Archives for 2003

Arturia’s New Moog Modular V for Macintosh and Windows Will Have Approval of Bob Moog

February 20, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

Early announcements of Arturia‘s new software emulation of the classic Moog Modular synthesizer referred to it as the Modular C3. But it turns out that the original Modular’s creator, Bob Moog himself, is going to be involved in the marketing of Arturia’s emulation, and that has led to a name change. Henceforth, it is the Moog Modular V (the ‘V’ is for Virtual).

Arturia’s software reproduction of the legendary Moog, one of the most influential and recognized synthesizers of all time, appears to be thoroughly faithful to the original. It replicates all of the functions and parameters of the original Moog Modular, including modules such as the Moog 921 oscillators, the Moog 911 envelope generator, and the Moog 960 3×8-step sequencer.

The Modular V uses TAE®, a new set of synthesis algorithms created by Arturia’s engineers, specifically addressing the peculiarities of emulating classic synths. TAE stands for True Analog Emulation, and Arturia says the new algorithms deliver superior audio quality when reproducing analog circuits.

In particular, TAE avoids any sort of aliasing, and provides alias-free oscillators with wave forms indistinguishable from those generated by analog hardware circuits. It is also able to emulate the notorious instability of hardware oscillators, including the soft-clipping and micro-variations typical of vintage hardware oscillator and filter circuits. Arturia says this is the secret to recreating the warmth and character of vintage synths.

The Arturia Modular V is a stereo synth, and it can be run as a stand-alone application, or as a plug-in virtual instrument. It runs at 32-bit, 96 kHz resolution. The package includes a 450-page manual in 3 languages (English, Japanese, French), and a bundle of more than 400 presets, developed by top sound designers.

The Modular V will be available in March for both Mac and Windows PC environments, with a street price of $299 (US).

Features of Arturia’s Moog Modular V:

9 oscillators (921 Moog series)
2 dedicated LFOs
3 filter slots can be chosen among classic Moog 904 series (low-pass 24 dB, high-pass 24 dB, filter coupler), and an additional 20 dB multimode filter (7 modes)
1 noise generator (white and pink — 923 Moog module)
6 ADSR auxiliary envelopes (911 Moog module)
2 VCAs (with their own envelopes, and 1 panoramic potentiometer for natural stereo effects)
16 auxiliary VCAs with modulation inputs
1 sequencer (3×8 steps — 960 Moog module)
1 filter bank (14 bands with their own bandwidth)
1 stereo delay
1 chorus
Mono/polyphonic (up to 64 voices)

Arturia Web Site

Filed Under: Tech

Platinum Phase II Completes PSB’s New State-of-the-Art Home Theater Speaker Series

February 16, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

PSB Speakers showed off their newest loudspeaker series at CES last month, demonstrating 3 new models in the Platinum Series, alongside the original 4 designs that were launched late last year.

The new Phase II group, shown for the first time at CES 2003, consists of the T6 Tower ($4,700 US per pair), the C2 Center Channel ($1,200 US), and the SubSonic10 subwoofer ($$2,000 US). The new models will begin shipping sometime in the first quarter of 2003.

The original Platinum Series speakers, already available in stores, include the T8 Tower ($6,500 US per pair), the M2 Mini Monitor ($1,700 US per pair), the C4 Center Channel ($2,000 US), and the S2 Bipolar Surround ($2,300 US per pair).

PSB says that every speaker in the Platinum Series will meet and exceed the expectations of high-end speaker buyers who want both maximum musical realism and maximum home-theater impact.

“The PSB Platinum Series is our answer to the many listeners who have wondered how much further we could go beyond the celebrated qualities of our Stratus models,” comments PSB founder and chief designer Paul Barton.

“We looked long and hard at that, and identified ways to make meaningful, really audible advances in performance, yet still maintain the value that has always characterized our speakers. I think there will be quite a stir about these speakers.”

The company points to its sophisticated design and measurement techniques as reasons for the Platinum’s superior performance. They have been designed from the ground up using the most advanced design tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), laser vibrometry and computer optimization.

More importantly, the drivers, crossovers and the final products were designed and developed by Mr. Barton through objective measurements and critical listening tests at the world-renowned facilities of Canada’s National Research Council.

The flagship tower speaker, the Platinum T8, uses seven new drivers: three 8-inch woofers, two 4-1/2-inch midrange drivers (all with woven fiberglass cones and rubber surrounds), plus two 1-inch aluminum-dome, low-resonance tweeters. One tweeter faces forward and the other (which can be enabled or disabled by use of a jumper) fires to the rear. The midrange drivers and the front tweeter are placed in a D’Appolito array that focuses their wide and smooth range to provide exceptionally open, lucid, and dynamic sound over an unusually large horizontal and vertical “sweet spot” with superb clarity, so that groups of listeners can enjoy maximum definition of movie dialog, effects and music.

