Numark has announced a flurry of new products for NAMM.

First up is the MixDeck, a new integrated all in one DJ solution that can handle everything from CD’s to mp3′s to an iPod.

  • Complete system with CD/MP3/USB decks, mixer, computer audio and MIDI interface, and Universal Dock for iPod
  • Play from CDs, MP3 CDs, USB flash drives, iPod, computers, and external inputs
  • Record your set to iPod and listen later
  • Mixer with EQ/rotary kills, replaceable crossfader, and complete controls for iPod
  • Studio-quality computer interface for up to 24–bit, 88.2kHz audio
  • Outputs (all stereo): Main (balanced XLR & RCA), Booth (RCA), Record (RCA), Deck 1 (RCA), Deck 2 (RCA), Cue (1/8” & 1/4”)
  • Beat-synced DSP effects with wet-dry fader: chop, echo, filter, flanger, pan, phaser
  • Smooth, fast, slot-loading drives with large, touch-sensitive illuminated platters
  • Control MIDI software with no timecode needed via USB
  • CD direct outputs for use with timecode interfaces
  • Adjustable start and stop time for vinyl-like deck performance
  • Automatic BPM analyzer and Tap tempo for manual BPM entry
  • Slide BPM ±6, 12, 25, and 100% or bend with pitch buttons
  • Key Lock holds pitch while you independently manipulate its BPM
  • Seamless looping, sampling, and easily accessible hot cues
  • Keep time moving forward while you cut or reverse the track using Bleep/Reverse
  • Single-track, continuous, and programmable playback
  • Fader Start plays the cued track when you move the crossfader
  • Two large, backlit displays for BPM, CD/MP3 text tags, and folder navigation

Next up Is the NS7FX, which is their popular NS7 system with the included effects controller.

  • High-resolution digital DJ controller with effects, built for Serato ITCH and compatible with Scratch LIVE libraries
  • Direct-drive, motorized turntable platters with classic and modern feel settings
  • Activate and control the effects in Serato ITCH
  • Includes Serato ITCH DJ software
  • Built-in audio with audiophile-grade circuitry, 24-bit interface
  • Extensive loop, cue, and track-access controls
  • Strip Search (patent pending) virtual-needle drop control
  • Controls most MIDI applications without requiring a mouse or keyboard
  • Rugged, all-metal construction
  • Integrated laptop stand
  • Fits in NS7 CASE for protection in transit to the gig
  • High quality, replaceable, adjustable CP-PRO crossfader and D-TYPE line faders
  • Support for Whitelabel.net files in ITCH
  • Mix using either 33rpm or 45rpm speeds

Also announced is the new V7 virtual turntable and the soon to be released X7 mixer. The V7 features built in effects controls and the X7 features two usb inputs for syncing two laptops. Full details can be found at Numark.com

http://www.numark.com/wnamm2010

Indamixx has posted a video up doing a quick walkthrough of some of their partnered laptops and software including EnergyXT, Renoise and a new DJ software. Also quickly featured is a couple of new laptops such as their netbook, HDMI DJ system, IndaMixx Pro and IndaMixx Slim.

Great proof that Linux can succeed in audio in both the hardware and software realms.

via NoisePages.com

Denon has announced two new DJ controllers. The first one is the DN-HC5000 and is designed to control Serato Scratch Live.

Features include:

  • Serato-approved USB MIDI Sub Controller for Serato Scratch Live
  • Simple USB plug-and-play Connection (USB MIDI / Bus power)
  • Dedicated tactile controls to replace computer keyboard shortcuts
  • High-quality steel cabinet with rugged rubber keys
  • File Select knob and buttons with back-forward action keys
  • Track Select and Fast Search buttons
  • SHIFT/CLR Button
  • 5 Cue Point and 3 Sampler Player buttons
  • Auto Loop button with Loop Cut knob & Roll
  • Loop IN/OUT button with Exit/Reloop
  • File, Browse, History and Prepare keys
  • Tap button
  • MIDI mappable for other DJ software systems
  • Unit measures 9.8″ width x 3.4″ depth, and weighs under 3 lbs

Priced at $199.

