Results for Casio

Carl Löfgren of Fingerpushers and Plughugger has released Freon Surfer FZ, a free instrument based on the Freon Surfer preset of the Sonic Charge MicroTonic software drum machine.

Freon Surfer FZ with custom Native Instruments Kontakt interface.

All eight drum sounds have been sampled by the mighty Casio FZ-20m sampler at 36 kilohertz, at crunchy 9 kilohertz and at 9 kilohertz too loud to capture the natural distortion of the analog converters.

Lastly, we did the old-school drum and bass trick of timestretching the samples back and forth a number of times, to give the samples a glitchy digital feel to them. For this we used our E-mu E4XT sampler.

Below are two short demo clips showcasing the various sound banks.

Freon Surfer FZ features

• 8 sounds recorded at 36kHz, 9kHz, 9kHz overdriven, and 9kHz stretched.
• 32 unique samples in total, 16-bit/44kHz mono Wav.
• Instrument patches for Kontakt 4, Maschine, and Geist.
• Custom Kontakt GUI with knob to select sound bank.

The Freon Surfer FZ sample pack is available as a free download.

Freon Surfer FZSize:6.76 MB

For more free samples check here, and make sure to visit Fingerpushers for some quality sample libraries.

Justin Robert has announced that all Mothman synthesizer plug-ins are now available as freeware.

The Casio CZ-3000 inspired Mothman Z-3000 VST plug-in for PC is now freeware.

Since I don’t think I am going to have time anytime soon to release any updates for the Z3000 and the Mothman 2000, I have decided to set them free.

It has been about 3 years since I released them and I sincerely thank all of you that have purchased the synths in the past! Now you can download the entire set in a single free pack. Just unzip it to your vst directory and you’ll have all the mothman synths!

The Mothman plug-ins are available as VST instruments for Windows PC.

More information: Justin Robert

Icebreaker Audio has announced the release of PortaSynth and Calc-U-Synth, two new sample libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt 5.

PortaSynth is a sample based emulation of a custom circuit bent Yamaha PortaSound PSS-130, which also comes with PortaDrums – a fully featured drum machine.

PortaSynth features

• All instrument sounds sampled chromatically at 24bit, 48kHz quality.
• Bent sound counterparts for each of the sampled sounds.
• Advanced speaker options with 16 speaker impulse responses.
• Built-in distortion, filter and spring reverb effects.
• Key-Click and Background Noise controls.
• Also includes the PortaDrums drum machine
  • Extended sound options per drum.
  • An on board sequencer.
  • EQ, Compressor, and Amp master effects.
  • Reverb and Delay Send effects.

The Calc-U-Synth is an emulation of the programmable synth engine of the classic Casio VL-Tone synthesizer.

Calc-U-Synth features the sounds of the VL-Tone monophonic synthesizer/calculator.

Calc-U-Synth features

• All waveforms sampled chromatically at 24bit, 48kHz quality.
• Full emulation of the Casio VL-Tone’s programmable synth engine.
• Advanced speaker options with 16 speaker impulse responses.
• Built-in distortion, filter and echo effects.
• Key-Click noise control.

The PortaSynth is available to purchase for £7.50 GBP; Calc-U-Synth is £4.50 GBP. Both libraries are also available as part of the new ToyBreaker Bundle (incl. HandySynth), priced at £12.50 GBP.

More information: Icebreaker Audio

Casio has announced the XW-G1, a groove synthesizer that combines the functions of the various digital equipment used by club DJs in a single unit, and the XW-P1, a true performance synthesizer particularly designed for creating sounds for live performances and playing expressively.

Featuring a slim body and weighing only 5.4 kilograms, both models are equipped with nine sliders and four independent assignable knobs, making it intuitive and easy for users to control a wide array of sounds.

XW-G1 Groove Synthesizer

The XW-G1 is a synthesizer that lets users enjoy many of the features club DJs use on their digital equipment. The functions of various DJ gear are included in this all-in-one unit, including its Step Sequencer for selecting an array of rhythm patterns, Phrase Sequencer offering preset phrases that spice up DJ performances, and Sample Looper for digitally sampling　rhythm patterns, keyboard performances, or externally input sound ,allowing overdubbing. Using the built-in 61-key keyboard, users can not only play the keyboard live while using rhythm patterns as backing tracks, but can also use the keyboard to call up features quickly while DJ-ing, giving them real-time control of the instrument’s cool club sounds.

XW-P1 Performance Synthesizer

The XW-P1 is a synthesizer particularly designed for creating sounds and playing expressively in live performances. This model features 620 preset tones, including Solo Synthesizer presets that reproduce vintage analog synthesizer sounds, Hex Layer ensemble sounds that comprise as many as six tones, and Drawbar Organ presets that can be controlled using nine sliders functioning as drawbars. A wide array of sounds can be created using the preset tones and a wide range of internal waves. Moreover, the XW-P1 is loaded with various functions to give discerning performers more power of expression, including the Performance function that allows performance setups to be independently assigned for up to four designated keyboard zones.

Both synthesizers are scheduled for release in spring 2012.

More information: Casio

Ableton has released Retro Synths 1980s, a new Partner Instrument by Puremagnetik.

In the 1980s, analog synthesis entered a new stage, with the debut of classics like the polyphonic Roland Jupiter series and the revolutionary frequency modulating Yamaha DX7. Puremagnetik has meticulously multisampled these synths to create a brand new Partner Instrument: Retro Synths 1980s. Packed with 39 Instrument Racks made up of nearly 2,000 samples, this is an essential collection.

Retro Synths 1980s features

• Juniper — a rich collection of expertly crafted instruments based on Roland’s legendary Jupiter series of analog synthesizers.
• SixVoice — classic pure analog patches from the Korg PolySix synthesizer.
• Vespine — finely tailored instruments that fully capture the charm of the EDP Wasp synthesizer.
• DeeEx — instant 80s FM synthesis based on the famous Yamaha DX7.
• Phazeform Vol. 2 — the captivating sounds of the Casio CZ-1 and its unique phase distortion synthesis.

Retro Synths 1980s for Ableton is available to purchase for 29 EUR until January 15, 2012 (25% off regular price of 39 EUR).

More information: Ableton / Retro Synths 1980s

Ableton has released Kasio-M4L, a free Max for Live instrument by Oli Larkin.

Kasio-M4L by Oli Larkin

Like its namesake CZ-series synths, Kasio-M4L uses Phase Distortion synthesis – in which the phase of a sine wave is modified in various ways to produce new waveforms. Kasio-M4L builds on its digital legacy, producing plastic basses, sharp bell-like timbres and shimmering resonant pads. Utilizing two CZ-style oscillators, ring modulation, three Envelope Generators and an LFO, a wide variety of timbres are possible. Kasio-M4L serves to bring the classic sounds of Phase Distortion to all Max for Live users.

Kasio-M4L comes with 32 presets inspired by the original CZ-synths. All controls are laid out on one easy-to-use panel for instant tweaking. Select from eight CZ waveforms for each oscillator in the “Wave” section. Different waveforms can be set for each alternating cycle; the second oscillator can also be detuned and mixed as a ring modulator signal. The ADSR Envelope Generator sections control amplitude, pitch and the all-important DCW (digitally controlled wave-shaping) which varies the amount of phase distortion. Vibrato is controlled via the LFO section.

Kasio-M4L is a free download from Ableton. Requires Ableton Live 8.2.6 or higher and Max for Live.

More information: Ableton / Kasio-M4L