Products of Interest

Audio Engineering Associates sign. The mounting system is also de- for different sound sources. A three- R92 Studio Ribbon Microphone signed for flexibility of positioning. position switch allows the user to The front and rear lobes of the micro- change from cardioid, to cardioid with Audio Engineering Associates (AEA) phone provide two different distinct a –10 dB attenuation pad for dealing has released a ribbon microphone de- audio timbres. The front side pro- with loud sound sources, to an omni- signed for close microphone setups. vides a crisp, clean sound that picks directional pattern. The frequency The microphone features a large rib- up high frequencies well and the rear response is 40 Hz to18 kHz and Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 bon transducer and protection from lobe features a classic ribbon micro- sampling is supported at 44.1-kHz/ windblast, making it a useful micro- phone roll-off in the high frequency 16-bit rate only. phone for recording vocals, percus- range, giving a smoother timbral re- The Snowball is powered from the sion, and signal from guitar amplifiers sponse. The dimensions of the micro- USB bus and a small LED power indi- (see Figure 1). phone are 7.5 × 2.5 × 2.9 in. (including cator is located on the front. The The pure aluminum transducer is the stand adapter) and it weighs 2 lbs body of the microphone features a 1.8 microns thick with a width of 4.7 with the included 2-meter cable. A swivel mount designed for use with mm and a length of 59.7 mm. The foam-lined plastic carrying case is an optional desktop tripod or a stan- frequency response is 20 Hz to 18 included. dard counter-weighted tripod micro- kHz (± 3 dB) with an output sensitiv- The R92 is listed for US$ 900. Con- phone stand. BLUE also offers an ity of –55 dBv and an SPL response tact: Audio Engineering Associates, optional vintage design suspension greater than 115 dB SPL. The an- 1029 North Allen Avenue, Pasedena, mount called The Ringer. The micro- odized aluminum finish of the exte- California 91104, USA; telephone phone is compatible with Mac OS X rior and the integrated elastic shock (+1) 626-798-9128; fax (+1) 626-798- and Windows XP using USB 1.0 or 2.0. mount combine to form a stylish de- 2378; Web www.ribbonmics.com/. The Snowball is listed for US$ 139 and The Ringer mount for US$ 69. Contact: BLUE Microphones, 5706 Figure 1. Audio Engineering Associ- BLUE Snowball USB Microphone Corsa Avenue, Suite 102, Westlake ates R92 studio ribbon microphone. Village, California 91362, USA; tele- The BLUE Snowball is a USB micro- phone (+1) 818-879-5200; fax (+1) 818- phone designed for use with Windows- 879-7259; electronic mail support@ or -based computers (see bluemic.com; Web www.bluemic Figure 2). The powerful but small mi- .com/. crophone contains two capsules that enable the user to alter the pattern HHB DRM85 FlashMic Digital Figure 2. BLUE Snowball USB micro- Recording Microphone phone. The DRM85 FlashMic from HHB is a microphone and digital recorder in one, making it especially suited to recording in the field. The recorder uses Flash memory and has a USB port for transferring the audio to computer (see Figure 3). The microphone contains a high- quality Sennheiser omni-directional condenser capsule with a preampli- fier that can be used in manual or au- tomatic gain control (AGC) modes. The entire unit is 9.6 in. long and 2 in. wide at the microphone capsule, and weighs 13 oz without batteries. Audio can be recorded as 16-bit WAV

110 Computer Music Journal Figure 3. HHB DRM85 Figure 4. MXL iBooster au- FlashMic digital recording dio interface. microphone. Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021

buffer of 0–10 seconds, a switchable audio interface device for Macin- high-pass filter, and a time remaining tosh computers and incorporated it indicator, with low time warning. into their Desktop Recording Kit The FlashMic is shipped with (DRK), previously available only for management that allows Windows-based computers. The configuration of the various micro- iBooster is designed to raise the level phone functions to be stored as one of of input signals to the audio input nine user presets. The FlashMic can level of the computer. The simple, then be set to operate in simple or ex- compact device is intended as a low- pert mode. Simple mode allows only cost alternative to costly microphone files at 32 or 48 kHz, or can be en- these predefined user templates to be pre-amplifiers and audio interfaces. coded as mp2 (MPEG 1 Layer 2) files used and the expert mode makes all The iBooster features a 3.5-mm mini- with bit-rates of 128–384 kbps. The function parameters accessible di- plug input and a similar mini-plug 1-GB Flash memory is fixed internal rectly on the body of the FlashMic. A output. The unit is compact, measur- memory, allowing for a maximum microphone pouch, stand clamp, USB ing just 3 × 3 × 1 in and can be pow- time of about 18 hours. Audio cable, and 2 AA batteries are included ered by a 9-V battery or by 48-V can be transferred to computer using in the package. phantom power (see Figure 4). the USB port built into the base of The DRM85 FlashMic is listed for The DRK is an audio recording the unit. Both USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 US$ 1,399. Contact: HHB Communi- pack based around a cardioid con- are supported and file transfer can be cations, Ltd., 73–75 Scrubs Lane, denser microphone. Along with the up to 90 times playback. London NW10 6QU, UK; telephone microphone, a desktop stand, micro- The FlashMic is powered by two (+44) 208-962-5000; fax (+44) 208- phone clip, XLR cable, XLR to mini- 1 AA-sized batteries, providing about 6 962-5050; electronic mail sales@ plug (3.5 mm) cable, 3.5 mm to ⁄4-in. hours of power; a battery life indica- hhb.co.uk; Web www.hhb.co.uk/. adapter, power source, recording tor, with low battery warning, is in- guide, and carrying case are included. corporated into the design. An LCD The DRK is available for both Macin- with backlighting displays time, MXL iBooster and Desktop tosh and Windows computers with level, and status information. A 3.5- Recording Kit an iBooster included in the Macin- mm headphone jack with amplifier tosh version. The microphone cap- and volume control is also included. MXL Microphones, part of Marshall sule exhibits a cardioid pattern with Further features include a record Electronics, has produced a new a frequency range of 30 Hz to 20 kHz,

Products of Interest 111 Figure 5. Samson C01U USB microphone.

a signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB, and a with the package. The cards are a maximum SPL of 134 dB. DSP board with video synchroniza- The iBooster is listed for US$ 49.95. tion, timecode, wordclock, and an The DRK is listed for US$ 149.95. AES-DSD daughter card that allows Contact: MXL/Marshall Electronics, for 24-channel sampling at up to 24- 1910 E. Maple Avenue, El Segundo, bit/48-kHz rates or full 192-kHz

