Mixes=DM2

From Beatnik comes the DM2, an integrated hardware/software program that lets you create mixes even if you’ve never laid eyes on a turntable or studio. The program lets you combine and manipulate up to 16 tracks of digital audio. The system comes with a custom version of Beatnik’s remixing software. The system lets you create music ranging from hip hop and drum-n-bass to trance. You can mix and match 600 audio tracks, each with up to 128 samples. The DM2 software uses Mixman’s auto beat-matching feature. Other features include independent scratching rings for each “virtual turntable” and joystick control so you can apply Mixman’s wideband audio real time effects like flange, Jimifuzz and dub delay. It also features a crossfader and transformer buttons as on a professional mixer. Once you’re satisfied, you can save, email or export it in formats like RealAudio, Windows Media Audio and WAV files so you can burn CDs.
Beatnik
2600 South El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 295-3420
www.beatnik.com

Uninterruptible Juice
Juice Goose has a new line of battery back-up uninterruptible power systems designed to be used with power sensitive applications, like digital recording equipment. Seventeen models, ranging in size from 210 watts to 2,100 watts, are grouped into three designs. The standby units provide utility power and then switch to the battery if you need it. The line-interactive units regulate the utility power for constant voltage, then switch over to battery power. The on-line units use a double-conversion process to change AC power into DC battery voltage and then back to AC. Typical battery run times are 5 to 20 minutes depending on your load. External batteries can be added to some models. The UPS units come standard with a two-year warranty.
Juice Goose
7320 Ashcroft; Suite 104
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 772-1404
www.juicegoose.com

Own A Roll-X

SKB’s new series, the Roll-X, is made up of four X-rack cases with a pull handle and wheels. The Roll-X cases will be 17 inches deep and will let you load in 19 inches worth of rack mount equipment with 3, 4, 5 and 6 rack space models. The cases are made of polyethylene rotationally molded plastic with 2.5-inch wheels and industrial pull handle.
SKB Corp.
434 W. Levers Place
Orange, CA 92867
(714) 637-1252
www.skbcases.com

American Audio Lightens Your Load

American Audio’s Pro Mix MP3 player is an MP3 player/software system designed to relieve you of lugging your records and CDs to gigs by using the Pro Mix controller and a laptop. The ProMix plays MP3 files from a computer and CD files (WAV) stored on the hard drive. Using the software included in the ProMix, you can scratch, mix and use effects. A dual system, the player has a built-in crossfader. With grooves and a finger indentation on top of the unit, the platter-like wheel is made to give you “analog-like scratching sounds.” Other features include seamless loop, reverse play, cue start, six flash buttons (three per side) so you can recall stored samples and a bop effect. The ProMix also has key lock, so you can speed up a track without affecting the pitch. The Pro Mix is designed to work with Windows software and requires a minimum of 128 MB RAM, a 400 MHz processor, Windows ’98 software and one sound card.
American Audio
4295 Charter St.
Los Angeles, CA 90058
(800) 322-6337
www.americandj.com

You Can Do Magic
The MP3 Maker Gold 2.0 is Magix Entertainment’s upgraded version that lets MP3 fans convert, save, manage, record and organize tracks on a PC. The software features a turbo-encoder so you can convert all supported sound formats like WAV, WMA or MPG into MP3s. Using the turbo encoder, you can also burn up to 12 hours of music on one CD and clean old analog recording from vinyl or cassettes. Its audio FX and equalizer rack lets you change and edit your music and save your new creation. You also have the option to customize a song with special effects like karaoke, metallic and robot. You can also use equalizer pre-settings like air-sound and MAX bass. The MP3 Maker Gold comes with CD labeling software and blank labels. Additional features include a music playing program, PlayR juke box that has two players for mixing and beat matching, the MP3 finder, organizer and direct link to the CDDB database that gives artist information and audio effects on one page.
Magix Entertainment Corp.
11400 W. Olympic Blvd #450
Los Angeles, CA 90054
(310) 656-0644
www.magix.com

