Meylan, France /Music Industry Newswire/ — Based on physical modeling, the new Arturia Wurlitzer V reproduces the acoustic properties of reeds, mechanics and amplification, thus bringing high sonic realism and maximum flexibility over your tone. To get a true classic vibe, it also comes with a complete studio featuring 11 boutiques stompboxes, 4 classic tube amps and even a rotary speaker emulator.

Filled with more than 200 presets inspired by records from Pink Floyd to Supertramp to the Beatles, the Wurlitzer V is also able to reach new sonic heights and generate unheard sounds thanks to the modeling engine.

According to Arturia: “The Wurlitzer V allows the musician to interact with the sound, by bringing in-depth parameters right on the main panel. These parameters allow for deep sound design capabilities, and let you tailor the sound you are looking for in unique ways. This is why the Wurlitzer V is not only great at offering an accurate recreation of the legendary Wurlitzer keyboards, but also ideal for sound-design experiments and creations.”

Pricing: Download: USD 99.00 / EURO 99.00 – Box: USD 129.00 / EURO 119.00.

Full info: http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/products/wurlitzer-v/details.html .

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PARIS, France /Music Industry Newswire/ — Ohm Force this week announced the release of new 64-bit versions of classic plugins such as Ohmicide (multi-band distortion), OhmBoyz (multi-tap delay), Quad Frohmage (filter bank), Predatohm (multi-band distortion), Symptohm (synth), Mobilohm (phaser), Hematohm (frequency shifter), Ohmygod! (comb filter), Frohmage (filter), and Symptohm PE (synth). Additionally, a 10 percent discount is being offered through May 9, 2012 (see Ohm Force website).

Each plug-in comes as VST for Windows (64-bit), VST for Windows (32-bit), VST for Mac (32/64-bit), RTAS for Windows (32-bit), RTAS for Mac (32-bit), and AU for Mac (32/64-bit).

And can be purchased as pack license (all formats plus future upgrades included) or as slightly cheaper single license (one particular format with no switching or upgrading possibilities). As a result, owners of a pack license will find the 64-bit formats in the list of products purchased on the website after logging in. On the other hand, owners of a single license can upgrade to pack license via the appropriate section paying only the difference between both prices. For users who already own one or several products, it is possible to get the full content of a bundle at a very advantageous price using the Cohmpletion formula.

More information: http://www.ohmforce.com/ .

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Singer-songwriter, Gregory Alan Isakov, will share his lyrical hit, “3am,” featured on the hit series “Brothers and Sisters,” at a special fundraiser and awards event, for the environmental education nonprofit Grades of Green. The annual awards and green fundraising evening, VERTE, will be held at the LEED Gold-certified Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, Calif. on April 27, 2012, from 6 – 10 p.m.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, Gregory Alan Isakov has been traveling all his life. Songs that hone a masterful quality beyond his years, tell a story of miles and landscapes, and the search for a sense of place. His song-craft lends to the deepest lyrical masterpieces, with hints of his influences, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen. He has been described as “strong, subtle, a lyrical genius” but the source of his writing often remains a mystery to him.

“My songs have nothing to do with me; they have a life of their own. A lot of times I won’t know what a song is about when I’m writing it. It just has a certain feeling about it,” says Isakov.

Gregory is now back in the studio recording a new album with anticipation of a release in the summer/fall of 2012.

About Grades of Green VERTE Event:
“VERTE,” which translates to green in many languages, was created to recognize environmental champions who have grown a local program in just two years to reach over 66,000 students in over 100 schools across 19 states, Canada and Australia. The event, now in its second year, will also raise money and awareness for Grades of Green’s vision to make environmental protection second nature in young minds.

Environmental advocate and former educator, Ranae DeSantis, will be honored for her unwavering support of Grades of Green and the environment. Grades of Green will also honor Wells Fargo for bringing Grades of Green’s program to numerous inner-city schools and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County for sponsoring a Trash Free Lunch Challenge that will result in 10,000 bags of trash being diverted from landfills annually.

JD Roth, executive producer of ABC Daytime’s “The Revolution,” as well as long-running television series “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,” will host the evening’s festivities. Grades of Green students and educators will provide live demonstrations at “Eco-Stations” that highlight Grades of Green key programs, such as In-Class Composting, Trash Free Lunches, and Walk to School Wednesdays, and will explain how guests can take Grades of Green’s free and easy to use templates to bring to their own schools.

