Vintage Samples

Vintage Organs
Syntaur Productions
1418 N. Walnut Avenue
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 627-1530
www.syntaur.com
Syntaur Productions has released Sample Set 29, “Vintage Organs,” and Sample Set 30, “Mellotron,” each a four-disk set, as samples for the Ensoniq ASR and EPS samplers. All sampled instruments are fully programmed with patch selects and extensive use of modulators. “Vintage Organs” brings to life a multitude of combo organs from the ’60s and ’70s. Besides classics like the Vox Jaguar and Continental and the Farfisa, the set also includes the Acetone, Wurlitzer WX-2, Hammond XB-2, and others from Yamaha, Roland, and Korg. Altogether, 24 different organ instruments are included in the set. “Mellotron” features the three classic sounds from this instrument: flutes, strings, and boys choir.

Drum Sample

Native Instruments USA
5631 A Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(866) 556-6487
www.ni-soundline.com
Native Instruments’ Synthetic Drums Sample CD-Rom for Battery and Kontakt includes 32 electronic drum kits with more than 1,800 synthesized and processed electronic drum samples. More than 1,800 electronic drum samples provide a wide selection of production-ready drum sounds for electronic music. Synthetic Drums provides a resource for the producer and composer of any sort of electronic, pop, or dance music. All drum sounds are organized into kits that take advantage of Battery’s velocity-layering and modulation capabilities. Additionally, each kit is also available in Kontakt format with enhanced features such as advanced filtering and effects.

Sound is a Factor

JBL Professional
8500 Balboa Blvd.
Northridge, CA 91329
(800) 852-5776
www.jblpro.com
JBL Professional’s SoundFactor SF25 is a portable two-way speaker system with two 15-inch low frequency transducers. According to JBL, it acts like a three-way system in that the lower woofer is actually rolled off at a lower frequency than the upper woofer. The SF25 is useful in applications where additional low frequency power is needed, but subwoofers are not practical. Measuring 1092 x 464 x 432 mm (43 x 18¼ x 17 in.) and weighing 94 pounds, the SF25 has a power capacity of 500 watts (2,000 watts peak) and maximum SPL of 133 dB. SoundFactor’s advanced network design for its crossover includes heavy gauge wire inductors for low distortion and SonicGuard high-frequency driver protection. The SF25 is constructed of carpet-covered, ¾-inch MDF. All-metal handles and an 18-gauge, full metal grille are also used. Features include crossover networks and a waveguide.

Ultimately, Acoustics

BitHeadz, Inc.
2850 South County Trail, Suite 1
East Greenwich, RI 02818
(401) 886-7045
www.bitheadz.com
BitHeadz has released Unity Topaz Studio Kits and Ultimate Acoustics for the Unity 3.0 product line. Unity Topaz Studio Kits is based on the Sonic Emulations title that was released earlier this year in Gigasampler format. The Unity title offers over 300 MB of multi-sampled drums performed by New York session drummer Zach Danziger. Unity Topaz Kits provides realistic sounding cymbals, hi hats, kicks, snares and toms that allow users to build their own custom kits.
Ultimate Acoustics was created in conjunction with Gibson, Audio-Technica and Bias Peak. The result is nearly 450 MB of acoustic guitar and bass samples in Unity 3.0 format. All of the samples in Ultimate Acoustic were performed by Bryan Blumer, and produced and programmed by David Das. The 24-bit, 44.1 kHz samples were created using several guitars and playing styles to choose from. Both of the sound modules can be used standalone with the Unity sample player engine included or within most sequencers.

The Siren

Evidence Audio
P.O. Box 3992
Mission Viejo, CA 92690
(949) 306 7390
www.evidenceaudio.com
Evidence Audio’s Siren speaker cable contains Solid IGL copper conductors that overcome distortions caused by strand interaction and copper impurities. Features include spiraled geometry, which helps avoid problems of parallel-run conductors for greater dynamics and noise rejection and polypropylene insulation that holds conductors rigid to minimize electro-magnetic modulation of the conductors.