The three woofers employ 40-ounce magnet structures for exceptional bass control and power handling. The midrange drivers use a 20-ounce magnet structure, while that of each tweeter is 16 ounces. The 10-1/2 W x 46-1/2 H x 16 D-inch enclosure is available in black ash or cherry, with a distinctive die-cast aluminum base, top, and side extrusions that, as in the other systems in the new series, help provide structural rigidity for reduced cabinet resonance. The system’s striking appearance is “form-follows-function.”

The new, smaller T6 tower is a three-way bass reflex design also using the D’Appolito Array configuration consisting of a 1″ aluminum-dome tweeter flanked by two 3 1/2″ midrange drivers. Three 6 1/2″ woofers complete the driver complement.

“The transparency and dynamics of these speakers is going to get audiophiles talking,” Mr. Barton says, “as will the pristine midrange and low-frequency impact. And the appearance and build quality are going to turn some heads as well.”

The Platinum C4 center channel speaker employs the D’Appolito-array, with two 3-1/2-inch midrange drivers flanking the same 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter used in the T8 and T6. Two 6-1/2-inch drivers flank the three-driver D’Appolito array.

The new C2 center channel is considerably smaller, employing a two-way bass reflex design with a 1″ aluminum dome tweeter flanked by two 6 1/2″ woofers.

The midranges and woofers on both center channel designs utilize woven fiberglass cones and rubber surrounds. They are meticulously “timber-matched” to preserve the tonality and dimensionality so critical to convincing surround sound performance.

Also new in the Phase II group is the SubSonic10 Powered Subwoofer. It consists of two 12″ high power, long-throw woofers in a bass reflex design powered by an internal BASH, Class H amplifier. This subwoofer yields 500 watts RMS of remarkable power with 1500 watts dynamic peak power – a powerhouse for even the most sophisticated home theater systems.

Proprietary “smart bass” circuitry prevents amplifier overload even under the most extreme drive conditions. The SubSonic 10 high-impact, accurate ultra-deep bass is rated at an earth moving 22 Hz and below.

For the many listeners who value the imaging and spatiality of mini-monitors, as well as the way they slip into a modest-sized listening-viewing environment, another Platinum entry, the M2, combines a new 6-1/2-inch woven-fiberglass-cone, rubber-surround woofer with the series’ new 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter. The enclosure measures 9-1/4 x 15-1/2 x 12 inches.

Completing the Platinum line-up, the bipolar Platinum S2 surrounds place two sets of the same drivers used in the M2 mini-monitor (6-1/2-inch woven-fiberglass-cone woofer, 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter) at a 90-degree angle to each other. This provides a combination of sonic diffusion and excellent localization of effects and instruments – for the best of both worlds in surround sound. The enclosure measures 15 x 15-1/2 x 9/24 inches.

All Platinum Series loudspeakers are available in real wood veneer, with distinctive die-cast aluminum ends and extrusions, contributing to the overall visual appeal of the speaker, in addition to lowering cabinet resonances. The aluminum clad front panels are both a structural feature and striking visual presentation for listeners who prefer to listen with the grille removed. These speakers are provided with dual, 5-way gold-plated, solid metal binding posts plus adjustable spikes and levelers, and are magnetically shielded, for use in proximity to video monitors. All woofer midrange drivers utilize woven fiberglass cones. The finishes and cabinet construction are consistent throughout the line for easy mixing and matching of various models.

“These are exciting products,” says Mr. Barton. “We think they are going to redefine a lot of people’s expectations of high-end performance.”

PSB Speakers Web Site

More News from CES 2003

Filed Under: Home Theater

Secret Sound Adds All-Digital Lexicon 960L to Complement Extensive Pro Tools System

February 16, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

Composer/producer Chas Sandford is enthusiastic about computer-based digital recording. His personal studio, Secret Sound, is built around a massive Digidesign Pro Tools HD 7 system, with 48 channels of 192 kHz I/O and a 32-fader ProControl system with Edit Pack.

When it comes to reverb, though, Mr. Sandford finds that software plug-ins just won’t do. “A lot of plug-ins are great,” he says, “but on any digital audio workstation system it’s hard to allocate the processing power needed to make great, dense-sounding reverb effects.”