California 90245, USA; telephone sampling on six channels. The break- Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 (+1) 310-333-0606; fax (+1) 310-333- out box is a 19-in. single rack unit 0688; electronic mail sales@mxlmics with eight AES input/outputs, word- .com; Web www.mxlmics.com/. clock input/output, and timecode. An additional hardware license module is included and is needed for use with Samson C01U USB Microphone some of the AudioCube software. Ad- ditional hardware options are avail- The C01U microphone from Samson able for expanding the system. is an easy-to-use microphone that As in previous releases of this plugs directly into the USB port of product, Cube-Tec has also pro- Macintosh- and Windows-based com- duced a lower-price alternative to puters (see Figure 5). It is a low-power the AudioCube hardware based device that can be used without au- around a Dell tower unit computer. dio interfaces and is especially suit- The AudioCube 6-D670 contains the able for use with portable computers. same processors, RAM, and video The microphone is a condenser card as before but this time the audio type with a cardioid pick-up pattern. drive is a fixed 74 GB Serial-ATA It features a heavy-gauge mesh grill drive and the system drive is a Serial- on the exterior and a 19-mm di- ATA 40 GB drive. A dual layer DVD aphragm that is internally shock- burner, four USB ports, two FireWire mounted. The microphone supports ports, and a floppy drive are also sampling rates from 8–48 kHz at 16- included. bit resolution and the frequency re- Cube-Tec AudioCube 6 Audio Both AudioCube systems ship sponse is 40 Hz to 18 kHz. Although Workstation and Audio with Windows XP Professional, CD/ the microphone will work with digi- Production Tools DVD burning software, tal audio software without drivers, WaveLab 5 and Nuendo 2, a factory- the Samson drivers supplied on the AudioCube 6 is the latest release of restore DVD, and remote support/di- Web site allow extended control of Cube-Tec’s 24-bit 192-kHz audio agnostic software. The user can then the audio input through a gain con- workstation and features updates to choose additional Cube-Tec software trol, a high pass filter, input meter- many of the accompanying audio according to need: CubeDVD-A for ing, and a phase switch. A swivel tools. The AudioCube is a dedicated DVD-Audio authoring, DDP-Solution stand mount and 10-ft USB cable are PC-based workstation for audio de- for CD , Media-Inspector supplied and an optional spider signed to be scalable, expandable, and for transfer and mass storage, mount is also available. self-contained. Dual Intel 3-GHz QUADRIGA for transferring analog The CO1U microphone is listed Xeon processors are used with 1 GB media, and Virtual Precision Instru- for US$ 234.99 (but is commonly RAM, an 80-GB IDE system drive, a ments (VPI) for mastering, restora- available for as low as US$ 79.99). 73-GB 10,000 RPM removable SCSI tion, and surround audio. CubeDVD-A Contact: Samson Technologies Cor- audio drive, and a 64-MB dual head supports Copy Protection for Pre- poration, 575 Underhill Boulevard, video card. A Plextor DVD/CD recorded Media (CPPM), dual-layer Syosset, New York 11791, USA; tele- writer, gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 DVD-9, Meridian Lossless Packing phone (+1) 516-364-2244; fax (+1) 516- ports, a floppy drive, keyboard, and (MLP), and System Managed Audio 364-3888; electronic mail info@ mouse are also included. Two Merg- Resource Technique (SMART). Files samsontech.com; Web www ing Technologies Mykerinos boards can be written to digital linear tape as .samsontech.com/. and an 8-channel breakout box come well as to disc images, and the soft-

112 Computer Music Journal ware includes a Proof mode that en- hum and buzz remover, a DeClicker, restoration system range from about ables all or part of a DVD-Audio to be a DeClipper for recovering the loss US$ 11,000–18,000 depending on the previewed before burning to disc. The peak signals, a DeCrackler that can components included. Contact: Media-Inspector includes inspectors remove up to 8,000 disturbances per Cube-Tec International GmbH, for CD, DAT, and U-Matic tapes. second, and tools for removing Anne-Conway-Straße 1, 28359 Bre- These are designed to reduce human motor-noise, tape-hiss, large men, Germany; telephone (+49) 421- error in the capturing process when scratches, and time-varying noise. 20144-0; fax (+49) 421-20144-948; Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 converting digital media to mass stor- An analog-style equalizer emulates electronic mail [email protected]; age and they provide detailed reports the circuits of 20 playback equalizer Web www.audiocube-solution.com/. of the capture process in an EBU- transfer functions. The Cube Wave- specified format. Files can be exported form Restorer is included as an add- to Broadcast Wave Format (BWF), on to the Waveform Restorer already Digidesign Mbox 2 Audio/MIDI WAVE, AIFF, DDP, Intermediate WAV, included with the AudioCube version Production System and CD-Text formats. Users who are of Wavelab. Manual interpolation al- interested in just transferring media gorithms are available for use in au- The Mbox 2 from Digidesign is a can purchase a dedicated QUADRIGA dio restoration involving pops, clicks, comprehensive audio and MIDI sys- capturing workstation instead of the and dropouts. tem in one box, containing hardware multi-purpose AudioCube. The newest VPI from CubeTec is as well as software components. The The VPIs are the core signal pro- the SpectraPolator, which expands hardware side of the Mbox is a cessing tools of the AudioCube sys- the Cube Waveform Restorer options portable interface with analog, digi- tem. Although there are some even further. This VPI offers spectrum- tal, and MIDI connections, and Pro analysis tools available, the majority based interpolation of the audio and a Tools LE is the main software appli- are for audio mastering, restoration, high-resolution SpectroGraph display. cation in the package. and surround sound. These tools are The time/frequency region for inter- The Mbox 2 hardware unit is a optimized for use with the Au- polation can be selected separately, compact size (4.9 × 22.4 × 18.4 cm), dioCube and can handle 24-bit 192- and unlimited undos are available. can be positioned horizontally or ver- kHz audio input/output while the Four analysis tools are packaged tically, and has a handle for easy internal processing is carried out at with the set of VPIs. These include a transportation (see Figure 6). All in- floating point precision up to 64 bits. phase analysis tool with stereo dis- puts and outputs are located on the Among the mastering VPIs are a dy- play, a spectral analysis tool for iden- rear panel. These include two analog 1 namics processor with analog trans- tifying disturbances with continuous inputs that can be XLR, ⁄4-in. line in- 1 fer functions, a seven-band equalizer frequencies (mains hum, pilot tones, puts, or ⁄4-in. DI inputs, and two ana- 1 with analog-style filters, a dynami- etc.), a spectral analysis tool that can log outputs on ⁄4-in. jacks. Phantom cally controlled equalizer, a linear- focus on the frequency and level axis power (48 V) is available for use with phase third-octave filter, a dithering of a signal to any range given, and a condenser microphones. Two chan- and noise-shaping instrument, and a visual display tool that displays the nels of digital input/output are avail- de-esser. Psychoacoustic masking effects of a two-channel signal pro- able using S/PDIF, giving four principles are used in a tool that in- cessed by a multi-surround decoder. simultaneous input channels alto- creases loudness without creating Finally, the surround-sound VPIs gether. A MIDI input and output are artifacts in the audio and a psychoa- include an eight-channel reverbera- also provided and a USB port is used coustic equalizer is also included that tion, an eight-channel compressor, an for both connection to a computer is a digital emulation of the SPL Vi- eight-channel analog-style equalizer, and for powering the device. A head- 1 talizer. A stereo and multi-band Shuf- an eight-channel version of the ear- phone output ( ⁄4-in.) with volume fler tool allows for spatial control of lier mentioned Loudness Maximizer, control is located on the front panel, signals and a tube compressor is also and an eight-channel emulation of an alongside monitor and mix level con- available. analog tape machine. A tool for ex- trols, separate source selection and The Restoration VPIs comprise tracting a Low Frequency Effects gain control for the inputs, phantom high-quality correction tools, many (LFE) channel from a full mix and a power controls, and various LED in- of which operate in real time. In- tool for adding an effects channel to dicators. The interface operates at 24- cluded in this category of tools are a a mix complete the set. bit resolution and 44.1- or 48-kHz real-time phase correction tool, a Prices for a typical mastering or sampling rates. The hardware inter-

