Hollow Sun has announced it has updated its Freepacks sample libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt.
Freepacks includes the SQ Strings lush analogue string sound from the Ensoniq SQ80.
Amongst them, you’ll find THE PolyMoog Keyboard 280e ‘Vox Humana’ (THE sound used on Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’), Polymoog Strings I and II, various pads, Ensoniq SQ80 strings, Buddhist instruments, Novachord, Speak & Spell and Novation BassStation…
These raise the ante as to what expect of a freebie with sumptuous GUIs and flexibility one doesn’t even get from some ‘payware’ Kontakt products – an LFO, multimode/dual slope filter, dual envelopes for a great deal of synthesis flexibility plus chorus > flange/phase shifter > stereo/mono echo into convolution reverb with custom impulses multiFX all in an an easy to use and compact panel. They come with documentation and many with preset variations. There are some simpler Kontakt 3.5 freebies too. And they are all free for you to enjoy.
These are not compromised or crippled in any way – all perfectly looped and totally and professionally usable. My thanks (as always) to Mario/Evil Dragon of this parish for his masterful scripting.
Why? Well, we believe in bringing quality sounds at affordable prices and you don’t get cheaper than free. Also, it gives a taster of what’s on offer and what we get up to here at HS Towers. We do ok out of this business so it’s nice to give a bit back. And yes, if these entice some to put their hands in their pockets and buy some stuff, so much the better.
The Freepacks libraries are available to download at no cost. Requires Kontakt 4.2.4 or higher, full version.
Novation has announced Launchkey, a new series of keyboard controllers.
Launchkey is a range of 25, 49 and 61 note keyboard controllers with up to 50 physical controls including 16 velocity-sensitive multi-colour trigger-pads that launch clips and scenes in Ableton Live.
As well as enabling hands-on control of your DAW’s mixer, instruments and more, Launchkey is an integrated software/hardware instrument. The control surface has been designed to work tightly alongside two intuitive apps for iPad: the Launckey app and the Launchpad app* – plus the powerful V-Station & Bass Station synth plug-ins for Mac and Windows.
LaunchKey features
Create – Integrated software/hardware instrument with apps for Mac, PC and iPad – Launchkey comes with a brand new Launchkey app and Launchpad apps for iPad and the powerful Novation V-Station and Bass Station synth plug-ins for Mac and PC.
Control – ‘InControl’ technology connects hardware controls directly to all major DAWs – Quick, hands-on control of your mixer, transport and more in Ableton, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reason, Cubase and Logic.
Launch – 16 velocity-sensitive multi-colour launch pads – Two rows of launch pads for playing and sketching out drum beats, or launching and improvising with loops using the Launchpad app – they also launch clips and scenes in Ableton Live.
Play – Professional synth-styled keyboard with over 50 hardware controls – Synth-styled velocity-sensitive keyboard with precision accuracy and fast action – software control via 50 faders, knobs, pads and buttons (35 on 25-note version).
DAW Control – Instant access to major DAW control parameters – with no assignment necessary.
Bus powered – no PSU required – Launchkey is fully bus-powered, even with iPad. Just plug it in and go, with no power supply or batteries.
One gigabyte Loopmasters sample pack – Launchkey includes one gigabyte of Loopmasters sample content including artist packs, drum samples and sound FX.
Ableton Live Lite – Ableton’s ground-breaking performance and production software is included with Launchkey.
The Launchkey will be available in March (49) and April (25/61).
Image-Line has introduced the FLaunchpad contest, a chance to win an exclusive Novation Launchpad based FLaunchpad controller.
This is your chance to WIN a very rare and exclusive FLaunchpad. Only 10 were ever made and two are up for grabs! All you have to do is follow this link to check the details and upload your YouTube or Vimeo FL Studio Performance Mode video. Any musical style welcome!
The competition is open to registered Image-Line customers using the FL Studio 10.5 Beta or higher and closes January 7th, 2013.
Synthmob has announced a sweepstakes in celebration of the launch of its sound design community.
The Novation MiniNova is amongst the prizes to be won in the sweepstakes.
Synthmob is a digital sound design community where members can share presets and patches for audio plugins.
To celebrate our official launch, we are running a sweepstakes with loads of cool prizes to win. The grand prize is a Novation MiniNova! Other prizes include Native Instruments Massive, discoDSP Discovery, Subsonic Labs Wolfram and more!
Producertech has launched the Guy J Remix Contest, a chance to remix a track from Guy J’s Transitions EP and win a Novation MiniNova.
Producertech are excited to offer you the opportunity to remix a track from Loopmaster’s new Producer Sample Pack, the Guy J Transitions EP. This sample pack is a brand new concept, containing the mastered tracks from an EP, along with all the content used to make them – all the loops, hits and stems, as well as Rex files and Sampler patches.
Entrants to the competition are provided with most of the audio and presets from one of the EP tracks ‘Transitions’, free of charge, which can be downloaded here.
Guy J Remix Contest Prizes
First place winner: Novation MiniNova, 2 Producertech Courses and 5 Loopmasters sample packs of your choice. In addition to this, the track will potentially be released on Guy’s label Lost and Found in February 2013.
Second, third and fourth place winner: 1 Producertech Course and 2 Loopmasters sample packs of their choice.
The deadline for submitting your entry is December 10th, 2012. The winning track will selected by Guy J.
Loopmasters is offering a 25% discount on the full Guy J Transitions EP sample pack. Use coupon code GUY25 at checkout to take advantage of this offer.
Novation has announced that its MiniNova hardware synthesizer is now available.
MiniNova has the same incredibly powerful sound engine and synth effects as the Novation UltraNova which means it is capable of creating dirty-fat bass synth sounds, soaring leads, lush pads and vintage synth sounds.
MiniNova is a compact, super-cool studio and live synth with the same sound engine as its big brother; UltraNova.
It comes with 256 incredible onboard sounds that you can tweak with five knobs, or totally warp with eight ‘animate’ buttons. It has up to 18 voices with as many as five synth effects on each sound.
MiniNova also has an onboard VocalTune™ effect as well as a classic vocoder so you can recreate iconic vocal sounds from hip hop, urban and electronic music.
MiniNova features
Hugely powerful micro synth with UltraNova’s sound engine.
Brand new VocalTune™ and classic vocoder effects.
Live synth: tweak and warp your sounds in realtime.
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