Arturia announces KEYSTEP PRO for namm 2020

Arturia reveal KeyStep Pro at NAMM 2020
The newest, and most hotly anticipated member of the Arturia Step family is to be revealed at NAMM 2020 in Anaheim, California. 

The sequencer the world has been waiting for. KeyStep Pro gives keyboard players incredible sequencing and performance power in a compact, versatile controller. 

KeyStep Pro is a 37-key MIDI controller and multi-channel polyphonic sequencer all in one. It will allow musicians to take full control of their modular rigs, outboard synths, and software studio all at the same time. The 4 independent polyphonic sequencer tracks give you full control over your instruments, and Track 1 can also function as a 16-part integrated drum sequencer. It’s incredibly intuitive, has unparalleled connectivity, and promises to make even complex performances a breeze. 

If you prefer keys to pads, you’ll love KeyStep Pro. It sports a great-feeling 3 octave keyboard with velocity sensitivity and aftertouch. Letting you fully articulate your musical ideas, this expressive little sequencer truly puts your whole music-making ecosystem at your fingertips. Arturia’s designers studied the way musicians actually used their Step controllers, and created KeyStep Pro to remove the barriers between you and the music you want to create.
4 independent polyphonic sequencer lanes
TRACKS4 independent sequencers, controlling whatever synth, module, or drum machine you want.PATTERNS16 patterns per track. Each sequencer pattern can be up to 64 steps long, and contain 16 notes per step.CHAINSLink up to 16 patterns together to create whole songs or sections of your set.SCENESSnapshots of all the sequences within a pattern, letting you instantly switch between sets of sequences.PROJECTSEverything in one place. Load, duplicate, tweak, edit, and save for later in its onboard memory.
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16 part drum sequencer
To get hands on with KeyStep Pro, look out for Arturia at NAMM 2020. 

Meet the Arturia team in Hall A, booth 11910. This new member of the Step family will begin shipping worldwide in Spring 2020.

Avantone Pro CLA-10TM brings the Classic white cone monitor back

Avantone Pro brings ‘back’ to market much-loved nearfield studio monitoring mainstay with closely-matched CLA-10TM
“I put my mixing reputation on these great speakers… I am mixing on them as I write this.”
– Chris Lord-Alge, GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer (Avril Lavigne, Green Day, Bruce Stringsteen, Tina Turner), 2018
TALLMAN, NY, USA: affordable high-quality audio products producer Avantone Pro is proud to announce availability of its CLA-10TM classic studio reference monitor — manufactured as a full-range, two-way passive pair for fixed or remote locations while also accurately recreating an iconic studio monitoring mainstay, much loved in the music industry among pop and rock recording engineers to this day as a valuable mixing tool with which to reveal shortcomings in recordings — as of June 22…
Times change, as does technology. That being said, today’s newly developing age of high-definition audio does not necessarily negate recording shortcomings. Studios still primarily use two- or three-way large monitors designed to represent a wide range reference viewpoint at higher listening levels and there is still a need to hear what a mix will sound like when played back over small systems, such as car stereos, clock radios, computer speakers, and televisions. Indeed, it is important to make mixing judgements based on listening to reference monitors that will not impart tonal anomalies caused by crossovers or inferior full-range drivers. Paying particular attention to the critical midrange vocal/guitar/keyboard areas is always advised.
As such, over a year of R&D (Research & Development), comparative listening, and tweaking went into voicing Avantone Pro’s CLA-10TM while working in close collaboration with five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge — hence having his signature grace the finished, familiar-looking cabinet. The result is a very accurate recreation of an iconic studio monitoring mainstay, much loved in the music industry among pop and rock recording engineers to this day (despite discontinuation of the original product in question back in 2001). Much more recently, listening tests in studios show that recording engineers accept the CLA-10TM as a transparent replacement — just ask Chris Lord-Alge, an assuredly talented and incontrovertibly impressed individual, as evidenced by his following flattery: “I put my mixing reputation on these great speakers… I am mixing on them as I write this.”
The CLA-10TM clearly meets its engineering and performance objectives, attributed, in part, to a 10.4-litre sealed design cabinet constructed of non-layered, high-rigidity MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard) — chosen for its natural low-resonance characteristics — finished with an outer layer of real wood veneer. Visually and tonally fusing the past with the present, Avantone Pro utilised the latest in FEA (Fine Element Analysis) modelling to achieve its custom-designed 180mm AV10-MLF low-frequency driver based on paper cone construction with ‘old-school’ speaker design artistry, thanks to the finest pulp material that performs as closely as possible to the original by being press formed rather than die cut for tonal consistency. Cloth surround material is made in Japan for added authenticity and has unique damping characteristics, enabling a predictable compliance over the lifespan of the driver. Avantone Pro’s custom-tooled frame supports the driver/cone combo to minimise mechanical transfers while the 35mm AV10-MHF high frequency silk dome-based tweeter is as close a match to the original as can be made, making for both a frequency (60Hz – 20kHz) and voicing match to the classic sound so admired by the likes of Chris Lord-Alge — hardly surprising since those aforesaid AV10-MLF and V10-MHF critical components have been extensively field-tested in top LA and NY studios to universal acclaim as drop-in replacements for both Avantone Pro’s own CLA-10TM and also the iconic studio monitoring mainstay it recreates so accurately.
Anyone seeking a transparent replacement for their much-loved nearfield studio monitoring mainstay as a valuable mixing tool with which to reveal shortcomings in recordings should seriously consider investing in Avantone Pro’s CLA-10TM. Clearly its sound should be as familiar as the distinctive looks it also accurately recreates. Indeed, its (381.5mm x 215mm x 197.5mm) cabinet dimensions and (6.3kg) weight will make transitioning to the carefully crafted CLA-10TM when waving goodbye to the ‘dearly departed’ seem seamless. Some studio visitors may even do a double take when told that the same speaker stands or console bridge boast new classic studio reference monitors!
The CLA-10TM arrives at Avantone Pro’s US Dealers (https://www.avantonepro.com/us-dealers.php) in August 2018, priced at $699.00 USD per pair. (Worldwide Distributors are listed by country here: https://www.avantonepro.com/worldwide.php)
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated CLA-10TM webpage here: https://www.avantonepro.com/cla-10.php
Watch five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge’s compelling CLA-10TM introductory video here: https://youtu.be/ZFLmP9XWyhg
Print-ready, hi-res image:

Live Modular Drum Logic using the XXX_or

Most people are aware of my affinity for finger drumming and live performance, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that I want to preform live unsequenced finger drumming with my Modular system. However when I began setting up patches to do this sort of thing I ran into a problem. I wanted to use 1 module for both open and closed hi hats, while triggering this single module from 2 gate sources without running into the issue of the closed hi hat opening up the decay envelope. ENTER LOGIC. In order to complete such a task I need to separate the closed hi hat trigger from the open hi hat trigger (while there is only one trigger input on the module). To do this I use the Animodule XXX_or . This module allows me to send two separate triggers to the same destination and other destinations without the risk of back feeding and having the closed hi hat trigger the decay envelope. Normally this back feeding wouldn’t be an issue if I was simply using a sequencer, but in a live performance real it is important that the open hi hat pad and the closed hi hat pad both trigger the sound independently. Take a look at the video below to see how I did it.

Buy the XXX_Or here

Buy the Audio Damage Neuron here