Byline: Geary Yelton

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT897

Ashotgun microphone is to the audio recordist what a telephoto lens is to the photographer. If you record dialog for video, provide sound reinforcement for live theater, or make field recordings in the wild, you probably know how hard it is to find an inexpensive shotgun mic. To meet that need, Audio-Technica has introduced the AT897 ($369), a 5.1-ounce, 11-inch-long shotgun mic that offers the advantages of larger models at a reasonable cost.

The manufacturer says the AT897's condenser element has excellent on-axis response, and its Line + Gradient polar pattern offers off-axis rejection from the sides and rear of the mic. A low-frequency rolloff switch is also included. The AT897 uses either one AA battery or 11 to 52V phantom power. It ships with a foam windscreen, a stand adapter, and a soft carrying case. Audio-Technica U.S., Inc.; tel. (330) 686-2600; e-mail pro@atus.com; Web www.audio-technica.com.

E-MU EMULATOR X

E-mu Systems has announced Emulator X (Win, $299.99) and Emulator X Studio (Win, $599.99) Desktop Sampling Systems, which combine software, a PCI card, and an I/O breakout box. E-mu claims that these new computer-based samplers offer the audio quality of its freestanding samplers, but with the advantages of Windows' user interface and file-management capabilities. Emulator X and X Studio support disk streaming and provide WDM, DirectSound, and ASIO drivers for Windows 2000 and XP.

E-mu's waveform editor provides 36 virtual patch cords per voice, more than 50 Z-Plane morphing filters, and DSP tools such as time compression and expansion. Automated sampling capabilities let you quickly turn user samples and WAV files into a ready-to-play preset. Emulator X and X Studio support a variety of sound formats, including EIII, EOS, Akai, and GigaSampler. Both systems feature a PCI-based acceleration processor that, according to the manufacturer, delivers zero-latency mixing and monitoring and at least 16 simultaneous effects without straining your computer's CPU resources.

Emulator X provides balanced 1/4-inch stereo analog I/O as well as coaxial S/PDIF, ADAT, FireWire, and MIDI I/O. Emulator X Studio features the same 24-bit, 192 kHz converters used in Digidesign's Pro Tools|HD interface. It also adds a pair of TFPro 48V phantom-powered preamps with Neutrik connectors that accept mic, line, and high-impedance inputs; a daughter card with word-clock I/O, SMPTE I/O, and MTC Out; a turntable input with a ground lug and an RIAA preamp; additional MIDI I/O; and eight dedicated speaker outputs. E-mu Systems; tel. (831) 438-1921; e-mail info@emu.com; Web www.emu.com.

MCDSP CHROME TONE

The Chrome Tone (Mac, $495) multi-effects processor provides chorus, delay, distortion, EQ, flanging, gating, reverb, tremolo, and wah in a single TDM plug-in. It can dynamically respond to audio and MIDI signals by adjusting the depth, speed, and shape of a syncable LFO and other modulators. McDSP says Chrome Tone makes efficient use of DSP resources to provide multiple simultaneous effects.

Chrome Tone's amp section models a guitar amplifier, offering five distortion modes with compression and sustain, a noise gate, low-cut filters, and shelving and parametric EQ. It also models guitar cabinets and simulates spring reverb. In the modulation-effects section, you can control chorus, tremolo, and wah with an audio input, sidechain, or MIDI data. The wah effect has three bandpass, three highpass, and three lowpass filter configurations, as well as modes that combine wah with phase-shifting. The chorus effect offers two types of chorus, flange, and tape delay simulation. Stack mode combines the amp, tremolo, wah, and chorus effects. Chrome Tone also includes individual effects plug-ins for the amp, chorus, tremolo, and wah with phaser effects.

Chrome Tone requires TDM hardware and is compatible with Pro Tools|24 Mix, Pro Tools|HD, and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems running in Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X 10.3. An RTAS version is expected soon. McDowell Signal Processing (McDSP); tel. (650) 318-0005; e-mail info@mcdsp.com; Web www.mcdsp.com.