His solution is Lexicon. In January, Mr. Sandford installed a Lexicon 960LD Multi-Channel Digital Effects System at Secret Sound. He has been an ardent fan of Lexicon reverbs for many years, and feels that only the 960L could offer the classic reverbs and other audio effects he wants, while still matching the performance of Secret Sound’s all-digital environment.

Secret Sound has served as production venue for many top artists, including Chicago, Stevie Nicks, and Roger Daltrey. It has gone through several re-fits, both in its original location in Los Angeles and more recently in the Nashville area. Through the re-locations and re-designs, Mr. Sandford has stuck with Lexicon.

“No other outboard processor sounds as natural as a Lexicon. So as my recording system evolved and grew, I knew I wanted a 960L to keep up with it,” says Mr. Sandford. “The 960L does the dense-sounding reverb effects I need, and since Lexicon made a version without the analog I/Os, I can access that kind of DSP quality at a more cost-effective price.” (The 960LD is identical to the 960L, except that it provides digital-only inputs and outputs, no analog).

Dave Malekpour, president of Professional Audio Design, which supplied the Lexicon 960LD for Secret Sound comments: “No other system has ever achieved what Lexicon algorithms have. Engineers and producers can spot a Lexicon reverb on a record in a second. So it makes sense that when you’re working in an all-digital environment, especially one as complex and large as what Chas has at Secret Sound, you’d want a 960L, which can give you both the digital interface you need and the great-sounding effects that you want.”

The addition of the Lexicon 960LD at Secret Sound also had something of a back-to-the-future effect for Sandford. “I plugged it in and used it on some older recordings and it just brought new life to them,” Sandford remarks. “It’s just an awesome machine.”

Lexicon Web Site

Filed Under: Pro Audio

Mackie Designs Restructures with Investment and Cash Infusion from Sun Capital, Stock Trades on OTC Instead of NASDAQ

February 14, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

In an arrangement expected to close by today, Mackie Designs has agreed to an equity investment by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, a Boca Raton-based private investment firm.

Related to the restructuring, Mackie has voluntarily delisted its publicly-traded common stock from the NASDAQ exchange, and has obtained approval to trade the shares (MKIE) on NASD’s Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board, or OTC Bulletin Board.

Mackie is widely known and highly regarded in the professional audio field as a leading manufacturer of consoles, mixers, studio and stage monitors, power amplifiers, audio processing software and control devices, for sound reinforcement, recording studio, installed sound, and custom home install markets. Company brands include EAW and RCF Precision, in addition to the Mackie label.

Sun Capital is acquiring approximately 9.8 million shares of Mackie common stock, roughly 65% of Mackie’s total common stock outstanding, through the purchase of approximately 7.4 million outstanding shares from certain selling shareholders and approximately 2.4 million newly issued shares for a total of about $10 million in cash.

“We are excited about this transaction,” said Mackie CEO Jamie Engen. “Upon closing, Mackie will receive approximately $6.3 million in fresh capital. Just as important, we also expect to benefit from the active support and hands-on participation of Sun Capital in assisting us to improve existing operations and to pursue potential new opportunities.”

Mr. Engen added that although company founder Greg Mackie is selling a portion of his shares in the transaction with Sun Capital, he will remain a shareholder and will enter into an exclusive consulting agreement with Mackie at closing.

Speaking for Sun Capital Partners, vice president Jason Neimark commented: “We are excited about our investment – Mackie has a strong brand, loyal customer base, and solid work force. We look forward to working with the management team to fully leverage these strong attributes and to position the company for long-term success.”

Mr. Engen adds, “We are focused on reducing costs and increasing productivity throughout the organization, including the rationalization of Mackie’s global manufacturing operations, R&D, and product lines. We are making progress in these efforts, and welcome the involvement of Sun Capital as an active partner in the next phase of our growth.”

Mackie Designs Web Site

Filed Under: Biz

Pioneer’s New 2003 Car Audio Head Units Feature D4Q Digital Tuners, MP3 and WMA Support

February 14, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

Pioneer GB’s Car Audio Division has launched a new range of auto sound head units for the UK market.

The new line-up of CD tuners includes 6 models (DEH-1500R, DEH-P2500R, DEH-P3500MP, DEH-P4500R, DEH-P5500MP and DEH-P6500R), packed with the latest high-tech digital technology and state-of-the-art audio features.

Pioneer's new top-of-the-line DEH-P6500R in-dash tuner offers advanced sound-enhancing technology and IP-Bus expansion options

A key component of the new models is Pioneer’s ‘Digital For Quality’ D4Q tuner, the company’s first digital AM/FM tuner, which it says provides new clarity in radio reception.