Master Mix

The Mixmeister 3 is software that enables you, using a graphical interface, to import MP3 or WAV files and organize them and beat match, transition and volume adjust your way to the perfect mix. Mixmeister has added enhancements so you can timeshift and make sure you can mix two songs with different BPMs without altering the pitch. Tempo controllers change the BPM of the song while non-destructive song editing lets you customize tracks without destroying the original (especially good if you’re prone to mistakes). You can overlay tracks and sound effects into the music and organize the whole mess into categories by artist, title or genre. Bass and treble adjustment lets you customize song transitions and create effects. With a built-in export function, you can make mixes for all your friends so they, too, can enjoy your musical process.
Mixmeister Technology LLC
9805 NE 116th St.
Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 821-3470
www.mixmeister.com

A Reason To Update
Propellerhead Software’s free update of its Reason software gives you a completely rewritten ASIO implementation that will sort problems with ASIO drivers in Reason 1.0. The new ASIO implementation also features support for external WordClock and S/PDIF sync that wasn’t available in Reason 1.0. The release of Reason 1.0.1 also includes the ReFill Packer—a tool to create that lets you create ReFill files with your own samples, loops and patches etc. The ReFill Packer will be a free download for registered users.
Propellerhead Software Box
11078 S-100 61
Stockholm Sweden
(Int+46 8) 691 45 00
www.propellerheads.se

Recycled Grooves
Propellerhead Software, maker of Recycle! and ReBirth software, have announced the release of Recycle! 2.0, the Groovemaker. The 2.0 release is designed to work with stereo files and to let you preview, in real time, most settings within Recycle! Tempo and pitch changes can be heard right away, so you can make sure a loop will work at the desired tempo. Individual slice points can be moved and deleted, also in real time. Other real-time processing tools have also been included, like the Gate sensitivity control, designed to make it easy to get rid of unwanted noise or other low level audio. An Envelope feature adds attack and decay control over slices, the Transient Shaper shapes the dynamic behavior of the signal, so you can add more kick to a loop along with a two–band parametric EQ with hi and lo cut. When you’re finished, you can export to any of the supported Samplers, or save as a Wav/Aiff or REX2 file. The new REX2 file format is supported by Steinberg Cubase and Propellerhead's own Reason software. REX2 files can also be reloaded into Recycle! 2.0, if you want to work on your track a little more (all real-time settings are non-destructive). And Recycle! also features ASIO support.
Propellerhead Software AB
45 E. St. Joseph
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 445-2842
www.propellerheads.se

E-MU Operates Anew
E-MU’s version 4.6 of its Emulator Operating System (EOS), the operating system for E-MU’s E4 sampling line of instruments, enables new users to import ENSONIQ ASR sounds via floppy and SCSI, so that if you’re already an ASR customer, you have an upgrade path without needing to build new sound libraries. You can download EOS Version 4.6 for free at E-MU’s website. Other features include RFX plug-ins that have a 13-band Vocoder, Ring Modulator, Phaser, Muxter and Quad Muxter. You can use 4 Vocoders over 4 busses to create a 52-band Vocoder set-up. The Muxter Plug-in is a BPM-based gate that lets you create stutter and slicing effects. The Quad Muxter offers the ability to run a signal through 4 independent paths, each of which can be fully programmed with different note durations and levels. The program also features multi-mode functionality so you can, in RFX Mixer Mode, override all 4 voice sends (busses and levels) at the Multi-setup stage. You can also select an external audio input instead of a preset on a MIDI channel in the multi-setup. There’s also external audio input to MIDI trigger (note on, note off) conversion and RFX MIDI modulation, which allows modulation of effect wet/dry mix, input level, output level and effect parameters that support modulation.
E-MU/ENSONIQ
1600 Green Hills Road
P.O. Box 660015
Scotts Valley, CA 95067-0015
(831) 438-1921
Fax: (831) 439-0363