The other announcement is DN-HC5000 Serato which is designed to control Searto Itch

  • Integrated “one to one” hardware-to-software mapping for instant control and minimum setup time
  • Interoperability with Scratch Live crates, loops and cue points, and support for iTunes®
  • Clean and simple software user interface with emphasis on hardware controller to display information
  • Auto Tempo Matching and Beat Sync
  • Optimal Gain and BPM Calculation
  • Serato’s unique color waveforms for easy identification of sound
  • Set and store Cue-points
  • Manual and Auto Loop activation
  • Exclusive access to fresh promotional music with Whitelabel.net

priced at a hefty $1099.

http://www.denondj.com

Soundcloud has sort of taken the music community by storm this past year. Starting about a year ago they just announced they are 500,000 users strong last week on their Twitter page. The service is designed for musicians to share music, generally with each other and allow for a commenting system for that music. Other features include a music dropbox and and enmbedable/customizable java player.

They have announced at NAMM that they are parterning with several companies, the first of which is Presonus to allow for direct uploading to the service from audio applications. Audio File Engineering is another partner and it is reported that Ableton Live will soon include the feature as well.

This is exciting news for the site and for the music web business. We have seen this sort of integration with other social networking services before, but not in the music world. How the feature is exactly going to be implemented is unclear at this point. Soundcloud has grown in large part due to its ability to easily distribute audio files and remix packs online. The ability to upload individual tracks within an audio project would be a useful one indeed.

Quote Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud CEO:

“We’re very excited to be launching the first of our music softwareintegrations with PreSonus and Audiofile Engineering. With these upcoming partnerships it’s possible to imagine a production workflow in which you produce a track, upload it to SoundCloud, and send it direct to Abbey Road for mastering without any files hitting your desktop. We’re imagining a future where music professionals can seamlessly use the web together with their desktop tools in a fully integrated and extremely powerful combination. The SoundCloud platform and our open API, in combination with progressive companies like PreSonus and Audiofile Engineering, are making it possible for this future to arrive in 2010.”

via Harmony-Central.com

apc20 

First news from NAMM is trickling in. Akai has announced a new version of their APC line with the APC20. This is essentially half of the previously released APC40 from last year. The new APC20 features everything but some send effects, additional knobs and the crossfader from its older brother.

From the press online it appears that the APC20 is meant to be more of a companion kit then a standalone. You can chain up to six of them together.

Price is $199

http://www.akaipro.com/apc20

Korg has announced an updated version of their popular Kaossilator. The Kaossilator Pro is basically a step up from last year’s model and is analogous to the MiniKP and its bigger brother the KaossPad 3.

The Kaossilator Pro takes the same basic hardware specs and idea of the KP3 and focused on a sound source rather than an effects source. The overall idea sounds extremely appealing and it features 200 sounds (still not a true synth though) along with the ability to load PCM samples. It is not quite the sampled based KP4 many were hoping for, but it is a good start.

http://www.korg.com/Product.aspx?pd=564

novation_launchpad_ableton

Novation and Ableton have announced a new dedicated controller for Ableton Live called the Launchpad. Taking obvious design ques from the popular DIY Monome kits, the launch pad a 64 button interface designed to control Live’s session view.

Details from Ableton.com

imageBig grid
Launchpad features a multi-color, 64-button grid for launching clips plus eight dedicated scene-launch buttons. The buttons are lit by LEDs displaying clip status so you can see at a glance what’s loaded (orange), what’s playing (green), and what’s being recorded (red).

imageCompact, portable
Despite the big grid, Launchpad is compact and portable: it’ll fit in your bag for gigs and won’t hog your desk space in the studio. It’s slim, sturdy, weighs less than a hardback book and it’s USB powered, so there’s no power adapter to drag around.

image4 modes for flexibility
It’s not just about launching clips: as well as the Session Mode, Launchpad offers Mixer Mode—a unique way to control Ableton Live’s mixer—and two fully-customizable User Modes.

imageInnovative mixer control
In Mixer Mode, the rows and columns of the grid become virtual faders, sliders and knobs controlling track volume, pan, sends, mute, solo, Clip Stop Buttons and record arm, depending on the function selected. Use the scene launch/mixer function buttons to select the function you want to control.

imageCustomizable
The two fully-customizable User Modes transform the grid into a drum pad controller, DJ effect controller or anything else you can think of. The default state for User Mode 1 provides drum pad control for Live’s Drum Racks—great for sketching out beats. Using Live’s simple MIDI mapping, it’s easy to create custom control environments, whatever devices you’re using and however your Live Sets are configured.