“The impact Grades of Green has had on our school is profound,” stated Dawnyell Goolsby, principal of Warren Lane Elementary. “Since launching Grades of Green’s Trash Free Lunch activity, our school has reduced the number of lunch time trash bags from eight to four. Its educational activities are also teaching our students how to compost, which will reduce the number of trash bags even more!”

For more information on the event, or to purchase a ticket, go to https://gradesofgreen.ejoinme.org/?tabid=339232 .

About Grades of Green:
Grades of Green is an international nonprofit 501(c)3 that provides parents, students and educators with free instruction on its website. Anyone wanting to implement sustainability programs can register their school online – at no cost – to get tips and measure their success on reducing trash, emissions, harmful classroom chemicals, plus dozens of other ways to help the environment. Grades of Green has been honored with many awards, including the U.S. EPA’s prestigious Environmental Award. The nonprofit is growing rapidly, with over 66,000 students enrolled across 19 states and Canada and Australia, including many low-income schools.

Additionally, Grades of Green recently partnered with Republic Services to provide environmental education on recycling and composting to nearly 1,100 schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District. Grades of Green’s goal is simple – to enroll thousands of schools with millions of kids- all caring for the environment and collectively making a difference.

For more information about Grades of Green, please go to http://www.gradesofgreen.org . For more information about Isakov, visit: http://gregoryalanisakov.com .

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BERLIN, Germany /Music Industry Newswire/ — Native Instruments today introduced SKANNER XT, a unique and highly distinctive KOMPLETE instrument, designed by the expert team behind REAKTOR. With a strong focus on unconventional tone and genuine musical expression, SKANNER XT is both an exceptional library addition for REAKTOR 5 users as well as an excellent sound resource for the free REAKTOR 5 PLAYER.

Part sampler, part synth, SKANNER XT utilizes a unique synthesizer architecture to create a wide variety of intense and cutting-edge sounds for contemporary electronic music production and sound design. Two oscillators ‘scan’ a sample, which at low frequencies deliver a scratch sound. At higher frequencies the oscillators, shaped by the sample waveform, become the dominant force. In this way, SKANNER XT provides a broad range of highly distinctive sounds – from heavy and dirty bass tones to morphing soundscapes and organic pads.

Developed together with NI synthesis mastermind Stephan Schmitt, SKANNER XT offers two interface views for different levels of interaction with the complex architecture under the hood. Besides a simplified page with a preset morpher and four macro controls, a second view provides access to more detailed parameters in order to further explore the sonic potential of the instrument. A morph control option allows for convenient switching between eight different snapshots – producing unpredictable, evolving sounds that range from the ethereal to the extreme.

SKANNER XT runs in the free REAKTOR 5 PLAYER or the full REAKTOR 5 version, and is also optimized for easy browsing from the MASCHINE hardware.

SKANNER XT is available at the NI Online Shop for $59 / 49 EUR. Users of the previous free version SKANNER, are entitled to crossgrade to SKANNER XT for a special price of $29.50 / 24,50 EUR until May 31st.

Additional information on SKANNER XT is available at
www.native-instruments.com/skannerxt .

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Haken Audio has announced a new firmware and software update for the Continuum Fingerboard. The new version 5.01 includes additions to the innovative programmable synthesizer in the Continuum Fingerboard, the EaganMatrix.

The EaganMatrix design was inspired by classical modular matrix patching synthesizers such as the ARP 2500 and the EMS Synthi 100. However, unlike those analog predecessors, the EaganMatrix doesn’t use pins to make patch point connections. Instead, a dynamic formulaic equation can be placed inside a selected patch point, replacing that static pin, creating a simple to amazingly complex relationship between the Continuum playing surface and the flow of sound from patch point source to destination.

The EaganMatrix is a modular digital synthesizer, allowing the user to finely craft their musical sound by digitally connecting audio and control modules via a patching matrix. The EaganMatrix synthesizer is internal to the Continuum Fingerboard, utilizing the Continuum’s internal DSP engine. No external hardware is required. The synthesizer is edited by using an external cross platform editing program, the Continuum Editor. More information: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/eaganmatrixoverv.html .