Products of Interest 113 Figure 6. Digidesign Mbox 2 audio/MIDI interface.

ing and editing audio, and Kristal for multi-track sequencing. The F-Control Audio FCA202 is listed for US$ 99. Contact: Behringer USA, Inc., 18912 North Creek Park- way, Suite 200, Bothell, Washington

98011, USA; telephone (+1) 425-672- Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 0816; fax (+1) 425-673-7647; Web www.behringer.com/FCA202/.

Focusrite Saffire FireWire Audio/MIDI Interface

The Focusrite Saffire is a FireWire au- dio/MIDI interface with a particular emphasis on monitoring options and face is packaged with two faceplates, Behringer F-Control FCA202 hardware-based plug-ins. The inter- one of which has a large handle for FireWire Audio Interface face provides a range of digital, ana- portability and the other, a rubber- log, and MIDI inputs and outputs in a ized grip for desktop use. Behringer’s F-Control Audio FCA202 portable unit. Two 6-pin FireWire LE allows for 32 audio is a compact FireWire audio interface ports are included and the unit can be tracks, 128 virtual audio tracks, and capable of 24-bit/96-kHz sampling powered using one of these or an ex- 256 simultaneous MIDI tracks. A set rate. Designed with portable com- ternal adapter. The front panel of the of 37 DigiRack and Bomb Factory puter users in mind, the interface can interface features two XLR micro- plug-ins are included in this edition be powered through one of the two phone inputs with pre-amplifiers and of Pro Tools, and ReWire is supported available FireWire buses (6-pin) or us- a phantom power switch (see Figure 1 for sharing streaming audio between ing the included main adapter. The 7). Two ⁄4-in. line/instrument inputs 1 applications. The Pro Tools Ignition unit is compact, measuring 1.10 × and two ⁄4-in. headphone outputs Pack is also included, and this con- 6.10 × 4.5 in. and weighing just 0.4 kg. with separate level controls are also tains a Digidesign edition of Ableton A port for a Kensington lock is also included on the front panel. The back Live Lite 4, Propellerhead Software included for security in a portable panel of the interface features eight 1 1 Reason Adapted 3, FXPansion BFD setup. Two ⁄4-in. inputs (unbalanced) balanced analog outputs ( ⁄4-in. jacks) Lite, sampling and mastering soft- and outputs are available on the back that are labeled for use with 5.1 or 7.1 1 ware from IK Multimedia, a Pro panel of the interface and a ⁄4-in. surround sound. Two RCA connec- Tools instructional DVD, and a 1- headphone port with controllable tors are also located there for digital year membership for Broadjam.com volume is located on the front panel. S/PDIF input/output. Four channels (a service for buying or selling music Two LEDs are located on the front in total can be recorded simulta- on the Web). A further range of Digi- panel to indicate the power and neously. A MIDI Out, MIDI In, and design and Bomb Factory plug-ins are FireWire status. Sampling rates of the two FireWire ports complete the also available at a reduced price in 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz are possible and list of ports. the Factory edition of Mbox 2. the frequency response ranges from A number of controls and LED in- The Mbox 2 is listed for US$ 495. 10 Hz to 21 kHz at 44.1 kHz, to a dicators are available at the top of the Contact: Digidesign, Inc., 2001 Ju- high-end rating of 45-kHz at 96-kHz front panel of the interface. These in- nipero Serra Boulevard, Daly City, sampling rate. Low latency Windows clude a gain control for the two ana- California 94014-3886, USA; tele- XP and Macintosh OS drivers are in- log inputs with corresponding triple phone (+1) 800-333-2137; fax (+1) 650- cluded with the interface. A software LED dBFS meters, and a button for 731-6389; electronic mail prodinfo@ package is bundled with purchase, switching between line and instru- digidesign.com; Web www.digidesign including a Behringer edition of Able- ment level, again with a correspon- .com/products/mbox2/main.cfm. ton Live Lite 4, for record- ding LED. A further monitor level

114 Computer Music Journal Figure 7. Focusrite Saffire Figure 8. PreSonus IN- FireWire audio/MIDI SPIRE 1394 FireWire audio interface. interface. Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021

fire is an upright unit measuring 6.5 × FireWire ports and one of these can 17 × 17 cm and weighs 1.1 kg. It is be used to daisychain up to four in- compatible with Windows XP and terfaces together to provide 16 input Mac OS X computer platforms. channels. The Saffire is listed for US$ 499. The front panel of the INSPIRE has Contact: Focusrite Audio Engineer- two microphone inputs with +48-V section provides controls of the level ing, Ltd., Lincoln Road, Cressex Busi- phantom power and two instru- of one or more monitor signals (de- ness Park, High Wycombe, ment Hi-Z inputs (see Figure 8). Two pending on software control settings), Buckinghamshire HP12 3FX, UK; switchable line-level or phono inputs with buttons for dim and mute. A telephone (+44) 149-446-2246; fax are available on the back panel digital input LED indicator, MIDI (+44) 149-445-9920; electronic mail through stereo RCA connectors. Thru button, MIDI In, and MIDI Out [email protected]; Web www Stereo line-level outputs are also indicators are also included on the .focusrite.com/. available through the stereo RCA 1 front panel for easy control and moni- connectors or a ⁄8-in. mini-jack, and a 1 toring of input/output status. Sam- ⁄8-in. mini-jack headphone is also lo- pling rates from 44.1 to 192 kHz at PreSonus INSPIRE 1394 FireWire cated on the back panel. 24-bit resolution are available. Audio Interface The controls for the interface are The accompanying software for the accessed using a software mixer in- Saffire hardware is designed to float PreSonus has designed an audio inter- terface. Known as the Control Panel, over the user’s chosen recording soft- face that will suit solo portable com- this software can be used to control ware. This utility gives the user con- puter users and home studio users, input gain, phantom power, sample trol over the signal path and various while also catering for groups of mu- rate, headphone volume, main output monitoring options available. Further sicians. The INSPIRE 1394 is a volume; to switch the limiter and compression, amplifier modeling, FireWire audio interface that pro- preamplifier boost on or off; and to equalizer, and reverberation plug-ins vides up to four simultaneous record- control mixing. Software settings can can be controlled from here but are ing channels at sampling rates up to be saved for later recall. A number of powered by the DSP chip on the 96 kHz using 24-bit resolution. The audio software applications and Saffire hardware. Steinberg’s Cubase unit can be powered through the samples are packaged with the hard- LE audio/MIDI sequencer is also FireWire bus or externally using a ware. These include Cubase LE, bundled with the software. The Saf- mains adapter. The interface has two Sony’s ACID XMC, DiscWelder

