Live Gets Fresh

Ableton
2301 Harrison Street
Ste. 202
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 206-0213
www.ableton.com
Live, an audio sequencer designed for live performances, has a brand new update for all you Mac OSX users. The free update’s major change is its degree of compatibility with Mac OSX system. Live can time-stretch and compress files in real time from a hard disk. You can also record, loop, effect, resample and launch sounds without stopping the music. Other features let you play live, log your set and edit it afterwards, play random samples in synch with your song’s tempo, get together chains of fully automateable live effects and VST plug-ins and control your hot keys and MIDI.

Get Trussed

Milos America
10409 Dow-Gil Road
Ashland, VA 23005-7639 (800) 411-0065
www.milosamerica.com
If you’re in the market for some new trusses, Milos thinks it’s got the answer to your woes. Manufacturer of the popular QuickTruss, Milos Structural Systems has just released its new ValueLine Range of trussing featuring the TriTruss. The TriTruss is 9.84-inches in size and made from 2 x 1/16-inch tubing and ½-inch braces. Its key feature is universal compatibility with most bolt and spigot truss systems. TriTruss can be curved and powder coated with choices from an array of colors and specialty finishes. Milos also offers you free AutoCAD design services with a QuickShip Design Program, should you need them.

Ultimately Peavey
Peavey Electronics Corp.
711 “A” Street
Meridian, MS 39301
(601) 483-5365
www.peavey.com
Peavey’s created a new mixer, the Ultimate Club Mixer, and it features a cue-mode switch that lets you audition effects on either the cue or program signal before you send them out to the house. There’s also a Phat EQ knob so you can add bass, highs and some mid frequencies, too. Also included is a 3-band EQ with 24 dB cut on each channel, a voltage controlled crossfader and an A/B compare. And just in case the dark overwhelms you, the Ultimate Club Mixer glows brightly under any blacklight.

Livin’ La Vida Loca
Promo-Only
231 Live Oaks Boulevard
Casselberry, FL 32707
(407) 331-3600
www.promoonly.com
Spurred by the success of Hispanic songbirds like Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Santana, the latest monthly series from Promo-Only is its Latin Pop CD Series. Its Regional Latin series spotlights Tejano, Mariachi and Cumbia, while its Tropical Latin series gives you a taste of salsa, bachata and merengue styles. Pop Latin bridges the two styles by combining the rhythms of each along with a decidedly commercial sound. Pop Latin also promises to each month offer many exclusive Promo Only remixes, alternative versions of popular songs restyled by leading DJ/producers and Promo Only’s in-house production staff. Pop Latin is available by subscription only, and you can get yours by sending an email request or calling the company.

Mo’ Mixin’



TASCAM
7733 Telegraph Road
Montebello, CA 90640
(323) 726-0303
www.tascam.com
TASCAM’s mixer line has ballooned, with five new DJ mixers designed for both mobile and scratch DJs. The X-15 and X-17, designed with mobiles in mind, are rackmount-design pieces and feature four channels with discrete three-band EQ available on each channel. They offer inputs for main and auxiliary microphones and have fader start. The X-17 adds an onboard three-bank sampler with a Compact Flash card input slot that can be used to store and play back samples. The X-15 can work with various combinations of up to eight stereo input sources (two phono sources plus six line sources), while the X-17 can handle up to 12 sources (four phono sources plus eight line sources). Plus, the X-17 offers other professional features like front-panel aux input and output jacks with individual level controls as well as crossfader reverse controls. TASCAM XS-3, XS-4 and XS-8 mixers are designed for scratch DJs. The XS-3 is a two-channel mixer that offers three-band EQ, inputs and outputs-including line and phono inputs on each channel, balanced and unbalanced master outputs, a recording output, an effects input, a mic input, crossfader start capabilities, adjustable crossfader curve selection and a crossfader reverse control. The first in TASCAM’s “Super Analog Series,” the XS-4, is a 2-channel battle mixer with a logical control surface. It offers a 2-band EQ and more sophisticated audio interfacing than the XS-3, including master outputs on balanced XLR jacks. Also part of the “Super Analog Series,” the XS-8 is a 2-channel scratch mixer that has a fully adjustable crossfader and channel fader curves, crossfader and channel fader reverse controls, a 3-band EQ, interfacing for external effects sends and returns, discrete level controls for stereo outputs, dedicated EQ controls for the mic input and more.

