscillator Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module®) created by legendary American synth designer Tom Oberheim back in 1974, albeit Analogue Solutions skilfully applied some heavy-duty modifications of its own. On top of that, there are also four low-pass 24dB transistor ladder filters — FILTER 5 through to FILTER 8 — featuring a ‘Moog’ style sound. Saying that, all eight VCFs have serial VCAs (Voltage-Controlled Amplifiers), so there are actually eight VCF/VCA combinations in total! That’s not all as this panel also houses two mechanical spring reverbs — REVERBERATIONS 1 and REVERBERATIONS 2, each featuring a triple spring tank; two RING MODULATORS; two voltage SLEW LIMITERS; and four envelopes — ENVELOPE SHAPER 1 through to ENVELOPE SHAPER 4 — with ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE controls, alongside hold repeat and gated repeat trig (trigger) MODE functions. Furthermore, the so-called ‘scope’ panel — so named as it includes an oscilloscope — pushes things to an even higher level, specification-wise, since it includes four VCAs — VCA 1 through to VCA 4 — in addition to those found in the filter panel, plus two LFOs — LFO 1 and LFO 2 — in addition to those found in the oscillator panel, as well as four A S D/R envelopes — ENVELOPE SHAPER 1 through to ENVELOPE SHAPER 4. So since the aforesaid VCOs can be used as LFOs, Colossus can, in fact, be potentially pressed into playing a total of 14 LFOs! Likewise, since each of the eight VCFs have VCAs hardwired inline, these plus the individual VCAs means that there is actually a total of 12 VCAs available to any adventurous user! Ultimately, Colossus comes complete with yet more populated panels for setting the controls for the heart of the synth, as it were, with a ‘digital intervention’ of sorts showing through the touch panel housing two touch keyboards with digital note sequencers — TOUCH KEYBOARD CONTROL / SEQUENCERS, although analogue control readily resumes with the two JOYSTICK CONTROLLERS above and six-channel STEREO AUDIO MIXER above them. The sequencer panel is dominated by a SERIAL 1-64 SPLIT 2x 1-32 step SEQUENCER with CLOCK generator, GLIDE, JUMP, RESET, CV OUT, GATE OUT, and other control features. Four large 10V backlit SIGNAL METERS — CHANNEL 1 through to CHANNEL 4 — up the analogue ante alongside the SEQUENCER. Then there are two broadcast-quality CV and audio pin matrix panels — inspired in no small part by the British-built EMS VCS3, which made musical history upon its introduction in 1969 by being the first commercially portable synthesiser available anywhere in the world, thanks to its innovative modular matrix-based patchboard dispensing with the telephone exchange-like cabling of other (much larger) modular systems in favour of making space-saving connections with (removable) pins — and last, but by no means least, there are also four minijack patch panels providing I/O from all Colossus’ circuits. Clearly an obvious question was raised at the outset: why? “Well, because I can,” countered Tom Carpenter at SynthFest UK 2019, before later adding: “I’ve sold way more than I expected.” On the strength of that, then, clearly Colossus has gone from strength to strength, as evidenced by Analogue Solutions’ spirited announcement of a forthcoming fourth run. Regretting missing out on previous builds becomes a thing of the past, obviously, though those collectively breathing a sigh of relief are advised to add themselves to the Colossus waiting list (here: https://www.colossus-synth.com/contact). And Analogue Solutions is already working on some upgrade options, which will be announced later this year and available to buy as add-ons — proof positive that this colossal synthesiser success story has clearly far from run its course! The fourth Colossus run is in production and available to order for purchase — priced at £25,000.00 GBP (excluding tax and delivery) directly from Analogue Solutions here: https://www.colossus-synth.com/buy— with shipment direct to the customer’s door, while wait time is around two to four weeks after Analogue Solutions’ receipt of a £6,500.00 GBP deposit (excluding tax and delivery), payable here: https://www.analoguesolutions.com/colossus-1— with balance and shipping costs required shortly before despatch. (Please note that if shipping is required then the crate and packing is estimatedat £300.00 GBP, while shipping will range from around £300.00 GBP for Western Europe to around £1,500.00 GBP for the USA.) For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Colossus webpage here: https://www.colossus-synth.com/colossus Watch Analogue Solutions’ aspirational and awe-inspiring trailer video for Colossus here: https://youtu.be/yp4Y3s9KJiY See and hear Colossus in action while watching Analogue Solutions’ suggested video playlist from here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLq-KgzIcyyGFGY42EzrTWHsm2OO-8zIL9&v=Doa_O_FiZEY&feature=emb_logo