Products of Interest 115 Figure 9. Screenshot of var- ious user interface win- dows for BIAS Peak Pro XT 5 audio software.

Bronze, real-time effects plug-ins, and more than 3 GB of drum loops and samples. The interface is compatible with Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.3.7 or later. A 1.5 GHz PC proces- sor is recommended and 512 MB

RAM for Windows computers, and a Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 G4/Dual 1 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM for Macintosh computers. The INSPIRE 1394 is listed for US$ 199. Contact: PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., 7257 Florida Boule- vard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806, USA; telephone (+1) 225-216-7887 or (+1) 800-750-0323; fax (+1) 225-926- 8347; electronic mail info@ presonus.com; Web www.presonus .com/inspire1394.html.

BIAS Peak Pro XT 5 Audio Editing, Processing, and stacked and the colors customized. A signed for working with loops, and Mastering Software new document file drawer window 300 MB of loops from PowerFX and contains a library of all reference, re- Sound-FX-Design are included with The latest version of Peak from BIAS gion, and loop markers used, and a Peak Pro 5. Among the signal pro- is an Extended Technology (XT) edi- new Playlist window is included for cessing improvements are the Strip tion that bundles Peak Pro 5 with preparation of audio playlists and Silence and Auto-Define Regions SoundSoap 2, SoundSoap Pro (audio text for creating CDs. This CD functions. A convolution reverbera- restoration plug-ins), and the Master Playlist also provides a graphical tion, ImpulseVerb, offers real room Perfection Suite collection of plug- waveform display that allows cross- reverberations for 150 spaces, and ins. This latest Peak product includes fades and tracks to be modified visu- now gives the user control over the many improvements to previously ally by the user. Controls for this and gain of both the Impulse Response available features for editing, pro- for recording and playback can be and the source audio. cessing, and mastering audio, and triggered from the computer key- (AU) and VST effects and instru- includes some new additions to im- board. Peak supports PQ sub-codes, ments are supported by Peak and a prove mastering and CD burning International Standard Recording large number of effects and pro- capabilities. The application is avail- Code (ISRC), and is 100 percent Red cessing plug-ins are supplied. These able for Macintosh computers only Book–compatible. A Disc Descrip- include the new BIAS Sqweez com- and can be used as a standalone appli- tion Protocol (DDP) extension is pressor/limiter and a 4-band paramet- cation or can be launched from available as an optional purchase and ric equalizer. The SFX Machine LT within other audio software includ- this latest edition supports Unicode plug-in provides the user with 21 ing BIAS Deck, MOTU Digital Per- and file names longer than 32 charac- real-time spectral effects. A new time former, and . ters. A trial version of Minnetonka’s compression/expansion function is A number of improvements have DiscWelder Bronze is included, al- built-in to allow tempo alterations been made to the graphical interface lowing the user to burn up to five without pitch shifting and smearing of the application (see Figure 9). The DVD-Audio discs. Among the file- of attacks. Peak display and toolbars are cus- types supported by the application This extended edition of Peak Pro tomizable, and shortcut key com- are AIFF, SDII, QuickTime, MP3, 5 includes a collection of six audio mands can be specified by the user. MP4, WAVE AU, Sonic AIFF, JAM analysis and processing tools pack- Multiple audio documents can be Image, Raw audio, and DDP. aged together as The Master Perfec- opened and their windows tiled or Many of the audio tools are de- tion Suite. This set of tools includes a

116 Computer Music Journal Figure 10. Cover image of Power Tools for Peak Pro by David M. Rubin, pub- lished by Backbeat Books.