Other highlights of the 2003 models include exceptional in-dash display features, and playback of various digital music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA).

The new Pioneer DEH-P5500MP tuner offers both MP3 and WMA audio file playback, as well as a large multi-colour display

“Our 2003 CD tuner line-up represents Pioneer’s commitment to providing drivers with high performance CD tuners featuring superior audio capabilities,” says Martin Fuller, Product Manager, Car Audio Division, Pioneer GB Limited.

“As more consumers expect pure and precise radio signals and choose to store music digitally, Pioneer is expanding its product offerings with the latest sound enhancing technology and high-tech digital features, such as D4Q, MP3 playback and WMA.”

Digital For Quality

Pioneer’s entire 2003 line-up of in-car CD tuners features D4Q which refers to ‘digital for quality.’ D4Q combines an analog front end with digital processing that delivers crisp, clear radio reception.

Key features of D4Q tuner technology:

Superior sensitivity, ensuring the weakest of signals can be received
Low multipath noise, enabling signal differentiation and selection in high signal reflection areas, such as cities and mountains
High resistance to interference, detecting adjacent signals and/or interference and effectively tuning them out before any undesirable noises can be heard
A smooth RDS network following, safeguarding the signal from changing stations whilst seamlessly switching signals where appropriate

DEH-1500R

The DEH-1500R is the most affordable CD tuner in the new range. In addition to the D4Q tuner, this unit is equipped with an outstanding sound system incorporating Pioneer’s EEQ Easy Equaliser system offering a host of equaliser controls that can be custom tailored by the driver ensuring quality sound. If that wasn’t enough, drivers can crank up the volume using the 4x45W amplifier.

DEH-P2500R

The DEH-P2500R is a sophisticated CD tuner with D4Q tuning, a built-in MOSFET amplifier offering unrivalled audio quality and Pioneer’s EEQ system. An IP-Bus connection opens up a wealth of entertainment options for passengers – allowing the addition of the latest in-car items such as a DVD player or TV tuner. Drivers also have the added bonus of digitally expanding their music collection as the tuner can easily be connected to a portable MiniDisc or MP3 player.

DEH-P3500MP

The DEH-P3500MP transforms the car into a mobile multimedia centre, allowing drivers to take even more of their favourite music on the road thanks to a built-in MP3 player. Multiple IP-Bus controls allow users to customise their entertainment centre by adding a DVD player, TV tuner or multi-CD player. Excellent sound quality is guaranteed through a MOSFET 50W power amplifier, EEQ and two RCA pre-outs, which allow the connection of amplifiers and speakers for the ultimate sound experience. The stylish front panel design and pure white colour LED display add the finishing touch.

DEH-P4500R

The DEH-P4500R is an outstanding, multifunction CD tuner giving the driver total control over the sound system. Two RCA pre-outs are bundled with the tuner, enabling users to custom tune speakers and amps, while EEQ is coupled with LPF/HPF to offer precision tuning and EQ-EX allows the driver to instantly accentuate the equaliser curves simply at the touch of a button. Additionally, the large multi-colour LCD display with its striking design, combined with Pioneer’s ever popular pop-out rotary volume, gives this tuner a sleek and eye catching look.

DEH-P5500MP

The DEH-P5500MP offers compatibility with both MP3 playback and WMA providing a superb array of music options, important features for the digitally minded driver. Besides the D4Q, drivers can rest assured that the sound experience will be at its greatest with EEQ+ precision tuning featuring LPH/HPF (Low Pass Filter/High Pass Filter), Direct Sub Drive and EQ-EX built into the tuner. Similar to the DEH-P4500R, a large multi-colour display with an integrated volume control is also included. This product is also available in a sleek black finish, with red key illumination, as the DEH-P5530MP.

DEH-P6500R

The DEH-P6500R is a superior tuner loaded with features offering extraordinary sound enhancing technology and a white and blue display panel with multimedia functionality. The Easy Equaliser (EEQ+) coupled with the EQ-EX ensures sound is delivered perfectly whilst the Auto Sound Leveliser (ASL) compensates against any exterior noise from the road. In addition, the D4Q tuner provides prefect, crisp AM/FM reception under the most demanding driving conditions. The Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) display provides excellent visibility through a wide viewing angle and a Direct Key Operation mode guides the driver through various ‘key’ functions at the touch of a button. The display’s smart functionality also includes multiple entertainment features, such as screen savers and unique 3D visuals. Multiple IP-Bus connections are also included and allow users to expand their in-car entertainment experience with a DVD player, DAB tuner or TV tuner.

Pioneer GB Web Site

Filed Under: Car