Spitfire Audio adds CIMBALOM to ORIGINALS series of instant writing tools as a shimmering, spine-tingling tuned percussion plug-in LONDON, UK: sound-specialising British music technology company Spitfire Audio is proud to announce availability of CIMBALOM — an appropriately-named addition to its ongoing ORIGINALS series of instant writing tools with the same outstanding recording quality as the ‘full-blown’ flagship libraries with which it has built its reputation, simplified and presented in its free, easy-to-use plug-in, perfectly capturing its 19th century-originating shimmering, spine-tingling tuned percussion instrument namesake (nowadays familiar from being brought into play in innumerable Hollywood film scores, thanks to its mysterious, sinister sound with a distinctive metallic tone that cuts through an orchestra) by being performed by leading London cimbalom player Greg Knowles (known for his work therewith on The Hunger Games in 2012 and 2007’s The Golden Compass), carefully captured to the highest standard in the hallowed (Lyndhurst) Hall at London’s legendary AIR Studios, supremely sampled and served up as a ~1.7GB-sized library with three signals, five presets, and three straightforward NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) compatible controls, creatively combining to create the sound of suspense — as of February 4… As a distinctive-sounding instrument in its own right, the cimbalom is a large, late-19th century-originating Hungarian concert-hammered dulcimer — itself a type of chordophone comprising a large, trapezoidal box with metal strings stretched across its top, played by striking two beaters against the strings. Saying that, dulcimers are an ancestor of the piano, dating back to Babylonian times as a family of stringed instruments known for their Eastern European sound. Somewhat closer to today, they have become widely used as a Hollywood film scoring staple — spy thrillers in particular proving well suited to the tremolo technique, as evidenced by the likes of English composer John Barry’s thrilling title theme to The Ipcress File (1965). To name but a few more notable big screen appearances for the instrument in question: John Williams’ scintillating score to director Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); American composer, conductor, and orchestrator James Horner’s ‘Stealing the Enterprise’ cue from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984); several scenes featuring Gollum in the Peter Jackson-directed The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), courtesy of Canadian composer and conductor Howard Shore; The Golden Compass (2007); The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008); Sherlock Holmes (2009), for which Hollywood hotshot Hans Zimmer turned to a banjo, cimbalom, and other unconventional instruments for the musical accompaniment; and French film composer Alexandre Desplat’s score to The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). In the smaller screen world of television, of course, composer Lalo Shifrin made much use of the cimbalom in several scores he wrote for the original Mission: Impossible American series, from which consequential cues were regularly recycled throughout its 1966 to 1973 run, one of which — ‘The Danube Incident’ — was notably sampled by British trip-hop pioneers Portishead on their track ‘Sour Times’ (from the 1995 Mercury Music Prize-winning Dummy album), which reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart upon its re-release. But back in the supremely-sampled world of sound-specialising British music technology company Spitfire Audio, it is little wonder, then, that the cimbalom was deemed as a perfect fit for fronting the latest (namesake) addition to its ongoing ORIGINALS series of instant writing tools as essential cinematic ingredients. As a brief (musical) side note, according to Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Christian Henson, the ORIGINALS name embodies the concept of original libraries of original sounds that make their users sound original, albeit by bringing back to life some dearly departed company classics in a revitalised form — hence ORIGINALS CIMBALOM presenting the existing content of a previously-released (no-longer-available) Spitfire Audio library (GRAND CIMBALOM) reprogrammed as an intuitive patch accompanied by all individual articulations to allow for complete control. And who and what better to be able to completely control than perfect performances by leading London cimbalom player Greg Knowles (known for his work therewith on The Hunger Games and The Golden Compass), carefully captured to the highest standard in the hallowed (Lyndhurst) Hall at London’s legendary AIR Studios, supremely sampled and served up as a ~1.7GB-sized library with three signals, five presets, and three straightforward NKS compatible controls — Close, Tree, and Pitched, the latter adding a rich, frozen atmosphere created by stretching and pitching down the ambient mic signal, complementing the vibrant close and tree mics by adding depth and otherworldliness. On top of that, control over the ATTACK and RELEASE times expands on this further, together with REVERB, allowing the realistic-sounding ORIGINALS CIMBALOM to morph into eerie textural elements on the fly. Five presets are at hand, allowing users to dive in and get going with minimum fuss: Performance, Short Damped, Short Sustained, Tremolo, and Warp (using the aforesaid ATTACK and RELEASE times plus Pitched signal to create a reversed-like textural pad). Presented in Spitfire Audio’s free, easy-to-use plug-in, ORIGINALS CIMBALOM perfectly provides computer-based composers with ready-made variations of that Eastern European folk sound, but can also be used to elevate cues in a number of ways beyond that. The ninth product in the ongoing ORIGINALS series of instant writing tools is the perfect addition to the sound of any symphony orchestra, whether as an extra textural element or, indeed, its instrumental apex. Ask Greg Knowles — after all, he should surely know as a seriously sought-after cimbalom player par excellence! Entering the sound of suspense is as easy as installing ORIGINALS CIMBALOM.