and transposition user a guide to problem areas in the plug-in, an analysis plug-in that fea- audio file. A Noise Only button and tures an oscilloscope, spectrogram, the option to bypass all processing or and other similar analysis tools, a 4-, single tools are a further aid to the 6-, 8-, and 10-band graphic equalizer user. The plug-in interface is designed with extensive user control, two to encourage a particular order of use multi-band compressor/limiters, and so that best results are achieved. The Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 a gate/expander plug-in. user can store and recall all parame- SoundSoap 2 is intended, as its ters and a useful function to compare name suggests, for cleaning audio. It up to four settings is also available. can be used as a standalone applica- System requirements for Peak Pro tion or as a host in Audio Units, Di- 5 XT are a G4, G5, iBook, or Power- rectX, RTAS, or VST host programs. Book with at least a 400-MHz proces- Soundsoap can remove humming, sor running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or crackling, hissing, and similar un- higher with 425 MB of disk space wanted noises from an audio record- available and 512 MB RAM recom- ing. Users can run the application mended. A free USB port is needed automatically on a file or can set a for the USB authorization key that is number of parameters manually. A included with this edition of Peak. Preserve Voice option can be used to Peak Pro XT 5 is listed for remove noise while maintaining the US$ 1,199. Contact: BIAS, Inc., 1370 ized into thirteen chapters with two vocal part of the spectrum and hum Industrial Avenue, Suite A, Petaluma, appendices and an index. The chap- removal can be altered depending on California 94952, USA; telephone ters are ordered as following: 1. First the location of the user: 50 Hz for Eu- (+1) 707-782-1866 or (+1) 800-775- Look: The Power of Peak Pro; 2. ropean and Australian regions, and 60 BIAS (US only); fax (+1) 707-782-1874; Sound Up Close: Analog and Digital Hz for North American users. electronic mail [email protected]; Audio Basics; 3. The User Interface: SoundSoap Pro is also a noise re- Web www.bias-inc.com/products/ Getting Around in Style; 4. Ins and duction application but is a more so- peakProXt5/. Outs: Recording, Playing, Importing, phisticated product that can be and Exporting; 5. Basic Editing: Get- additionally used as an audio restora- ting the Most from Everyday Tools; 6. tion tool. This edition of SoundSoap Power Tools for Peak Pro by The Fix-It Shop: Repairing Common Pro is a plug-in and is compatible David M. Rubin Audio Problems; 7. Fine-Tuning with most host applications from Files: Essential Adjustments for Mu- Adobe, BIAS, , Digidesign, Backbeat Books has published a sic and Dialog; 8. A Joyful Noise: Emagic, MOTU, and Sonic Foundry. timely release, a guide to the latest Tools for Creative Sound Designing; Three main restoration tools are in- version of BIAS Peak, the main audio 9. Plug & Play: Working with Plug- cluded in this one package: Broad- recording/editing software for Macin- Ins and Vbox SE; 10. On Your Mark: band for dealing with various kinds of tosh platforms (see Figure 10). David Working with Markers, Loops, and hiss; Click & Crackle for pops and M. Rubin, who has served as an Asso- Regions; 11. Burning Desires: The transient sounds; and Hum & Rum- ciate Editor of Electronic Musician, Playlist Window and Mastering CDs; ble. The latter tool can remove fre- has authored Power Tools for Peak 12. Screen Gems: Soundtracks for quencies in the 20–400 Hz range with Pro: A Complete Guide to the Mac’s Video and Multimedia; 13. Piles of up to ten harmonics as well as reduc- Most Powerful Audio Editor (2005, Files: Batch Processing and Apple ing low frequency and subsonic rum- softcover, ISBN 0-87930-847-8). The Events. The appendices include a list- bles. The Broadband tool works book does not come with a CD-ROM ing and explanation of keyboard across 512 audio bands with thresh- or DVD, but a fully-functional 14-day shortcuts, and a listing of file formats old and reduction controls along with trial version of Peak may be down- supported by the software. the grouping option available to the loaded from the BIAS Web site in or- Power Tools for Peak Pro is listed user. Attack, release, and tilt knobs der to work with the software while for US$ 22.95. Contact: Backbeat give added control. A real-time spec- going through Mr. Rubin’s text. Books, 600 Harrison Street, San Fran- trogram with color coding gives the Power Tools for Peak Pro is organ- cisco, California 94107, USA; tele-

Products of Interest 117 phone (+1) 415-947-6615; fax (+1) Core Audio and ASIO audio output is sented by a colored block on the piano- 415-947-6015; electronic mail supported so that the decoder can be roll and can be simply dragged up or [email protected]; Web used with external audio interfaces down to alter the pitch. Pitch pro- www.backbeatbooks.com/. or other internal audio hardware. cessing takes formants into consider- The final element in the package is ation to ensure a natural sound and a utility program called Dolby Media advanced controls are available for

Dolby Media Producer Software Tools. This application allows users the note transitions, the speed at Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Suite to repair previously encoded files which the altering of notes occurs af- without having to decode them first. ter the note onset, and the ratio of Dolby Media Producer is a collection Users can edit metadata, trim files, correction to original pitch. The plug- of Dolby software applications de- trip timecode, and concatenate files in can detect vibrato on notes and signed for mastering audio for DVD- together. highlights these in the interface dis- Video, DVD-Audio, HD DVD, and The Dolby Media Producer is play. The attack and amount of natu- Blu-ray Disc formats. Dolby audio available for Mac OS X running OS X ral vibrato can be altered. A Synth codecs are supported, allowing multi- 10.4.2 (Tiger) or higher, and a dual Vibrato is also included which has channel, non-real-time encoding and 2.7-GHz G5 computer is recom- controls for waveform, vibrato depth, decoding in Dolby Digital, Dolby mended with 1 GB RAM (minimum pre-delay, attack, and vibrato rate. Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and requirement is 256 MB). The individ- Tuning can be according to many MLP Lossless formats. ual applications will be available for standard and exotic scales provided The Dolby Media Encoder is the purchase separately also. or custom scales can be specified and encoding application in the bundle. It Contact: Dolby Laboratories, Inc., saved. MIDI files can be exported and is designed to work over computer 100 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, all edits are non-destructive. networks so that many people in a California 94103-4813, USA; tele- DeBreath is the new breath- group can have access to a job using a phone (+1) 415-558-0200; fax (+1) 415- eliminating plug-in included in this standard Web browser. Job status in- 863-1373; Web www.dolby.com/. collection (see Figure 11). Rather formation, system and error logs, than just remove breath sounds, De- and flexible scheduling controls are Breath analyzes the vocal track and available. Standard audio source files Waves Vocal Bundle breaks it into voice and breath seg- can be encoded using the encoder on ments. This means that both ele- a local computer or over a network. Vocal Bundle from Waves is a collec- ments of the track can then be Existing timecode can be used or tion of two new and three previously further processed separately. new timecode added, and metadata released plug-ins for use specifically The Renaissance Channel is a can be generated. A confidence play- with vocal tracks. The new plug-ins channel processor with a selectable back feature allows the source and are a pitch corrector and a tool for re- equalizer/dynamics signal flow. Both encoded files to be previewed. Previ- moving breath sounds with the Waves the equalizer and compressor are ously encoded content can be de- Renaissance Channel, DeEsser, and based on vintage models. The equal- coded and played back allowing for Doubler completing the set. izer has a filter response that is con- overdubs if needed. Tune is Waves’s new pitch correc- stant over the whole frequency range The decoding application in this tion processor that uses ReWire to and two different compression curves set is the Dolby Media Decoder that synchronize with the host applica- are available. True double-precision allows decoding and monitoring in tion so that all editing can be done processing is used and a Stereo Rota- the above-mentioned Dolby formats from the Tune interface without the tion feature allows control of the along with decoding of Dolby Pro need for exporting audio segments. level balance without changing the Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby The interface features a piano-roll center channel sound. The DeEsser Digital Surround EX formats. This note representation, and among the uses phase-compensated crossover to application runs on a local computer notable editing tools are a note tool eliminate undesirable coloration. only and supports downmixing and to allow selection and manipulation The adaptive threshold enables the dynamic range control. Support is in- of individual notes, a scissors tool to processor to adapt dynamically to the cluded for transport control on a 9- divide notes into segments for pro- input signal in order to achieve more pin port to allow synchronized cessing, and a glue tool to combine natural-sounding results. playback of encoded and source files. notes together. Each note is repre- Finally, the last plug-in the bundle

118 Computer Music Journal Figure 11. Screenshot of main user interface for the DeBreath plug-in, part of the Waves Vocal Bundle.