American Way

American Audio
4295 Charter Street
Los Angeles, CA 90058
(800) 322-6337
www.americanaudio.us
American Audio’s SCD-100 is a 19-inch rack-mount single CD player with a silver brushed aluminum faceplate. The SCD-100 features digital output, which means DJs can burn CDs. It can read both CD and CD-R discs, and it includes 8-times oversampling, a jog wheel with four search modes, and 1/75 of a second frame search. Other features include a +10 track advance button, instant play, +/- 12-percent pitch bend, and pitch display. The SCD-100 offers a single/continuous play option, as well as a sleep mode and selectable elapsed and remain time. All of the knobs and control buttons are arranged to be accessible on the user-friendly faceplate. Features include mechanical anti-skip protection, and 60-second transport protection. Frequency response is +1.0dB, 20Hz-20KHz and the total harmonic distortion is 0.02-percent. The signal-to-noise ratio is 88dB.

Hit the Digital Deck

Pioneer Electronics
(USA), Inc.
2265 E. 220th Street
Long Beach, CA 90810
(800) 926-4329
www.PioneerProDj.com
Pioneer’s CDJ-800 digital vinyl turntable’s design is based on the company’s jog wheel (first seen on the CDJ-1000). The compact, silver-colored CDJ-800 has five new features, including Quick Return, Auto Beat Loop, Touch Release Dial, “Wide” Pitch Control and Digital Out. The jog wheel reproduces the touch and feel of an analog deck. In Vinyl mode, the touch-sensitive jog wheel allows DJs to stop/cue up tracks and bend and scratch sounds. In CDJ mode, the jog wheel lets DJs speed up or slow down the music, fine-tune cue points and use all the other CDJ functions.
When using Vinyl mode, the Quick Return feature enables a track to return again and again to a cue point just by pressing the surface of the jog wheel. The Auto Beat Loop feature uses four timing buttons to create one-, two-, four- or eight-beat loops. When a loop has been produced manually with the loop-in and loop-out buttons, this feature allows instant 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 beat cuts of the initial loop.
The Touch Release Dial allows CDs playing in vinyl mode to be slowed, stopped and re-launched at different speeds when the jog wheel is touched or released. Playing out can also be enhanced with the deck’s “Wide” Pitch Control function. DJs can use the +/- 100-percent pitch control range to create new sound effects from opposite ends of the sound spectrum and also to BPM match completely different tracks.
The CDJ-800 also includes Master Tempo and Cue/Loop Memory. Master Tempo locks the pitch of a track even when its speed is changed, allowing DJs to speed up or slow down the beat, without any difference to the vocals and instruments. Cue/Loop Memory allows a DJ to set a cue or loop point and then save it to the deck’s internal memory. The CDJ-800 has enough capacity to save one cue point for up to 500 CDs. Specifications of the CDJ-800 include Power Requirements of 120V, 60Hz, Power consumption of 18W, Audio Frequency Response of 4Hz to 20kHz and a Signal To Noise Ratio of 115 dB or more (JEITA). Its dimensions are 305-mm width x 344-mm depth and 109-mm height.

An Acid Pro

Sonic Foundry Inc.
1617 Sherman Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 256-3133
www.sonicfoundry.com
Sonic Foundry’s ACID PRO 4.0 is a professional loop-based music creation tool that allows users to create original, royalty-free music. This newest release includes features using pre-recorded sound clips, or loops, for use in production, commercial recording, streaming media creation and corporate audio-video presentations. ACID PRO 4.0 can be used to create songs, remix tracks, develop music beds, produce 5.1 Surround audio mixes, score videos, and develop music for Web sites and Flash animations. It contains built-in support for MIDI, video scoring, and can save to a number of audio and video file formats, including WAV, WMA, WMV, RM, AVI, MOV and MP3. Features include: VSTi support, ASIO driver support, Effects automation, 5.1 Surround mixing, alternate time signatures, MIDI piano roll and event list editing, MIDI step recording, Loop Cloning and Yamaha OPT support.

Mackie Designs’ SWA1801

Mackie Designs
16220 Wood-Red Road NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
(800) 258-6883
www.mackie.com
Mackie Designs’ SWA1801 high-output 18-inch active subwoofer is designed for portable and live sound applications as well as fixed-installation venues in nightclubs, churches and corporate facilities. The SWA1801 uses an RCF precision transducer that features a 4-inch inside/outside wound voice coil with composite polyamide former construction that provides improved power handling capabilities. The magnetic assembly utilizes advancements in coil venting and structural cooling that offer lower temperature rise and improved power compression characteristics.
The amplifier inside the SWA1801 is an example of application-specific design. The system uses a proprietary high efficiency, high-current amplifier module that provides high current at all levels of operation. The amplifier is rated at 900 watts RMS of continuous output and 1400 watts of peak output. The SWA1801 features a sophisticated on-board control system. The input panel accepts line-level input signal and has loop-out connectors for signal routing to other devices. It also includes a high-pass out connection for routing signal to full range speakers or amplifiers powering passive full range speakers.
The relatively compact cabinet is constructed with 18-mm-thick, multi-layered birch plywood, finished with black spatter paint. Cast aluminum handles on each side of the cabinet and four rear-mounted wheels make it convenient for loading and transporting and mounting on a female pole fixture. It is 25.1-inches in height, 30.5-inches in width and 29.7-inches in depth. The SWA1801 weighs 132 pounds.