ROLAND VS8F-3

Roland recently released the VS8F-3 ($395), an expansion board that hosts plug-ins for its V-Studio digital audio workstation (DAW) platform. What makes the VS8F-3 especially significant is that it accepts plug-ins written for the V-Studio by third-party developers. Roland DAW users will gain many of the effects-processing capabilities enjoyed by computer-based DAW users, while still retaining the advantages of a portable, self-contained recording system.

The VS8F-3 offers up to 56-bit processing and sampling rates as high as 96 kHz, depending on which V-Studio is the host. Each expansion board runs two plug-ins, and five Roland plug-ins are included: Mastering Took Kit, Pre-Amp Modeler, Stereo Reverb, Tempo Mapping Effect, and Vocal Channel Strip. At least eight developers have plug-ins available for the VS8F-3, including Antares Auto-Tune, IK Multimedia T-Racks, Massenburg DesignWorks High-Resolution Parametric EQ, McDSP Chrome Tone Amp, and SoundToys SoundBlender. Cakewalk has ported its SoundStage and fx:reverb plug-ins to the Roland platform, and TC Electronic is offering its TCR 3000 reverb. Universal Audio's software LA-2A Leveling Amplifier and 1176LN Limiting Amplifier emulations are also VS8F-3-ready. Additional plug-ins will soon follow these initial offerings.

The VS8F-3 initially supports the VS-2480 series, VS-2400CD, and VS-2000CD. Roland plans support for the VS-1680, VS-1880, and VS-1824 models in the second quarter of 2004. Roland Corporation U.S.; tel. (323) 890-3701; Web www.rolandus.com.

STARR LABS ZTAR D3X

Starr Labs has introduced its new flagship MIDI guitar controller, the Ztar D3X ($5,995), an instrument that incorporates virtually every option the company offers. Although it has no actual strings, the D3X features 6 String Triggers, 6 Key Triggers, 12 expression pads, a ribbon controller, a breath controller, and a palm-mounted joystick. In addition, the D3X has a NeckSensor pressure strip mounted on the fingerboard, an embedded Wavetable Sound Card with a headphone output, a USB port, and 1/4-inch inputs for the included sustain and volume pedals.

An onboard computer controls the D3X, providing features that other controllers don't offer. Its software is capable of an unlimited number of tunings and can split the fingerboard into zones. A looping sequencer is also included.

To simplify fretting, Multi-Harp mode lets you assign a chord to each key on the fingerboard as you pick normally with your right hand. You can play different chords at the same time and hammer-on from one chord to another.

The D3X has a diamond-shaped body and neotribal graphics on a black-sparkle finish. The V3X, a Ztar with a Strat-style body and the same feature set as the D3X, is also available. A hard-shell case is included with both models. Starr Labs; tel. (619) 233-6715; e-mail harvey@starrlabs.com; Web www.starrlabs.com.

PSPAUDIOWARE PLUG-INS

Three new downloadable plug-ins for Macintosh and Windows are available from PSPaudioware: PSP EasyVerb ($69), PSP MasterQ ($149), and PSP Nitro ($149). PSP EasyVerb provides nine reverb algorithms that simulate physical spaces (such as arenas and cathedrals) and studio processors (such as plates and spring reverbs) at sampling rates as high as 96 kHz.

PSP MasterQ is a parametric equalizer for mixing or mastering that consists of 12- or 24 dB-per-octave low- and high-cut filters; low- and high-shelf filters; and low-mid, mid, and high-mid peaking filters - each with adjustable frequency and Q. PSP MasterQ displays each filter's individual curve and a high-resolution graph of the overall EQ curve. It supports sampling rates from 44.1 to 192 kHz.

PSP Nitro is a multimode filter plug-in that emulates several types of analog filters and other effects, including phaser, bit-crusher, waveshaper, and delay. Virtual cables connect internal modulation sources (including two syncable LFOs and an envelope detector) and route MIDI signals to control processing parameters.

All three plug-ins include a library of presets and currently support VST and DirectX for Windows and VST for Mac OS X. (Audio Units and RTAS versions should be available around press time.) System requirements vary with each plug-in, but they all need a minimum Pentium III with Windows 98 or a Mac G4 with OS X 10.1. PSPaudioware.com s.c.; tel. 48-60-196-3173; e-mail contact@pspaudioware.com; Web www.pspaudioware.com.