nect and share music over the Inter- net. The plug-in is used like an insert effect and users can join or create ses- sions for musical interaction. Sessions through VSTunnel can be public or private, enabling users to

join any musicians online or to Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 arrange a session for a select group of musicians. If the user chooses to join a public session a list of all public sessions sorted by genre is displayed. The user can listen to a session be- fore joining and any user can create a public or private session. Each partic- ipant hears a mix of their own music with that played by others in the ses- sion. Each user can view the name and BPM of all other users, adjust their volume, mute/unmute them, view the network connection status, view how much of the audio the user wants to transmit has been sent, and view how much of their own music has been transmitted to the user. Users can be blocked or removed from the user list when not con- nected. A chat facility is available to provide a communication platform for the users. is the Doubler that uses delay and lent) or 2.8-GHz machine with 512 Three different levels of audio pitch modulation to create double MB RAM for 44.1- and 96-kHz pro- quality can be set and the download- track effects. Stereo audio can be cre- cessing, respectively. A full list of ing and uploading of audio can be ated from mono tracks and up to four compatible host applications includ- paused. Audio currently being re- voices can be used with independent ing Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic ceived can be saved as a loop and a control of detune, pan, delay, equal- and is available on loop viewer displays extra informa- ization, and volume for each. A de- the Waves Web site. tion about the loop and allows crop- tune range of 100 cents and 200 cents The Waves Vocal Bundle is listed ping of the loop. for modulation are available for ef- for US$ 1,000. Contact: Waves, Inc., A save-disabled demonstration ver- fects. LFO synchronization functions 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, sion of the software is available for can be used to repeat effects by syn- Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, USA; download from the Web site. VSTun- chronizing with the beat or the start telephone (+1) 865-909-9200; fax (+1) nel is listed for US$ 85. Contact: of sounds. 865-909-9245; Web www.waves.com/. VSTunnel; electronic mail sales@ The Waves Vocal Bundle is com- vstunnel.com; Web www.vstunnel patible with Macintosh and Windows .com/. systems, requiring a G4 Dual 2 GHz VSTunnel Network Audio Macintosh with 1,024 MB RAM run- VSTPlugin ning OS X 10.3.8 or later for 96 kHz EAR Analog Modular use, or a G4 Dual 1.25 GHz computer VSTunnel from software developer with 512 MB RAM for 44.1 kHz au- Martin Miller is a plug-in that oper- dio. Windows XP is needed for PCs ates with any sequencer running the ElectroAcoustic Research (EAR) is a on a Pentium 4 1.7-GHz (or equiva- VST protocol to allow users to con- collection of modular de-

Products of Interest 119 Figure 12. The iLive digital mixing console system by Allen & Heath.

signers who have come together as one company to re-release existing synthesizer modules and design and manufacture new modules. The syn- thesizers are available in three differ- ent categories—Livewire, Plan B, and

Oakley Sound Systems—and are in Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 MOTM or Deopfer formats. The Livewire synthesizers include the Dual Cyclotron and Frequen- Steiner Filter. The Dual Cyclotron is described by the company as “non- concentric, asymmetrical low fre- quency semi-periodic resonators controlling a subordinate pseudoran- dom voltage generator.” The output voltage can then be used to modulate VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscilla- tors), VCFs (Voltage Controlled Fil- ters), VCAs (Voltage Controlled Amplifiers), or other devices. The FrequenSteiner Filter is a multi-mode ules and format information are capabilities. An Ethernet interface is diode ladder filter with low-, band-, available on the EAR Web site. used for connecting to controllers. and high-pass outputs and full atten- Price for modules start at US$ 225. These can be from the new iLive uation of signal and VC inputs. Contact: EAR Group; telephone (+1) range, the company’s PL range of re- The Oakley Sound modules in- 877-300-2228; electronic mail mote controllers with wall plates, clude the Wavefolder, a voltage con- [email protected], Web www third party devices, or portable or trolled waveshaper with clipping and .ear-group.com/. desktop computers. A single CAT-5 clamping functions. The Soft Clipper cable can be used for communication clips the output (not the input) when with the mixer over distances up to the gain is over a certain level. The Allen & Heath iLive Digital 100 meters. Two EtherSound ports Clamper has a voltage controlled Mixing Console System are included for connecting addi- threshold value and a switch or ex- tional iDR mix engines to create a ternal voltage input specifies The iLive system from Allen & 128-channel expanded system and for whether the output should be cut Heath is a digital mixing system for use in place of a traditional multi- above or below this value. The Clip- live sound. Among the notable fea- core cable. (EtherSound is an open per outputs the signal cut off by the ture are a flexible architecture, dis- standard for networking Clamper and a four-quadrant multi- tributed audio and control, and an and offers ultra-low latency audio plier can be used to mix the clip and analog-like design. The system is communication.) All channels and clamp output. Other modules in this composed of two main parts: the mix masters feature an equalizer, dy- range include a VCA controlled iDR-64 mix engine, and a selection of namics, a delay, and on-board effects. ADSR envelope generator, a res- iLive control surfaces (see Figure 12). Complimenting the rack unit are onator with eight fixed frequencies The mix engine is a 19-in. rack- three control surfaces of different and depth control, and a two-pole mounting modular device that pro- sizes: the iLive-112, the iLive-144, State Variable Filter. vides 64 channels of audio and 32 and the iLive-176. The design and Among the new Plan B modules mixes that can be auxiliaries, groups, layout of each console is intended to are a two-pole State Variable Vactrol matrices, and main outputs. Audio give an analog feel to the user. The Filter with independent resonance input/output cards (eight-channel) motorized faders are organized into and bandwidth control, a dual low- are included in the rack, along with three sections each with four differ- pass gate, and Triple Event Timer. ports for communication with other ent banks. The largest console has 44 Sound samples for many of the mod- devices and digital signal processing individual faders rising to 176 when

120 Computer Music Journal Figure 13. Primera DUP-07 Figure 14. View of Auralex CD/DVD duplicator tower. SpaceCoupler acoustic room treatment unit.