In a Fog

American DJ
4295 Charter Street
Los Angeles, CA 90058
(800) 322-6337
www.americandj.com
American DJ’s Fog Storm 1200 is a 1,200-watt professional fog machine with an advanced heating system. The Fog Storm 1200 can shoot out 7,000 cubic feet of fog per minute. The unit contains a 1,200-watt heater and jumbo 2.5-liter removable fog fluid tank. The machine weighs 12 pounds and has dimensions of 12- x 8.75- x 6.5-inches. The unit features a larger copper tube, which helps to prevent the machine from becoming clogged with fog fluid residue, and to keep its voluminous output flowing smoothly. If output levels should start to decrease, the user need only clean out the machine’s front nozzle. The unit produces an evenly dispersed fog to enhance special effects, such as colored moonflowers.
The Fog Storm 1200 is equipped with an electronic sensor, capable of detecting drops in the machine’s temperature as small as one or two degrees. The heater will then switch back on automatically, resulting in a more consistent operating temperature. This produces a thicker, whiter fog that appears to roll out continuously. Initial warm-up time for the Fog Storm 1200 is eight minutes. The machine comes with a 25-foot wired remote control, which allows it to be positioned on a club floor or stage and operated from a DJ booth or backstage area. The Fog Storm 1200 can be operated via an external control switch on the unit itself.

Machs’ M-Flex Loudspeakers

Martin Professional, Inc.
700 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway
Sunrise, FL 33325
(954) 858-1800
www.martinpro.com
Mach’s M-Flex series loudspeakers are compact and lightweight speakers, designed with high output-to-frontal-area and output-to-weight ratio. There are rigging and mounting options in combination with an on-board mixer. All models in the M-Flex series feature switch-mode bi-amplification technology. The switch-mode technology reduces weight and size of the amplifier by more than 60-percent compared to traditional power supplies and ensures stability in the power supply. In addition, the amplifier emits little heat and does not need a heat sink. As a result, the speakers in the M-Flex series can be flown below ceilings without heat problems. The bi-amplification technology powers each drive unit separately. All M-Flex models feature a built-in DSP technology. The DSP offers processing power and controls all speaker parameters including crossover slopes, high-pass filter, delay between drive units, EQ and limiting.
With the on-board mixer, the M-Flex top-boxes allow you to connect two line signals and one microphone and mix the signals via the gain control on each input. Or you can switch the microphone input to work as a line input and then mix all three line inputs. For applications with two line inputs and a microphone or a total of three line inputs, a separate mixer is not needed. And the mixed signal can be linked to other M-Flex speakers so a minimum of cable run to the speakers is needed. In addition, there is a separate link on the microphone signal, so that it can be linked independently of the line signals. The M-Flex speakers feature an active line driver, so link can be made to an infinite number of M-Flex speakers while maintaining perfect signal quality.
Numerous rigging and configuration possibilities are offered and allows for flexible setup. An aluminum lock has been developed for the M-Flex series to make the design of clusters and arrays as easy as possible and the built-in aluminum top-hat adaptor ensures safe pole mounting. Precisely angled sides allow the M-Flex products to be used as stage monitors. Protection of the drive unit is ensured through a strong steel grille with extruded rubber protection blocks integrated into the cabinet design.

Tough ACT To Follow

B-52 Pro-Audio
3383 Gage Ave.
Huntington Park, CA 90255
(323) 277-4100
www.B-52PRO.com
B-52 Pro Audio’s ACT-18 is an active 18-inch subwoofer with digital amplification that features a 1,200 watt digital amplifier. It delivers 800 watts at 8 Ohms and 1,200 watts at 4 Ohms when connected to the ACT-18S. The amplifier weighs six pounds, is more than 90-percent efficient and draws less than 12 amps of electrical current. The ACT-18 uses an 18-inch long-excursion subwoofer with a cast-aluminum frame, 4-inch, 4-layer polyamide voice-coil and a 200 oz. vented magnet structure.