Modules: There are a number of source and destination modules available, everything from oscillators and filters to direct formulas. Here is a listing of currently available modules:

* Three flexible summation oscillators, each with controls for frequency, phase, and spectral balance. The oscillators can also act as wave shapers, creating rich harmonic variations to the oscillator input.

* A smooth organic-sounding noise source.

* Two versatile multimode filters, with these inputs: audio to be filtered, frequency, and bandwidth. Possible filters are LowPass, HighPass, BandPass, LowShelf and HighShelf, as well as unity gain BandPass, Notch, and AllPass.

* Two powerful biquad filter banks, which are banks of 8 related but independent biquad filters, with controls for audio input, frequency, frequency spread, bandwidth, bandwidth spread, spectral centre, and spectral weighting. These biquads are the same technology that are used in the current Continuum to create the physical models like the winds and strings. This filters can also act as granular synthesis modules, and a vocal mouth shapes.

* A time delay, with controls for audio input and time. The time delay is suitable for creating chorus and flanging effects, and can be used for echo delays as well.

* Four independent LFOs, each with controls for cycle mode, frequency, and trigger. Available LFO shapes are RampUp, RampDown, Pulse, Triangle, Hann, Square, Sine, and SampleAndHold. The LFOs have been integrated into the EaganMatrix a unique way, allowing each LFO to influence a formula result directly.

* 8 CVC (Continuum Voltage Convertor) outputs. This requires that a CVC be connected to the Continuum to be active.

* 3 independent Midi controller streams for sending formulas to a connected Midi device.

* Output level via formulas.

Also, there are common controls for all voices:
* Reverb control via formulas.
* Convolution body control via formulas.

The output stage incorporates a soft saturation capability, allowing the creation of distortion and overloading effects.

The download for version 5.01 is available in the downloads section of the Haken Audio site: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/hakenaudiofirmwa.html .

Look for upcoming review on MusicIndustryNewswire.com, as MIN editor Christopher Simmons is a long time Haken Continuum owner.

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Native Instruments has just launched a major recruiting initiative that comprises both a comprehensive advertising campaign and a highly functional new online careers section. “It’s the unique people at NI that shape our products and define what this company is all about,” said Native Instruments’ CEO Daniel Haver.

“This is why we treat recruiting with the very same dedication that we already put into our products.” The goal of this exceptional initiative is to find the very best candidates for the numerous open positions available at the company’s Berlin and Los Angeles offices, covering various departments and disciplines.

The new NI recruiting campaign uses the slogan ‘Dual Brains. Wanted.’ to convey the dual nature of Native Instruments’ business. It refers to the necessity of both logical and creative skills across all positions – a key factor that enables the company to create and market their highly innovative, integrated digital music products efficiently. “Native Instruments is not only a company, but a mindset, in which creative passion and enthusiasm for music and technology meets with highly professional skills and attitudes,” Haver explains.

Spearheaded by a manifesto video representing the work and design ethic of the company, the campaign also features worldwide print and online advertisements. It was created in cooperation with the leading creative agency M&C Saatchi.

Complementing the campaign, a sophisticated new ‘Career Center’ section on the NI website allows users to easily find the most relevant job opportunities. After three years of continuous major growth and now counting over 300 employees of more than 25 nationalities, Native Instruments is continually looking for talented individuals in various disciplines. There are currently over 30 open positions, with particular focus on product design, software and hardware development, and project management.

The NI Career Center and manifesto video are available at:
http://www.native-instruments.com/careers .

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Ramonville Saint Agne, France /Music Industry Newswire/ — MODARTT S.A.S announced this week the release of PIANOTEQ 4, the company’s virtual piano instrument; slated for May 2012. Pianoteq 4 introduces the grand piano D4 which is the result of three years of research of refining the physical model that describes the hammers, the strings, the soundboard and their interaction.

According to the company, “Pianoteq 4 represents the future of virtual pianos, providing the best and latest technology available. The sound is reproduced through a physical model that simulates properties and behaviours of real acoustic pianos. This results in a remarkably playable, vivid and adaptable instrument. The size of Pianoteq is just 20MB and installation is quick and easy. You can use Pianoteq on any modern laptop and connect it to your MIDI compatible piano keyboard.”