TASCAM's SX-1

The SX-1 from TASCAM is an integrated audio production station that combines automated digital mixing, hard disk recording, MIDI sequencing, editing, DSP plug-in technology and multi-format mastering capabilities. Designed to comprehensively accommodate the needs of project studios, professional recording facilities and film/video post-production, the SX-1 is an all-in-one solution for audio recording, MIDI production and editing. Designed to be different than most integrated workstations, the SX-1 offers the benefits of DAW-style recording and editing without requiring you to dedicate a whole computer to it. The SX-1’s features include a flexible 40 x 8 digital mixing console with 100mm, touch sensitive faders, built-in dynamic automation, and 16 high-quality phantom-powered mic preamps. A 48kHz, 24-bit, 16-track hard disk recorder that uses an internal IDE disk drive. You can connect additional IDE and SCSI drives to the SX-1 via a front-panel slot or a rear panel SCSI interface. The station gives you surround mixing capabilities so you can record a full 5.1 mix to the internal HD in addition to the original 16 audio tracks. Other features include a 128-track MIDI sequencer with editing modes available on the fly, with standard and step record modes and timing derived from the internal sample clock. Each of the 64 MIDI outputs can be mapped to channel strips on the console, and channel strip faders and knobs can then be assigned to output MIDI channel or MIDI messages you define. A built-in CD-RW drive lets you print surround or stereo mixes, backup and archive data and import sounds from audio or data CDs. DSP plug-in technology lets you include built-in effects by TASCAM, TC Works and Antares as standard features as well as the ability to add new effects. Also included is analog, digital, MIDI and computer interfacing that includes (16) balanced XLR inputs, (16) ¼-inch TRS line inputs, TRS inserts on each analog input, an onboard speaker switcher, eight channels of ADAT Optical digital interface, two stereo S/PDIF inputs (with sample rate conversion) and outputs, wordclock, two MIDI inputs (for MIDI controllers and MIDI Time Code), four MIDI outputs, a SCSI port, two USB ports, and 100Mbits. The SX-1 also offers the ability to author MP3 files, includes a jog/shuttle wheel that allows you to scrub audio and MIDI data simultaneously, and may be cascaded with TASCAM’s DM-24 Digital Mixing Console to add input channels and interfaces.
TASCAM
7733 Telegraph Road
Montebello, CA 90640
(323) 726-0303
www.tascam.com

Miami Vice

For all of you bass heads out there, EV’s Miami T loudspeaker and Miami Sub have arrived. The top-box is a two-way 15-inch speaker and the sub is a compact, dual 18-inch tuned to 38 Hz. Designed for applications including raves, clubs and mid-sized rock-n-roll venues, the Miami T and Miami Sub feature 60-degrees x 40-degrees coverage, DL15ST, DH2T, 55 Hz enclosure tuning, an internal switch for biamp or passive operation, 8 ohms, Neutrik Speakon inputs, and black carpeted plywood. The Sub has a frequency response of 35 to 160 Hz, 800 watts continuous power, (2) DL18MT drivers, enclosure tuning to 38 Hz, 4 ohms, parallel Neutrik Speakon connectors and black-carpeted plywood. As a compact, high-output dual 18-inch, it also has its pocket wheels for set-up and an oversized vent.
Electro-Voice
12000 Portland Ave.
S. Burnsville, MN 55337
(952) 887-7458
www.telex.com

Cubase Rewires

So no one feels left out anymore, Cubase has come out with the VST 5.0 Release 4 for Windows. VST 5.0 Release 4 ships with a fully functional implementation of the Propellerheads ReWire 2 interface. With this new feature, Propellerheads’ Reason plugs right into Cubase VST so that you can run, access and control it as an instrument rack in Cubase. The names of the Reason instruments appear in the Cubase device list, and can be assigned randomly to any desired tracks and channels. Now you don’t have to program sequences in Reason, sync it up to Cubase VST, and run it as a separate virtual device. Next to VST 2.0 instruments, the implementation puts at your fingertips features like Reason’s Rex-File Player, ReSampler, the Subtractor synthesizer, various drum machines, and the full complement of Reason effects and mix devices. If you’re a registered Cubase user, you can download Cubase VST 5.0 Release 4 at www.steinberg.de free of charge.
Steinberg Media Technologies
AG
Eiffestraße 596
20537 Hamburg
P.O. Box 26 18 33
20508 Hamburg
+49 40-211 598