DASH SIGNATURE EVE

The newest plug-in from Dash Signature, developer of VST instruments for Windows, is Electronic Vintage Ensemble, or EVE (Win, $99.95). EVE features a playback engine for a multisampled library of classic keyboard sounds and electronic percussion, including the Yamaha CP70B, Hohner D6, Solina 1, and Vox Continental C. It combines those samples with sawtooth and square waves from a Korg MS20 and a Minimoog to produce what its creator calls Semi Additive Synthesis (SAS).

EVE is 3-part multitimbral, and each part has a lowpass filter, three LFOs, 3-band EQ, and an ADSR envelope you can assign to control filter cutoff, amplitude, and pitch in any combination. Each part also has send and return controls for EVE's two effects processors, Modulator (phaser, chorus, flanger, and rotary) and Echo (a tape-echo simulation). A MIDI Learn function lets you use a MIDI controller or sequencer automation to control more than 100 parameters in real time.

When you buy EVE, you receive two versions: one version with a stereo pair of outputs and another with five stereo pairs. A free upgrade supplies additional waveforms and brings the number of factory presets to 256. EVE requires at least a Pentium III/700 MHz with 132 MB of RAM running Windows 98SE, ME, NT, or XP and a VST-compatible host. EVE has increased polyphony and performance on computers with SSE-enabled processors. You can download a demo from the company's Web site. Dash Signature; e-mail info@dashsignature.com; Web www.dashsignature.com.

APOGEE MINI-MP

Apogee's most recent addition to its Mini series is the Mini-MP ($995), a compact 2-channel mic and instrument preamp designed for studio and mobile recording. It features two low-distortion preamps that are capable of 75 dB of gain. You can adjust levels with a single knob for each channel, eliminating the need for input-gain switches. A stereo master output-gain control makes the Mini-MP a good match for any audio equipment, balanced or unbalanced.

The Mini-MP seems to offer plenty of headroom, with mic inputs that handle levels as high as +18 dBu. The Neutrik combo jacks also accept automatically selected high-impedance instrument and line-level inputs from a variety of sources. The electronically balanced line drivers simulate transformer behavior to provide perfect symmetry in balanced mode and no increased distortion in unbalanced mode. A switch enables a Mid-Side (M-S) matrix decoder, and the Mini-MP can operate as two independent preamps. Other features include 48V phantom power, a phase switch, and an 80 Hz highpass filter with 18 dB-per-octave rolloff.

To maintain low noise and distortion, gas-filled relays are used for all switching, and capacitors in the audio chain are used only to separate phantom power from the active circuitry. The Mini-MP accepts power sources from 6 to 14V for optimum versatility. Apogee Electronics Corp.; tel. (310) 915-1000; e-mail info@apogeedigital.com; Web www.apogeedigital.com.

APPLE GARAGEBAND AND JAM PACK

Apple Computer is shipping an updated version of its creative software suite, iLife '04 (Mac, $49). In addition to bundling new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD with the latest iTunes, iLife '04 features a new music-production application called GarageBand. ILife's other components have made creating and managing various types of media simpler and more affordable; GarageBand aims to do the same with music production.

GarageBand is a multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencer that comes with more than 50 software instruments, over 1,000 Apple Loops, and 16 effects processors with more than 200 presets, including half a dozen modeled guitar amps. The loop library provides backing tracks, and a graphic database helps keep the loops organized. You can mix tracks to stereo and export your mix-downs to iTunes so you can burn them to CD, encode them as MP3 or AAC files, or transfer them to an iPod.

To extend GarageBand's capabilities, Apple also offers an optional add-on package called Jam Pack ($99). Jam Pack adds more than 2,000 additional loops, 100 sampled instruments, 100 effects presets, and 15 additional amp presets.

ILife '04 is bundled with all new Apple computers. To use GarageBand and its software instruments, you'll need at least a Mac G4/600 MHz with 256 MB of RAM running Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later. Apple Computer; tel. (408) 996-1010; Web www.apple.com.

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