ORIGINALS CIMBALOM is available as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-in supporting Native Instruments’ NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) and Windows (7, 8, and 10 — latest Service Pack) that loads directly into any compatible DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of only £29.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$29.00 USD/€29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/originals(Note that owners of the now-no-longer-available GRAND CIMBALOM library will automatically receive ORIGINALS CIMBALOM for free.) Spitfire Audio’s namesake Spitfire Audio application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime, and is available for free from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/library-manager/ For more in-depth information, please visit Spitfire Audio’s ORIGINALS Frequently Asked Questions webpage here:https://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/faq/spitfire-originals/ Musically marvel at ORIGINALS CIMBALOM’s shimmering, spine-tingling tuned percussive sound while watching a walkthrough with Spitfire Audio here: https://youtu.be/nJ6LldwcyJA
iCON Pro Audio launches large-diaphragm Space series of professional studio microphones with Cocoon and Martian models boasting bold, intergalactic design NASHVILLE, TN, USA: high-quality, professional-grade musical equipment provider iCON Pro Audio is proud to announce availability of Cocoon and Martian — making for an eye- and ear-opening fusion of vintage-sounding clarity with bold, intergalactic design as the two large-diaphragm condenser microphone launches with which it is inaugurating its Space series — as of January 21… Cocoon could conceivably conjure up images of the namesake 1985 American science-fiction comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard about a group of elderly people rejuvenated by aliens — at least to those of a certain age, yet there is no denying the aptness of the name iCON Pro Audio applied to the cocoon-shaped intergalactic design of the first of two large-diaphragm professional studio microphone models making up its newly-launched Space series. Clearly, Cocoon is as eye opening in looks as it is ear opening in delivery, thanks to incorporating a true electrostatic Golden DropTM transducer within its space-age capsule architecture. A sputtering technique where a precisely engineered pattern of golden dots is distributed, this innovative technology allows Cocoon’s 33 mm (active) diameter diaphragm to move with laser-sharp precision for increased intelligibility while simultaneously reducing any colouration or distortion, which proves particularly effective given that the transducer is the part of the microphone that actually detects and converts the sound waves! With the thin, ultralight membrane being fabricated with pure 999 gold — considered the best purity of gold readily available since this refers to purity in parts per 1,000, meaning 999 parts are gold, Cocoon’s resultant extended upper clarity with smooth midrange suits any voice or instrument application. Although on paper perhaps sounding out of this world, the ultra-rugged-constructed Cocoon’s Class-A discrete electronics housed within its metal die-cast body are built by hand in Latvia using only the highest-quality components for peak performance, superlative durability, and extremely low self noise. Outside of the microphone itself, iCON Pro Audio’s advanced shock-mount technology neutralises unwanted vibrations to preserve the integrity of the signal, aided still further by the inclusion of a durable metal pop-filter, thereby ensuring an optimum recording experience borne out by Cocoon’s professional performance specifications, including: 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range; unidirectional, cardioid polar pattern; 21 mV/Pa sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1000 Ω load; 50 Ω output impedance; 1000 Ω rated load impedance; 138 dB maximum SPL for 0,5% THD at 1000 Ω load; 85 dB-A S/N Ratio DIN/IEC 651 (A-weighted); 8dB-A equivalent noise level DIN/IEC (A-weighted); and 130 dB microphone preamplifier dynamic range. Meanwhile, Martian sounds as warm and friendly as he looks — yes, iCON Pro Audio refers to the second entrant in its Space series of large- diaphragm condenser microphones as a ‘he’! Though the family resemblance to his cocoon-shaped sibling might not necessarily be physically obvious at first glance, enclosed inside the rotating head is a space-age shock-mounted capsule with an electrostatic Golden DropTM transducer made of pure 999 gold, allowing the 26mm (active) diameter diaphragm to move more quickly for rich detail and transparency. But below the shock-mounted capsule residing in his head, Martian rides in an advanced full-body shock-mount, complete with face shield pop filter, which neutralises unnecessary vibrations and minimises plosives, thereby ensuring the best recording experience possible. Perfect placement of his pop filter is perfectly possible, thanks to being able to rotate Martian’s head to just the right angle. And, no, he is not an