imageMade for Max for Live
The User Modes make Launchpad the ideal hardware counterpart for Max for Live. Launchpad is flexible enough to deal with even the most detailed Max for Live devices and can handle generic parameters and controls with ease. Eleven LED states provide visual feedback that’s precise enough for complex devices. Launchpad users will soon be able to download a Max for Live step sequencer patch from Novation and more Max for Live patches are planned for the future.

imageCommunication goes both ways
Live and Launchpad are in a constant, two-way, hardware-software dialog. The back-lit grid buttons show what’s happening in Live and Live, in turn, shows which section of the Session View is currently under Launchpad control: a red border around the current clip group let’s you see where you are with a just a cursory glance at your screen.

imageNavigating the Session View
Obviously, you’re not limited to controlling only 64 clips. The arrow buttons move the grid up, down, left and right one track or scene at a time. Hold down the ‘Session’ button in Session Mode, and you can use the arrow keys to jump eight tracks or rows at a time—very useful for navigating around large, complex Live Sets.

imageMore buttons? More Launchpads
Want more buttons? Launchpads are designed to work together, with up to six units at once. That’s more than 400 assignable buttons! Launchpads running on the same system can run in different modes, so you can control the Session View, mixer and custom setups all at once, with one Launchpad for each.

It will be avaliable November 1st and priced at ~$200.

http://www.novationmusic.com/launchpad

http://www.ableton.com/nl398-launchpad

via LivePA.org

The popularity of Pioneer’s CDJ-1000′s is hard to argue. They have pretty much become the CD-deck standard for DJ’ing as the Technic SL-1200′s have for vinyl. Pioneer has announced the next lineup of its popular CD decks with the CDJ-2000. This new deck features a 480×234 LCD screen and can access media directly from SD cards or USB sticks. Even cooler is that up to four CDJ-2000′s can share a single media card or USB stick with a “Pro Link” option. Price is rather steep though coming in at $2,150.  Ouch..

Also avalible is a CDJ-900 without the LCD screent

Features:

Analyze

  • Beats Per Minute (BPM) Data – BPM / Tempo information for each song is identified and processed into rekordbox for use by the DJ in preparing and performing a set.
  • Waveform Data – The waveform of each song is identified and then displayed on the bottom screen for quick data visualization and for use with the needle search function on the CDJ-2000 turntable.

Customize:

  • Tag Info & Artwork – Edit and customize the file information to performance needs.
  • Hot Cues, Cue Points, and Loops – Prepare and customize cues and loops as well as create and manage hot cue banks.
  • Playlists – Create, edit and manage customized playlists for various performances.
  • Beatgrid – Utilizing the new Quantizing feature, cue points and loops can be set perfectly on-beat. The Quantize feature ensures cue points are set accurately and automatically, correcting and synching beats during manual looping or a real-time cueing, preventing off beat mistakes.
  • Users can then transfer analyzed music files to their preferred storage media and play them directly from the new CDJ turntables. The software offers song information that can be viewed easily during performances on the CDJs’ large displays to quickly search and access content by genre, title, BPM, etc. Also, as analyzed tracks are played through the CDJ products, the turntables automatically create and save a play history enabling users to review past performances on their PCs.

Pro DJ Link

  • The new turntables feature Pioneer’s Pro DJ Link that enables up to four CDJ-2000/900s to be connected via the Link Port to share a single music source, whether it is a hard drive, USB and/or SD memory card. Once linked, users have the ability to quickly find, display and choose the music file from a connected source through the CDJ’s built-in display and control knobs. A quick turn of the knob lets users scroll through created files and folders and a push of the knob confirms the song choice.

Advanced Connectivity

  • The new turntables feature a 24-bit/48 kHz sound card and HID and MIDI control compatibility via USB port. Up to 35 controls on the surface of each player can be used to trigger other devices, such as DJ effecters and software by way of HID and/or MIDI.
  • The HID controls were implemented into the players for superior interfacing with software, faster communication speed over MIDI, audio/visual streaming and two-way information on displays. HID enables easy, precise and native control of DVS systems such as Serato™ Scratch Live, Native Instruments’ Traktor series and MixVibes Cross2 without the need for time-coded discs.

