Winter NAMM 2009

[Cheez]

OK. It's NAMM time again. Harmony central covering it (http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM09/), but we'll try to beat them into getting quicker news...

1. Korg: MicroKorg XL

2. Roland: a few new stuffs here including the AX-synth and the V-Piano (featuring latest PHA III keys and lots of physical modelling)

3. Vienna Symphonic Library - should be in the software section, but still...can't miss the Vienna Imperial (ultimate virtual piano - 1200 samples per note, 100 velocities per note, sympathatic resonance sampled, making it the largest ever sampled piano!); also they featured their first (prototype) hardware piano - the Vienna Orchestral Piano. And of course, the long-awaited MIR is finally out.

4. Again, should be in the software section, but will post here. Spectrasonics announced Trilian - the STEAM engine version of Trilogy (following Omnisphere). The good news is that it's a free upgrade for people who owns the Intel-Mac version of Trilogy. Very generous of spectrasonics. Others will be a 99USD upgrade.

On the keyboard side, so far nothing super-groundbreaking...yet. Winter NAMM usually boasts of many new stuffs compared to Summer NAMM. Maybe due to economic downturn (not surprising). But it's not over yet. Please do post any other interesting stuffs.

 

[widdly]

Ableton Live + Cycling 74 Max looks freakin awesome

http://www.ableton.com/extend
http://www.cycling74.com/story/2009/1/15/114420/967

 

[sandking78]

So does the Akai APC40 ableton controller. Hackable with Max.
http://www.akaipro.com/apc40
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/...tail-plug-and-play-live-control-for-everyone/

 

[Cheez]

Having problems running DAW apps on notebooks? Need high specs? Well, no longer. Garritan announced their ARIA sample engine (of which all their libraries will be running on from now, powered by Plogue Technologies) - and they showed it in NAMM running on an Intel Atom Netbook!

Also, people would probably have heard about Access announcing their new Virus TI2.

 

[Cheez]

Cubase 5 announced. Finally - 64-bit! Like Sonar, they have a bridge that allows for 32-bit plugins to work in 64-bit environment. Also several new plugins including the first convolution reverb based on the new VST3. Well...it will take a while before everybody starts to move in VST3 anyway. Still, I think the biggest leap is the 64-bit support. Have to see it in real-life how that works in Cubase.