extraterrestrial, but rather his Class-A discrete electronics housed within his durable metal die-cast body are also built by hand in Latvia using only the highest-quality components for peak performance, superlative durability, and extremely low self noise. As a perfect microphone for voice and instrument applications, features well worth highlighting include Martian’s warm and classic sonic character; unidirectional, cardioid pickup pattern for outstanding sound source separation and feedback; professional hand-built large- diaphragm capsule for full, open-sound and unsurpassed audio quality; and pressure-gradient transducer with shock-mounted capsule, to name but a notable few. And a few performance specifications should be more than enough to seal the deal, as follows: 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range; 33 mV/Pa sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1000 Ω load; 50 Ω output impedance; 1000 Ω rated load impedance; 134 dB maximum SPL for 0,5% THD at 1000 Ω load; 83.2 dB-A S/N Ratio DIN/IEC 651 (A-weighted); 10.5 dB-A equivalent noise level DIN/IEC (A-weighted); and 123.5 dB microphone preamplifier dynamic range. As an eye- and ear-opening fusion of vintage-sounding clarity with bold, intergalactic design as the two large-diaphragm condenser microphone launches with which iCON Pro Audio is inaugurating its Space series, serious recordists looking to make a bold statement in their studio spaces should surely consider making some space for the phantom-powered — +48V (+/-4V) — Cocoon and Martian models… space-age microphones for new-generation studios! Cocoon and Martian will begin shipping through iCON Pro Audio’s growing global network of dealers/distributors (https://iconproaudio.com/distributors/) in Q2 2021 with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $499.00 USD and $699.00 USD, respectively. For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Cocoon webpage here: https://iconproaudio.com/product/cocoon/ For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Martian webpage here: https://iconproaudio.com/product/martian/ Head into outer space to watch Cocoon and Martian’s arrival on earth in iCON Pro Audio’s Space series introductory video here:https://youtu.be/fU-hIX0qo6c See and hear Cocoon and Martian in action here: https://youtu.be/gnnJHjsfiFI(Note that this video features the song ‘Giant’ by Steffanie Christ’ian: https://steffchris.com) See and hear Cocoon and Martian in action again here: https://youtu.be/JvXlnKHJZws(Note that this video features the song ‘Fire’ by Josie Pace: https://www.josiepace.com)
Plugin Alliance announces availability of one-off dual-stage tube saturator plugin as BIG AL arrives from NEOLD “This is such a great tool to add glorious harmonic saturation, extra flavor, and vibe!” – JUNO Award-winning mixer/recording engineer George Seara (James Bay, Drake, Shawn Mendes, Sting), 2021 SANTA CRUZ, CA, USA: Plugin Alliance, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best- known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce availability of BIG AL — an emulation based on one-off analog hardware harvesting novel circuitry and authentic NOS (New Old Stock) components from the 1930s, exclusively designed for this dual-stage tube saturator from new pro audio plugin partner NEOLD offering a broad palette of stunning sound flavors flowing from the interactive network within its preamp and transformer-coupled power amp, where it generates gorgeous harmonics — as of February 2… BIG AL’s frequency conditioning begins right in the EF9 preamp stage. Indeed, it is a filter freak at heart — hence the Low control being implemented as a Baxandall filter that allows for adjusting saturation intensity by around 100Hz in (optional) combination with boosting or cutting the bass at the same time. The High control is an additional EQ band placed in front of the preamp tube; its peaking filter boosts or cuts high-frequency content around 10kHz — essential for provoking or taming BIG AL’s potentially aggressive treble! The straightforward user interface is spiced up with a jumper matrix, allowing access to BIG AL’s core circuitry: E (Emphasis Shift), B (Bass Compensator), and V (Voltage Sag) provide powerful options with which to make complex changes to the distortion profile on the fly by simply inserting or pulling out a few (virtual) plugs. An AL4 power pentode and its output transformer act as the finishing spice, driven hot by the preamp stage. And anyone wondering what this all adds up to need not trouble themselves any longer because BIG AL is a truly gorgeous kind of harmonic saturation that will always sound organic, musical, and bold! NEOLD BIG AL is available for purchase (as an AAX AudioSuite-, AAX Native-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting effect plugin for macOS 10.9 through 10.15 and Windows 7 through 10) at an attractive introductory price of $149.99 USD until March 4, 2021 — rising thereafter to an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $199.00 USD — from here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/neold_big_al.html