all four fader banks are used. Above each fader is a multi-color backlit LCD display which can be used for channel labeling and color-coded channel information. Illuminated ro- tary controllers and LED indicators are used for channel processing and Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 these are arranged across the top panel of the console for easy accessi- bility according to function. A pre- amplifier, filter, gate, equalizer, compressor and limiter/de-esser are available. A color LCD touchscreen is also included for display of a graph- ical view of the processing, for access to set-up functions, and automation. User configurations and scene set- tings can be stored and recalled. Au- dio input/output can also be handled wood (high strength-to-weight ratio) by the control surface using four slots and measuring 2 × 2 ft, each comes in for eight-channel input/output cards. a set of two that can cover an 8-ft Contact: Allen & Heath, Ltd., Ker- square area. The SpaceCoupler is de- nick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Corn- signed to create a natural large room wall TR10 9LU, UK; telephone (+44) sound within a small room by redi- 132-637-2070; fax (+44) 132-637- recting sound energy rather than us- 7097; Web www.allen-heath.com/. ing standard absorption or diffusion techniques (see Figure 14). The plicator are 18.5 × 7.4 × 20.75 in. The SpaceArray uses a quasi-random ar- Primera DUP-07 CD/DVD duplicator is available with a black or ray to disperse sound waves evenly in Duplicator silver finish. Primera also offers a a room to produce a consistent acous- range of low and high volume disc tic environment. Flutter echoes and Primera’s DUP-07 is a standalone CD printers to complement this duplica- other acoustic irregularities can be and DVD duplicator that can be used tion unit. removed from the sound without without a computer to burn up to The DUP-07 is listed for US$ 1,695. reducing the acoustical energy of seven discs at once (see Figure 13). Contact: Primera Technology, Two the space. An Auto Copy button allows the im- Carlson Parkway North, Plymouth, The SpaceCoupler is listed for mediate copying of discs or the 80-GB Minnesota 55447-4446, USA; tele- US$ 299 and the SpaceArray for hard-drive can be used to store a job phone (+1) 800-797-2772; fax (+1) 763- US$ 399 for a box of two. Contact: for future burning. 475-6677; electronic mail sales@ Auralex, 6853 Hillsdale Court, Indi- The formats that are supported in- primera.com; Web www.primera anapolis, Indiana, USA; telephone clude CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R, and .com/dup07.html. (+1) 317-842-2600; fax (+1) 317-842- DVD±R Dual Layer. The recorders 2760; electronic mail auralexinfo@ are professional-grade Plextor auralex.com; Web www.auralex.com/. recorders with speeds of 48× for CD- Auralex SpaceCoupler and R, 16× for DVD-R and DVD+R, and SpaceArray Acoustic Room 8× for Dual Layer DVDs. The case Treatments Sony PCM-D1 Portable Digital and chassis are constructed of alu- Recorder minum to dissipate heat, prolonging The SpaceCoupler and SpaceArray the life of the component parts. are part of the new pArtScience range Sony’s PCM-D1 is a portable digital Power is switchable between 110 and of acoustical treatments from Au- stereo recorder that uses internal 220 VAC. The dimensions of the du- ralex. Made from solid Paulownia flash memory to record and store dig-

Products of Interest 121 Figure 15. Sony PCM-D1 Figure 16. Ultimate Ears portable digital recorder. Super.fi UE-5 Pro ear- phones.

rates of 22, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz are available with a choice of 16- or 24-bit resolution. The frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 44.1 kHz and this rises to 20Hz to 44 kHz when using 96 kHz sampling. Audio is recorded

to the flash drive as WAV files. Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 The front panel features dual ana- log level meters with LED peak over- load indicators, an LCD display with a record status indicator and menu display, and transport and menu se- lect buttons. A limiter function that incorporates a separate audio buffer at 20 dB lower that the audio signal is included, with a high-pass filter and Super Bit Mapping (SBM) to increase equipment. The UE-5 Pro and the the dynamic range available and re- UE-5EB both feature two drivers in duce audible noise. each earphone to provide professional A stereo headphone mini-jack out- quality sound (see Figure 16). At the put, stereo mini-jack line output, and same time, they are designed for line output/digital output are also in- maximize noise isolation. ital audio at rates up to 24 bit/96 kHz. cluded along with an additional The UE-5 Pro version has one The distinct style of the recorder is a stereo mini-jack microphone input. driver for low frequencies and one for result of the combination of the tita- The unit can be powered by a 6-V DC mid and high frequencies. This en- nium body, the angled microphone input or using four AA-sized nickel sures a wide frequency response for pair, and the vintage-style analog metal hydride rechargeable batteries, the earphone and extended head- level meters on the front panel (see or by standard AA alkaline batteries. room. The UE-5EB offers extended Figure 15). The main body measures about 3 × bass response to the user through its The recorder has 4 GB of internal 6.75 × 1.31 in. and weighs 18.5 oz use of a high output diaphragm for flash memory and audio can be trans- with batteries. Maximum recording low frequencies and a precision bal- ferred to computer (Macintosh or time at 44.1 kHz/16 bit is 6 hours 35 anced armature for mid to high fre- Windows platforms) using the built- minutes. quencies. Both earphones come with in USB 2.0 port or using Sony’s high The PCM-01 is listed for a 46-in. cable, with cable adjuster, 1 speed Memory Stick Pro (Standard US$ 1,999.95. Contact: Sony Busi- and a gold-plated ⁄8-in. plug. A set of Memory Sticks are not compatible). ness Solutions & Systems, One Sony ten ear tips are included so that users The recorder features a pair of electret Drive, Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656, can choose between a snug fit, using condenser microphones with capsules USA; telephone (+1) 800-686-7669; various sizes of silicone tips, or dis- positioned with 100-micron level pre- Web http://bssc.sel.sony.com/ posable foam tips for an ultimate fit. cision. They are arranged in an X-Y BroadcastandBusiness/ DisplayModel? The silicone tips do need to be pattern, angled towards each other at m=0&p=10&sp=83&id=82662. cleaned regularly and a cleaning tool the top of the unit within a stainless is included in the package. Flexible steel arch designed to prevent dam- ear loops are used to secure the ear- age. The microphone amplifier is a Ultimate Ears Super.fi Earphones phones in place and reduce drag on low-noise, low-distortion amplifier the earpiece. The low-friction cables and a variable gain circuit is used to Ultimate Ears has provided custom- are then guided behind the ear. The control the amplitude and provide a molded earphones to music perform- design is lightweight (0.6 and 0.7 oz) good SNR ratio (96 dB at 24 bits). ers for more than a decade. Now they and they are currently available in 1 Analog and digital circuits are kept have turned their attention to the white or dark gray. A ⁄4-in. gold- on separate boards in the recorder to consumer market and have designed plated plug adapter is included, and a 1 minimize interference. Sampling a range for use with personal audio sound level attenuator with ⁄8-in.