New grand piano D4:
Pianoteq 4 introduces the grand piano D4 which is the result of three years of research of refining the physical model that describes the hammers, the strings, the soundboard and their interaction. A Steinway D from Hamburg has served as reference and its main characteristics have been used for feeding the physical model. Each note has been carefully adjusted in its finest detail, just like in a real factory. The result is a stunningly vivid instrument created with the most demanding musician in mind.

New effects that benefit all instruments, especially the electric pianos, are now offered, including delay, chorus, flanger, amplifier and compressor.

More information: http://www.pianoteq.com/pianoteq4 .

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. /Music Industry Newswire/ — iZotope, Inc., a leading innovator in digital audio signal processing, has released iZotope Iris, a new concept in sound design and sample manipulation in the form of a “visual instrument.” Powered by iZotope’s award-winning visual feedback technology, Iris lets you unearth a world of sounds you’ve never heard before.

Delve into Iris’s spectrogram to extract, layer, manipulate, and discover new sounds from within any audio file. With extended synthesis features, hundreds of presets, and 4GB of source material, Iris is an impressive tool for sound design, musical inspiration, and sonic experimentation.

Iris Key Features:
Discover what’s hidden: Bring any audio file into Iris and isolate the most interesting spectral portions with a comprehensive set of easy-to-use selection tools. Play your completely custom sound instantly from any MIDI controller.

Become a mad sonic scientist: Create new textures and dramatic soundscapes by layering multiple sounds from similar or completely diverse audio sources.

Stay musical: Rely on intelligent root note detection to help shape musical material from noise, ambient textures, and soundscapes, then use advanced controls to tweak, modulate, and add effects to taste – all powered by iZotope’s award-winning DSP.

Start playing immediately: A world of sound design is at your fingertips, with hundreds of presets from world-class sound designers and 4 GB of audio samples, including recordings of insects, animals, machines, vintage synthesizers, musical instruments and much more.

Even More Sounds:
In addition, iZotope has released two complementary sound libraries designed exclusively for use with Iris: Glass and Wood. A bundled version of Iris, Glass and Wood, Iris+2, is also available at a special price.

Glass ($49 MSRP) is a shimmering collection of glass ambiences, reimagined via Iris’s spectral selection capabilities. A lyrical study in lush chords, shining leads, and soothing basses, Glass transforms sonic experiments into accessible musical inspiration. Within the 100 patches of Glass, you’ll hear exploits with bottles, mirrors, marbles, glasses, shards, and even glassblowing torches. The resulting sounds are inviting, uplifting, and unusual. This library is for players exploring original sound design in a musical and meaningful context.

Wood ($29 MSRP) is an adventurous assortment of creatively-recorded samples, all produced from our friends, the trees. Made entirely of unusual wooden encounters, Wood fully embodies the creative potential of Iris’s visual selections. From basket smashing to door slamming, from drumming on guitars to grandma’s creaky deckchair, Wood pushes musical boundaries as each texture evolves. Blending dense and earthy tones into complex layers, Wood’s 100 patches sound like an avant-garde composition right out of the box.

Pricing and Availability:
Iris is available now for a special introductory price of $149 through April 30, 2012, a $100 savings off the MSRP of $249.

Iris+2 (including Glass and Wood Sound Libraries) is available now for $199, a $100 savings off the MSRP of $299.

Glass ($49) and Wood ($29) are also now available for individual purchase, and compatible exclusively with Iris.

For more product information, demos, and ordering information, visit www.izotope.com/iris.

About iZotope:
iZotope is a research-driven audio technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its award-winning products and audio technologies are in use by millions of people in over fifty countries, from consumers to musicians to major film, TV, and radio studios. Some of the diverse clients include musical giants like BT, Depeche Mode, and RZA of WuTang Clan; radio stations like Boston’s iconic WGBH; and TV programming like CBS’s Survivor, the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, the World Cup broadcast, and the GRAMMY(R) awards. Through an extensive licensing program, iZotope technology is also directly integrated into products made by industry-leaders such as Adobe, Avid, and Sony; video games from companies like Harmonix and Ubisoft; as well as a growing number of mobile phone applications. For more information on iZotope products, visit www.izotope.com.