Denon’s Alpha Player

Denon Electronics
19 Chapin Road
Pine Brook, NJ 07058-9777
(973) 396-0810
www.denon.com
Denon’s DN-D9000 Dual CD player features its new Alpha Track Play/Mode that lets you play independently, as well simultaneously, two tracks from the same disc, and allows manual mixing of two tracks using one deck. With this new Alpha track playback, you can mix the sub and main tracks, as well as use an integrated Alpha track pre-monitoring function to monitor the sub track during main track playback in real time. An A-B Splice function removes unwanted sections of a track on the fly and you can create four Hot Start points per drive (Start Point A1, A2, A3 and A4) along with up to six Stutter Cue play points. Two samplers per drive, about 15 seconds of CD quality, let you create up to four loops within a track or disc, that can further be adjusted through the jog wheel when you play back the loops. The DN-D9000 comes with a built-in effector function that gives you six effects – up to four at once – including delay, flanger, two types of filter and transform, which are all interruptable when you use the effector’s bypass button. Also included are five platter modes: Drag-S, which gradually raises playback speed to normal after playback is stopped; Brake, which gradually lowers playback speed to stop when Pause is pressed; Echo, which repeats and fades last playback sound when Pause is pressed; Reverse, which shifts playback into reverse when the Parameter button is pushed during playback, and Dump, which starts reversed playback for a specified time before going back to normal playback. The DN-D9000 lets you activate either the Sampler, Effector, or Scratch effects any time during playback, and you can move between functions or even combine all three at once. Other new features include the auto/manual BPM counter, CD-R/CD-RW disc playback compatibility and a new constant digital out function, so you can make sure that no matter what your playback speed, you get full sample frequency output with your subcode. You can scratch CD audio in real time along with sample audio using directional sound movement buttons (forward, reverse or both). A 70mm illuminated jog wheel lets you scratch as well as use it for the platter hold function so you can pitch bend +/- 100-percent. Other features include 5,000 assignable memo points, 25-track user-definable program play /random play, and two modes of relay play hold down standard playback functions for the DN-D9000. The player has a user-replaceable CD drive and brushless motors, plus a remote control cable with self-locking ends. Shock-Proof memory of 16 seconds per drive gives you uninterrupted playback during sessions.

Take the Shuttle

SKB Corporation
434 Levers Place
Orange, CA 92867
(800) 410-2024.
www.skbcases.com
The new “DJ Shuttle” from SKB Corporation is designed to give all you neophyte DJs a hand. The SKB-84DJ is made to store your entry-level DJ gear. Roto-molded with molded-in side handles and a padded cover with Velcro closure for protection, the DJ Shuttle is designed to be lightweight. It has eight rackable spaces on top and four rackable spaces underneath.

Soundcraft Gets Digital

Soundcraft USA
1449 Donelson Pike
Nashville, TN 37217
(615) 360.0471
www.soundcraft.co
Soundcraft’s 328XD is a digital mixing console that offers dynamics processing on every channel, group and mix path. With the 328XD, Soundcraft broadened the desk’s functionality from straight sound mixing to production and control of sequencers and desktop synths so you can make it the production control center for computers, DAWs and dedicated hard-disk recorders, including dynamic automation and moving faders. The digital mixer is designed for small-to-mid-sized professional studio setups and home studio recording users. It can be used straight out of the box, and virtually all functions are accessible through the mixer’s “E-Strip.” This can act as a horizontal channel strip, controlling EQ and aux sends, or a dynamics control panel, or as level controls for the tape returns. The 328XD also boasts a new dynamics feature set, including: a Gate and Compressor/Limiter on every channel; configurable direct outputs that give you more recording feeds; the ability to route effects to groups for recording; total status recall at power-up and improved connectivity.

May the Force Be With You

Telex Communications, Inc.
12000 Portland Avenue
South Burnsville, MN 55337
952-736-3901
www.electrovoice.com.
Electro-Voice’s new Force i Series includes the Force i (15-inch two-way, full-range), the Force i Sub (18-inch) and the Force i Monitor (12-inch). The Force i 15-inch two-way full-range loudspeaker features E-V’s RMD (Ring-Mode Decoupling) technology designed to deliver pure vocals and mids. The speaker includes E-V’s DH2010a 1.25-inch pure titanium compression drive. With an 80-degree x 55-degree true Constant-Directivity horn, the Force i is made to give you wide enough coverage to project a big sound. In addition, a PRO driver protection circuit is included to minimize the chance of driver failure and E-V’s new Barrier Port design extends and smoothes bass response by minimizing out-of-phase reflections from ports. The Force i Sub sits in an 18-inch cast frame woofer with a four-layer voice coil and a usable bass response to 36 Hz. Built-in input filter and response-tailored woofer gives you single amp drive capability without having to biamp. The sub comes with a 34-inch pole and metal socket mount so you can tack up full-range systems and rear-mounted, three-stage collapsible handle and casters, so the Force i Sub can be used as a dolly for two-way systems and other equipment.