122 Computer Music Journal Figure 17. Cover image of The Art of Digital Music by David Battino and Kelli Richards, published by Backbeat Books.

connector is recommended for use struments); and David Zicarelli with unfamiliar sounds, where there (Cycling 74). Many musicians and may be sudden bursts of high output. producers from a variety of styles A metal storage case with cable tidy and generations are also included: system and a compact black leather Glen Ballard, BT, The Crystal travel case complete the earphone Method, Chuck D, Thomas Dolby, package. Additional sets of ear tips, Herbie Hancock, Mark Isham, Amy Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 cases, cables, and various combina- X Neuburg, Alan Parsons, Roger tions of accessory kits are available Powell, Phil Ramone, Steve Reich, for optional purchase. Nile Rodgers, Todd Rundgren, Don The Super.fi UE-5 Pro is listed for Was, and so forth. US$ 249.99 and the UE-5EB for After the short profiles/interviews US$ 199.99. Contact: Ultimate Ears, with each of the 56 contributors, the 5 Jenner Street, Suite 100, Irvine, Cal- authors group comments taken from ifornia 92618, USA; telephone (+1) these interviews into categories. 866-837-7734; fax (+1) 949-502-8379; Some of this material is duplicated Web www.ultimateears.com/. from the profiles and some is addi- tional to those. These offerings are gathered under the following head- The Art of Digital Music by ings: Production, Philosophy, Busi- David Battino and Kelli Richards ness, and Future. using MIDI. Nowadays, these appli- This publication also includes a cations have become increasingly Backbeat Books has published a col- DVD with the book. The disc con- complex, also aiding composition, ac- lection of thoughts on digital music tains a section that plays on any stan- companiment, and much more. by a wide range of practitioners, pro- dard DVD player, and a DVD-ROM The various updates that make up ducers, and developers (see Figure section that requires a computer with Sibelius 4 are too numerous to men- 17). David Battino and Kelli Richards a DVD drive. The disc includes audio tion, so only the most notable are re- interviewed 56 people and have pre- excerpts from the interviews, links to ferred to here. This latest version of sented short summaries of their in- the interviewees, selected music Sibelius software uses Dynamics sights, along with brief introductions videos, song and audio examples, ad- Parts that integrates more closely the to each. ditional video segments, sample idea of the main score and separate The Art of Digital Music (2005, sounds, written material, and links to parts. As soon as a score is created, softcover, ISBN 0-87930-830-3) intro- additional information. the parts are also automatically cre- duces the reader to developers and re- The Art of Digital Music is listed ated, but the user need only work on searchers such as Robert Henke and for US$ 27.95. Contact: Backbeat the main score as all changes to it Gerhard Behles (Ableton Software); Books, 600 Harrison Street, San Fran- also update the individual instru- Elizabeth Cohen (Information Sci- cisco, California 94107, USA; tele- ment parts. If needed, however, ences, UCLA); Peter Gotcher (Digi- phone (+1) 415-947-6615; fax (+1) changes can be made to a part that is design); Jennifer Hruska (Kurzweil, 415-947-6015; electronic mail not included in a score (for cues, etc.). Sonic Network/Sonic Implants); Iku- [email protected]; Web The layout can be copied between taro Kakehashi (Roland); Stephen Kay www.backbeatbooks.com/. parts and an Auto Layout feature ad- (Korg/KARMA); Ray Kurzweil, Roger justs the layout of parts to make Linn, David Mash (Information Tech- them easier to read for musicians. nology, Berklee College of Music); Sibelius 4 and Finale 2006 Music This includes placing tempo text Eric Persing (Spectrasonics); Ernst Notation Software markings, key changes, new sections, Nathorst-Böös and Tage Widsell (Pro- multiple-bar rests, etc., at the begin- pellerheads Software); Jim Reekes There was a time when the term ning of systems and improving the (Apple Computer); Ty Roberts (Grace- “music notation software” signified positioning of page breaks. note/CDDB); Doug Rogers (EastWest an application that allowed users to One of the other impressive as- Samples/Sounds Online); Dave Smith enter a score, extract parts for print- pects of Sibelius 4 is the new video (Sequential Circuits, Dave Smith In- ing, and play the notated music back integration for composing for film. A

Products of Interest 123 video file can be added to a score and teaching material in reference, textured and colored paper for back- displayed in various sizes (AVI, poster, project, test, and many other grounds, smoother slurs and beams, MPEG, WMV, and MOV formats are formats. More than 1,700 worksheets and automatic slurs for lyrics with supported). Playback, forwarding, and are available that can be adapted to syllables lasting more than one note. rewinding of the video will be syn- user needs, or new user worksheets Composite library files are now chronized with the score and “hit can be created. Sibelius 4 supports available so that a range of library el- points” can be used to help match MusicXML for interchange with ements such as articulations, clefs, Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/comj/article-pdf/30/2/110/1854638/comj.2006.30.2.110.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 important visual points with appro- other notation applications. A variety instruments, and page formats can be priate music. Sibelius reads not only of purchase options are available in- saved in a single file. Notation fea- standard score marking such as trills, cluding upgrade packages for Finale, tures such as crescendos, trills, glis- repeats, and crescendo hairpins but Encore, and Mosaic users. sandi, and harmonics are interpreted also written descriptions like pizz. Like Sibelius, the latest version of by Finale’s Human Playback system. and rit. Finale has many improved and new The user can pick from a range of A mixer allows the user to select features. Finale 2006 also comes with repertoire styles or specify playback certain parts for playback and a num- an integrated Kontakt Player and in- options individually. ber of expressive performance play- cludes the Garritan Personal Orches- Finale 2006 and Sibelius 4 are back features are included. Sibelius 4 tra, a sample library of orchestral available for Macintosh and Windows includes Native Instrument’s Kon- instruments. Both are expandable us- platforms and demonstration ver- takt Player Silver, allowing the user ing additional instruments available sions of each are available from the to play the score using sampled in- from Garritan and Native Instru- relevant Web sites. Sibelius Profes- strument sounds and to create audio ments. Many Native Instrument sional is listed for US$ 599. Reduced and MP3 files. Further updates and samplers are also supported. price student and upgrade packages sample libraries are available for A new Studio View integrates se- are available. Contact: Sibelius, Inc., purchase. quencer controls with standard mu- 1407 Oakland Boulevard, Suite 103, Other improvements include new sic notation to build pieces up track Walnut Creek, California 94596, beam and tie options, a new font, by track with control for volume, USA; telephone (+1) 888-474-2354; more user control over screen posi- panning, patch, mute, solo, and fax (+1) 925-280-0008; electronic mail tioning, and a range of new plug-ins. record for each. TempoTap allows the [email protected]; Web www One of the most useful of these is a user to control the tempo of sections .sibelius.com/. plug-in that can copy and paste artic- of a piece using key taps. A separate The full version of Finale is listed ulation and slur patterns without TempoTap staff is added to the score for US$ 600, and again, academic and copying the notes themselves. with the subdivisions required for upgrade offers are available. Contact: Sibelius files can now be directly tempo control, allowing the user to MakeMusic, 7615 Golden Triangle copied into Microsoft Word, without play around with tempo at the Drive, Suite M, Eden Prairie, Min- the need for saving intermediate phrase, bar, or beat level. Advanced nesota 55344-3848, USA; telephone graphics files. The final main feature copy and paste facilities are available (+1) 800-843-2066; fax (+1) 952-937- in this new version of the application through a dialog box that allows the 9760; electronic mail finalesales@ is the Worksheet Creator, aimed at user to specify up to 34 different makemusic.com; Web www music educators. The Worksheet items in the score to be copied. New .finalemusic.com/. Creator provides a wide range of layout and graphic options include

124 Computer Music Journal