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MELVILLE, N.Y. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Korg is pleased to announce the availability of many diverse expansion libraries and sample sound libraries for the Korg Kronos Music Workstation, including the EXs13 Jazz Drums Expansion Kit, the EXs11 Legendary Strings Expansion Library, and two series by KARO, a sound design team based in Germany who has been producing high-quality sounds for Korg workstations for several years (including the OASYS and the M3). Korg welcomes KARO as the first third-party KRONOS sound developer.

EXs13 Jazz Drums Expansion Kit
This expansion kit for the Jazz Ambience Drums is included in the Korg Kronos presets, and contains approximately 1GB of PCM samples, 48 programs and 12 drumkits. The unique collection focuses on unique drum and percussion sounds created using a variety of techniques including mallets, brushes, and multi-rods. All sounds are easy to use, and will set off other instruments to their maximum advantage. Substituting these sounds on an existing drum track will also offer a dramatic difference through changing stick sounds.

EXs11 Legendary Strings
This collection delivers approximately 2.5GB of PCM samples and 128 Programs, for a wide vocabulary of string sounds. Choose from solo performances created on coveted instruments such as a Stradivarius, to the sound of a full orchestra. In addition to samples of individual performance techniques such as trill, vibrato, and pizzicato, the collection also includes ensembles offering differing numbers of players, providing everything needed for meticulous production work. Large samples allow the nuances of the performances to be captured, completing this ultimate collection of string sounds.

EXs11 will be Available for download in late April, for a special price of US $249 (regular price is US $299).

EXs13 and EXs11 can be downloaded and purchased at the Korg Web Shop: www.korg.com/kronos/SoundLibraries

KARO’s EXs Expansion Sample Series libraries span a wide variety of instruments and genres, including orchestral instruments and ensembles, vintage keyboards, ambient soundscapes, and much more. Along with Programs, Combis, and Drum Track patterns, these libraries include varying amounts of PCM data, which is played back directly from KRONOS’ internal solid state hard drive.

KARO’s KRS Professional Sound Series libraries are collections of Programs, Combis, and Drum Track patterns that collectively take advantage of every synthesis engine within KRONOS. These large collections of synthesizer sounds, organs, dance grooves, and Wave Sequences each have at least 128 Programs; most have much more.

Free demo versions of the EXs libraries can be downloaded; purchasing an authorization code from the secure Korg Web Shop unlocks full access to the libraries. Please see Korg.com for download/installation system requirements, along with sound demos.

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MELVILLE, N.Y. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Korg USA and the USC Thornton School of Music opened their 2012 Artist Series with a clinic featuring popular Musical Director and multi-instrumentalist, Adam Blackstone (Eminem, Janet Jackson, Drake, Maroon 5). Supporting the next generation of music makers, these artist events give USC music students “front row” access to today’s influential music makers, who impart both practical and inspirational advice and insight into having a successful music career.

The event, attended by students from the USC Thornton School of Popular Music Performance programs, began with a brief interview conducted by Associate Dean Chris Sampson. Blackstone discussed growing up playing in church and how that, along with his jazz training, established the foundation for his musicianship. He then discussed how he broke into the profession, and shared his thoughts on what it takes to be an in-demand Musical Director.

The second half of the class was more interactive. Blackstone discussed the realities of being a bass player in the studio and in performance, touching upon the need to be equally adept at synth bass and regular bass lines, as well as having a familiarity with the right tools. He drove this point home by demonstrating his skills on Korg M3 and M50 Music Workstations.

Interested in hearing the students perform, he pulled two volunteers on stage to form a bass, drum and piano trio. They demonstrated how a rhythm section can work together and really “lock” by making us of a basic technique of matching the bass line with the kick drum pattern.

In closing, Blackstone encouraged one of the students to play an original song, and offered positive feedback about the importance of a proper arrangement for the ultimate type of performance that will be given.

About the USC Thornton School of Music:
The USC Thornton School of Music brings together a stellar faculty chosen from a broad spectrum of the music profession and musically gifted students from around the globe. Founded in 1884, and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, the Thornton School consistently ranks among the nation’s top music schools and conservatories. Graduates of the school attain positions with major orchestras, ensembles, recording studios and music industry firms and perform on stages and in studios around the world.

Blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of studying at a leading research university, the Thornton School offers students a thorough music education in a real-world context. Located at the center of Los Angeles, the school is the collegiate partner of choice for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the GRAMMY Foundation, to name a few.

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