CDJ-2000 Enhancements

  • LCD panel and Graphic User Interface – The flagship CDJ-2000 features a large WQVGA 6.1-inch full-color 480 x 234 LCD panel for displaying song titles and jacket art as well as detailed track information so DJs can select songs at a glance. The wave data of each song is also illustrated on screen, showing high and low amplitude to further assist DJs.
  • Needle Search – Helps DJs instantaneously get to a specific part of a song with a simple touch of the Needle Search pad. Found directly below the CDJ-2000’s high resolution LCD panel, the touchpad lets the DJ “place the needle” and jump quickly to a specific part of a music track.
  • Jog Dial – Adjustments for tension were enhanced from previous models allowing the DJ to further customize the feel of the jog dial from a light to heavy sensitivity. Four illuminated areas on the sides of the Jog Dial aid the DJ in finding the desired spot on the plate in dim lighting environments.

CDJ-900 Enhancements

  • Slip Mode – When activated, Slip Mode silently continues song playback during a loop, reverse or scratch and continues audible playback at the exact time when the loop, reverse or scratch is ended creating smoother transitions.
  • Advanced Auto Beat Loop – The CDJ-900 generates a four-beat loop at a touch of a button creating a customized sound to provide more time for DJs to blend in transitioning music.

via Engadget.com

Aviary, the makers of popular online image and vector editing tools has announced a new product to its lineup called Myna. Myna is a multi-track recording software akin to Garageband or Reaper. In fact the transport windows even act the same was as Garageband. It doesn’t support plugins, but it has all of the basic audio editing and multi-tracking tools one would expect from a piece of software like this like cut, paste, trim, automation and the like.

The effects section is rather slim pickings with only four slots available per track. It features the basics like phaser, flanger, ParaEQ, etc. but doesn’t appear to have a master effects channel

A test in Google Chrome with the interface is amazingly fast for a web application and was built using Flash. You can try the software for free at Aviary’s website. Overall it looks like a solid first start for a web based DAW like this and the foundation is there. Now lets just see if they can take it somewhere to begin to compete with desktop apps.

Features:

Powerful Clip Editing
Trim, Loop, Stretch and Reverse your audio clips, width editable loop points, and interactive time stretch capabilities.

Automation
Easily add fade-ins, fade-outs, pan from left to right, and modify gain over time, with editable control points.

Effects
Add non-destructive effects to your audio clips including Pitch Change, Reverb, Delay, Parametric EQ, and more.

Import / Export
Import your own audio files, or search one of our provided libraries. Mix it down and export directly to your desktop or publish back to your account.

Share and learn
Collaborate with other users. Follow step-by-step tutorials to learn new skills.

via Mashable

Novation has just announced keyboard versions of its popular Nocturn midi controller series. This move looks to be an attempt to reposition their product line as Remote SL series comes in higher end with the built in LCD screen and the Nocturn series coming in below that without the LCD features. From the photos the product looks super slick though, lets hope the build quality is equally as good as the looks. This makes you wonder though where their XIO and X-Station synths fall in line for their product line.

Quote:

High quality professional keyboard
Velocity-sensitive, keyboard from Fatar, with assignable after-touch. The Nocturn Keyboard feels like playing an instrument rather than a computer peripheral.

Illuminated controls provide instant visual feedback
Brightly lit 11 segment LED rings around the eight smooth encoders, and backlit buttons throughout provide instant visual feedback for every physical control.

Touch-sensitive encoders
All 8 oversized encoders are touch sensitive, bringing up mapping information and allowing you to ‘touch’ in automation data on DAW’s with a ‘touch’ mode.

Automap control Software
Allows you to instantly ‘learn’ controllers to plug-ins. The GUI graphically displays Nocturn Keyboard’s control surface on your computer monitor, enabling you to see exactly what is assigned to what, without using a tiny LCD screen.

8 Velocity-sensitive drumpads
Nocturn Keyboard features 8 ‘softfeel’ velocity sensitive drum pads. These can do more than just trigger notes and sketch drum patterns, all can be assigned to control software parameters.

Total of 33 MIDI assignable controls
• 8 trigger pads, 8 dials, 14 buttons, modulation wheel. Sustain and expression pedal control can also be added.

Speed Dial
The 9th encoder is a unique ‘Speed Dial’ which allows you to instantly change the value of any parameter the cursor is pointing at, with no assignment needed whatsoever.

USB Powered
Nocturn Keyboard is powered by USB saving valuable plug sockets. It can also be powered down without being unplugged, preserving battery power in laptops.

More details can be found on the website: http://us.novationmusic.com/products/midi_controller/nocturn_keyboard

© 2010 Orju.net Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha