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Academy of Scoring Arts Music Technology Newsletter

April 2017 !!

By Larry Hopkins !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2017 NAMM show wrap-up Hardware Synths

!As a Composer / Pianist / Sound Designer, I’m (of course) checking out all the keyboards first and in more detail. !Here are some of the highlights of the show for all of you keyboard gurus:!!

Dave Smith Instruments Rev 2!

� The REV2 is Dave Smith’s reimagining of his Prophet ’08 poly synth. The REV2 retains all of the key features of the Prophet ’08 and expands on them. It has twice the polyphony (16), twice the mod matrix sources and destinations, waveshape modulation on all waveforms, digital effects per layer in stacked or split voice mode, a polyphonic step sequencer per layer, and more. You can download any of the many existing libraries of Prophet ’08 sounds and they will not only sound identical, but can be enhanced with the new features. The REV2 2/4 pole, low-pass, resonant Curtis filters per voice. A separate Audio Mod control adds additional harmonic complexity and movement. You can now vary the “pulse width” of any of the four waveforms (sawtooth, saw+triangle, triangle, square). Using the Shape Mod control, you can manually dial in a desired waveshape width or use an LFO or other mod source for continuously shifting timbre. The effects section provides reverb, delays, chorus, phase shifter, ring modulation, and distortion. In stacked or split voice mode, you can apply a different effect to each layer. !Effects parameters can be modulated through the Mod Matrix. The polyphonic step sequencer allows up to 64 steps and up to 6 notes per step. The arpeggiator features note repeats, re-latching, and can be synced to external MIDI clock, as well.!The knob-per-function front panel offers instant access to all of the REV2’s functions. Included are 512 permanent factory programs and 512 rewritable user programs. The Rev 2 sports a five-octave, semi-weighted keyboard with velocity and channel aftertouch. There is USB support and a crisp OLED display. I played this synth extensively and just fell in love with the overall sound and warmth. I found it easy to program and modify on the fly as I was playing. If you’re a knob happy fool (like me), this is a good choice and lot’s of bang for the buck. DSI rev2 Street price $1,999. https://www.davesmithinstruments.com/2017/01/rev2-16-voice-poly-synth/!!NAMM 2016 introduced the OB-6 from Dave Smith Instruments designed in collaboration with Tom Oberheim. These two synth-building legends gave us such synths as the SEM, Matrix 12 and the Prophet V! So low and behold, they combined the talents and decided to butt heads and break new ground! At NAMM 2017 DSI introduced a module form of the OB-6.!I recently got the Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 12 for my new recording studio and couldn’t be happier with it (having both extensive digital and analog synthesis capabilities). It’s now one of my favorite sound design tools.!!

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Arturia MatrixBrute !Although introduced at NAMM 2016, the Arturia Matrix Brute is finally shipping and the NAMM 2017 live demo was truly amazing to my ears. It certainly brought me back to my early days as a teen learning to program modular analog synths. If anybody does the mix of analog and digital right, I’d give that to Arturia hands down. They started off by doing the absolute best plug-in re-creations of classic analog synths like the ARP 2600, the Mini-Moog and the Oberheim SEM. But then they got into making small, portable and extremely affordable fully analog circuitry synths such as the Mini Brute. So it seems natural that the next evolution in their product line would be a bigger, better and ground breaking design synth. This is exactly what you get when you discover the sound design and musical applications of the new Maxi Brute! It’s basically a fully powered modular synth without the need for hundreds of patch cables. As someone who learned on Moog Modular and Emu Modular synths, I can tell you the speed of getting a musically brilliant patch is like lighting in comparison! Why? Check out the modulation matrix switches on the front panel (on section 14).!!

� !!1. Three Analog Oscillators:!Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, waves with waveshapers that have become the trademark of the 'Brute' sound. There is also a sub-oscillator on each of the two Brute oscillators.!

• !2. Combination VCO/LFO oscillator:!The third Oscillator can be used for both audio signals and LFO modulation at the same time. You do not have to choose either operation here so you can always have that big 3 oscillator sound. This is never been done before!!!3. Noise Generator:!Noise generator with White, Pink, Red and Blue noise types. !!4. Audio Mod:!The AUDIO MOD section allows for complex oscillator and filter FM possibilities bringing whole new tonalities to your sound.!!5. Performance Controls:!Pitch bend and mod wheels and 4 Macro encoders which can be assigned to any of the modulation destinations for instant hands on performance playing.!!6. Voice Modes:!Multiple keyboard modes for mono, paraphonic and duo-split modes. Split Oscillators for paraphonic mode or use the duo split mode to play a sequence while playing notes over the top of it. Remember here only two notes at a time.!!7. Three LFO’s:!Two standalone LFO’s with 7 waveforms and trigger modes allow for complex modulations. The combination VCO/LFO adds a 3rd LFO in the system.!!!

8. Mixer:!Mix and blend Oscillators 1, 2, 3, as well as the noise generator and EXTERNAL input sources. Route each mixer input to the filter of your choice using the FILTER assign buttons.!!9. Steiner-Parker filter:!We have upgraded our Steiner Parker filter to support both 12db per octave and 24db per octave slopes as well as a DRIVE control for making thicker sounds. The 4 modes, Low pass, band pass, high pass, and notch allow for a vast array of sound making possibilities.!!10. Ladder Filter:!We have included a traditional beefy Ladder filter with both 12db and 24db per octave slopes as well as Low Pass, High Pass & Band Pass modes and a Drive control. This filter design is known for making punchy bass and thick lead sounds.!!11. Filter routing:!The two filters can be patched in series or in parallel configurations.!!!12. 3 Envelope Generators:!The two ADSR envelopes and the 3rd DADSR envelope give you plenty of sound sculpting tools.!!13. 256 Memory locations:!Store and recall your favorite sounds at the touch of a button. You can organize, save and load new banks of sounds using the free MIDI Control Center editor application. The MatrixBrute comes with 128 factory presets.!!Alright, here comes the cool news!!! !The modulation matrix has sources on the left column and destinations on the top row. It’s that simple. The display gives you easy access to modulation depths. One button press gives you the equivalent of a patch cable plugged it the right source/destination without the need for a dedicated pot for each parameter. Remember how big the original Modular Synths were. Plus, Arturia starts you off with hundreds of preset so you can check out how their expert programmers came up with their patches. !

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14. The Matrix!It allows for complex modulation routing, step-sequencing and instant preset recall.!!Modulation Routing: You can assign any of 16 modulation sources to any of 16 mod destinations. 4 destinations are user programmable and can be seen in the display. Set amounts of each modulation routing using the data encoder.!!Step Sequencer: The matrix can be used as a 64 step sequencer with separate STEP, ACCENT, SLIDE and MODULATION steps.!!Preset Recall: In Preset mode the matrix allows you to recall any of 256 presets at the touch of a button.!!15. True Analog Effects.!To enhance your sonic pleasure we have added an analog and Delay/ Chorus/ Flanger to the output. Choose from any of 5 operation modes. And YES! the controls in the analog effects can be set as modulation destinations in the Matrix.!!16. Sequencer/Arpeggiator controls!The sequencer and arpeggiator add to the playability of the Matrixbrute. Multiple modes of both the seq and arp allow for unlimited musical ideas to be realized.!!17. Keyboard!The 49 note keyboard features both velocity and aftertouch for a musical feel with plenty of expression.!!18. Master Audio Outputs:!Stereo ¼” jacks for your master audio outputs.!!19. Control Voltage Interfacing:!12 CV Inputs and 12 CV Outputs allow the Matrixbrute to interface with your standard 1V per octave modular synth gear.!!20. Audio Input:!Line and instrument levels allow for adding an external oscillator from your favorite modular synth or processing a guitar or bass through the filters, VCA and analog effects.!!21. Gate I/O:!The Gate inputs and outputs allow you to trigger external gear or trigger the internal envelopes remotely.!!22. Sync in and out!This allows you to synchronize the MatrixBrute’s sequencer and arpeggiator with external devices.!!23. Pedal Inputs!Expression and Sustain pedal inputs give you real-time control to expand on your expressive capabilities control.!!24. MIDI Interfacing!Standard MIDI in, out and thru will connect you to both modern and vintage gear alike.!!25. USB!!USB I/O allows you to interface to a computer DAW directly. This is also the link to use our free editor/librarian software provided for the MatrixBrute.!If you are serious about anything to do with analog synthesis, this ought to be your control center for everything. It can control other synths and plug-ins, It has so many modulation sources and routing possibilities, I doubt you could exhaust them. Once more, it can control other synths (via MIDI of control voltage) so if you have one of the new Eurorack / series 500 modular synths, this could be your savior.!!!

I admit for having an extra fondness and a leaning to attitude toward the Arturia product line and staff. I have had the pleasure of being a 3rd party programmer for some of their plug-ins and helped them with an expansion pack for the Spark 2 drum machine plug-in under the name of “Hollywood Essentials” with myself, Alan Howarth and Mark Mangini (all well known sound designers for film and TV). Yes a shameless plug! But Arturia doesn’t need anybody’s endorsement. Just play one of their plug-ins or stand alone synths and the game is over as you’ll want one! Especially if you have previously owned the real thing as I have. It may only have monophonic (one note at a time) capability, but that one note is simply a fantastic sound – period! Arturia MatrixBrute Street price $ 1,999. https://www.arturia.com/products/matrixbrute/overview!!Besides the Matrix Brute arturia has a new analog drum machine called……….the Drum Brute (surprise, surprise).

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Yamaha Montage!!!

� !!!Features:!

• Aftertouch-enabled, FSX weighted keybed • Stereo 128-note polyphony, for full stereo sound without note stealing • Motion Control matrix gives you command over 2 powerful synthesis engines • AWM2 (waveform synthesis) • FM-X ( 8 operator frequency modulation) • Almost 10 times the waveform capacity of Yamaha's MotifXF • Super Knob lets you modulate multiple parameters in real time • Motion Sequences - tempo-synched control sequences assign to any parameter • Envelope Follower lets you use any audio as a modulator for any parameter • Powerful DSP effects engine

Yamaha brings back FM synthesis and sampling in a new workstation with great fanfare. The last time we saw this combo was in the Yamaha SY-99 which only had 16 note polyphony. This powerhouse has 128 note polyphony and a new breed of FM (8 operators or FM-X). There should be a many new programmers who will go wild for this one as the FM engine filled with more algorithms, DSP effects will enhance the overall sound and it’s advanced sampling library will layer with the FM engine. A large knob on the front panel controls what Yamaha is calling Motion Control (a highly programmable control matrix for creating deep, dynamic and incredibly expressive sound). The Motion Control Synthesis Engine controls both Sound Engines: AWM2 and FM-X. These two engines can be freely zoned or layered across eight parts in a single MONTAGE Performance. MONTAGE is directly compatible with Motif XF Voices. Yamaha is developing an FM converter to make it compatible with DX7 series Voices as well. Just playing the factory patches at the show inspired me to play super ballad EPs, Funky wah-clavs, vintage Wurlitzers, analog leads, pads, and comps. It seemed to cover so many bases of keyboard sounds so well. I hope they come out with a super rack mount version of this one! The FM sounds completely deliver.!!Although this main Yamaha workstation was released last year, NAMM 2017 introduced Version 1.5 with the following features:!

1. Further exploration of Motion Sequences, dynamic Super Knob control and new creative uses using the Envelope Follower and Vocoder.!

2. New Rotary Speaker Effect with New Organ Performances.!3. New Dynamic Processors and Presence.!4. Expanded Motion Control capabilities.!5. Super Knob Enable/Disable on Assignable Knobs.!6. MIDI Scene Control - The MONTAGE “Scene” feature is a powerful way to add interactive dimension to a

Performance. Scene changes can add Arpeggios, Motion Sequences, Mute Parts and more.!7. Improved Auto Beat Sync -  Accuracy Auto Beat Sync is a very cool feature that derives tempo from audio. In other

words, MONTAGE “listens” to the beat like a musician. This could be a live drum kit, drum loop, rhythm guitar or any source with solid, rhythmic time.!

8. New Backup File - The Backup File lets you load and save your entire MONTAGE content to a single file.!9.  Performance View - You can now get a detailed view of key range for Parts and see individual Part Element/Operator

states from the main Performance/Home screen.!10. Live Set Improvements - Selected Performances are now highlighted in Orange and you can change the size of the

font within the Live Set for much greater visibility.!11. Parameter with Part - When adding Parts to a Performance, you can choose to inherit settings from the Part. !12. Monitor Volume for USB Input - OS v1.5 adds USB audio monitor control. This is useful for quickly adjusting the

incoming audio level from a DAW or iOS device. It’s also handy when listening to music on the computer.!Yamaha Montage 8 Street price $3,999.!http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/synthesizers/montage/!!!!

Roland RD-2000 !!

� ! !Roland elected to launch several new products at CES earlier in Jan. 2017 (the GoKeys, GoPiano, GoMixer and the Rubix audio interfaces). These were aimed at the semi-pro and home market. Roland only released on new keyboard at NAMM 2017, but it’s a spectacular choice for most composers because it’s got a great keyboard feel, packed with the sounds Roland is famous for (especially the electric pianos), it’s got a computer interface built in and makes a good MIDI controller for your entire system. I’m still in love with the MKS-20 rhodes sound in particular.!!

!Roland's RD2000 has two sound engines; the first handles the acoustic piano, which is said to incorporate Roland's latest V-Piano technologies, and while the second powers an electric piano library that includes classic EPs from the 1970s, plus all-new recreations of the Roland RD-1000 and MKS-20 from the 1980s. You'll also find more than 1,100 ensemble sounds that cover multiple musical styles. You get an 88-note PHA-50 progressive hammer-action keyboard to play these sounds. There are also "extensive" controller features on the newly-designed interface. There's a USB audio/MIDI interface built in, so you can integrate computer-based software instruments into your performances. The main stereo outs are on XLR and 1/4-inch jacks, and there's also an assignable stereo sub output. ! !!

Roland RD-2000 88-key Stage Piano Features:!• Roland's next-generation RD stage piano !• 2 independent sound engines and extensive controller features!• Dedicated acoustic piano sound engine with full polyphony!• Second SuperNATURAL sound engine with 128-voice polyphony for EPs and additional sounds!• 8 knobs with LED status indicators; faders for real-time control over sounds and effects!• 8 assignable zones for combining internal sounds and external sources (including VIs)!• PHA-50 keyboard features hybrid wood/molded construction, advanced sensor mechanism!• Onboard electric pianos include Roland's classic RD-1000 and MKS-20!• Re-creations of vintage analog effects include BOSS CE-1 Chorus, Roland Dimension D, and more!• Over 1100 non-piano sounds include organs, synths, brass, orchestral strings, and many others!• 2 wave expansion slots for loading additional sounds from Roland's Axial website!• 100-scene memories for saving and one-touch setup recall!• Traditional Roland pitch/mod lever, plus 2 assignable wheel controllers!• 4 pedal inputs may be configured for damper pedals, expression pedals, and more!• DP-10 pedal included for damper pedal operation!• Onboard 24-bit/192kHz USB audio/MIDI interface !• Support for high-resolution RAINLINK velocity control !

Roland RD-2000. A price and release date are still to be confirmed. If you’re looking for an all in one keyboard/controller for studio, gigs and practicing, this could be a really good choice.!!!!!

ARP Odyssey FS (Revs 1-2-3) From KORG !!!

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Last year KORG unveiled the return of the ARP Odyssey but very few musicians bought it for one (way too small) reason. It had MINI SIZED KEYS!! Just try to play a decent synth lead on mini keys and you’ll immediately know why this wasn’t a great idea. Well KORG thankfully listened and this NAMM released the ARP Odyssey FS or “Full Sized” keys model. Frankly, those who would buy it simply want the original sound and feel of the original. It does just that but includes a MIDI in and USB connectors. You get to choose which original face plate (white trim – gold trim or orange trim) you want. This took me back to the glory days of synths when guys like Herbie Hancock (Headhunters - Sunlight), Elton John Rocket Man, Kraftwerk’s Robot, Styx, Brian Eno on Bowie’s Sound & Vision and so many others classic recordings. KORG’s ARP Odyssey FS Street price $1,599. http://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/arpodyssey_fs/!!!

MODULAR !!!Besides the software synths and keyboard synths, this year’s NAMM show released a plethora of MODULAR!!!!!!Typically past NAMM show had 3 or 4 obscure companies showing there middles synths, but this year I saw at least 20 different companies with there new models (mostly Eurorack 500 series which seems extremely popular for there compact sizes). Here are just a few photos:!

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!Software Synths Mac - Win PC

!Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 and Keyscape!

$499 Download/Boxed $249 Upgrade

Eric Pershing and company have always led the sampling world with innovation and high standards. They started back when hardware samplers were the only option and libraries came on CD-ROM. When plug-in engines became popular, Spectrasonics again lead the way with Atmosphere, Trilogy and Stylus. Spectrasonics then built their own plug-in engine and updated their libraries to Omnisphere, Trilian and Stylus RMX. As a synth guru, I always wondered why Omnisphere was big on cinematic sounds and kick ass synth sounds but lacked even on decent Fender Rhodes electric piano. What Spectrasonics was no telling us was that a huge update was in the making that not only updates the original Omnisphere library, but adds a whole new library of keyboard sounds that function as a stand alone or even better as a Omnisphere 2 companion!!!So what’s new in Omnisphere 2?!Audio Import: You can now use your own audio files as a sound source in Omnisphere 2, by simply dragging onto the interface! The take that sample through the Omnisphere synthesis engine and create something totally new or combine it with a Omnisphere 2 preset!!!New Synthesis Possibilities: Over 400 New DSP Waveforms for the Synth Oscillator!Wavetable Synthesis - Each Waveform is now a Morphing Wavetable!Powerful New Granular Synthesis algorithm!Deeper FM/Ring Mod capabilities for aggressive timbres!8 New Filter Types - New Power Filters, Vowel, Resonators!New Unison Drift models Analog Poly synth behavior!Expanded Modulation with new sources and many more targets!Polyphonic LFO and Modulation Envelope options!Sound source Reversing!!Additional Omnisphere library sounds: More than 4,500 brand new patches and sound sources!New "Spotlight EDM" library with cutting-edge, modern sounds!New Exclusive Sound sources from Diego Stocco's Custom Built Instruments!New category of Phrase-based Sound sources for granular synthesis!Hundreds of new Circuit Bent Sound sources!Many Innovative new Psychoacoustic Sound sources!New Melodic Cave Stalactites Sound sources !Redesigned Interface and functionality Note transposition for step seq-style patterns!Arp pattern lock while browsing!Speed Offset control allows slow down/speed up effects!New modulation capabilities!Redesigned Wider User Interface with many improvements!New Show Modulation pane on left side!New Mini-Browser available at all time!Live Mode with key splits!Enhanced Orb with Attractor mode!Tweak Trilian Custom Controls Interface inside Omnisphere!Global Clock Speed (Half time, Double time, etc.)!!25 New FX Units

!• Innerspace!• Quad Resonators!• Thriftshop Speaker!• Classic Twin!• Bassman!• Hi-Wattage!• Rock Stack!• Brit-Vox!• Boutique!• San-Z-Amp!• Stompbox Modeler!• Metalzone Distortion!• Toxic Smasher!• Foxxy Fuzz!• Analog Phaser!• Analog Flanger!• Analog Chorus!• Analog Vibrato!• Solina Ensemble!• Vintage Tremolo!• Envelope Filter!• Crying Wah!• Stomp-Comp!• Precision Compressor!• Studio 2-Band EQ!!New FX features:!16 FX units per patch!Full matrix modulation of every FX slot!New Aux FX rack per patch with Pre/Post fader sends!Hundreds of New FX Presets and Racks!Lock FX while browsing !!This isn’t just some additional features and a couple of new patches, this is a well thought out redesign of the whole system with basically double the original library. Spectrasonics team had so many feature requests with the original Omnisphere that I surprised that so many were addressed and that the company actually listens to their users with real results. I’ve had the upgrade for a couple of months and only scratched the surface of new sounds and new features. But the biggest feature I wanted was to combine cool synth pads and leads with standard keyboard sounds that I thought were missing in Omnisphere. But hidden to our knowledge, the Spectrasonics team had already been working on this huge request for ten years with the idea of really starting from scratch. It’s called “Keyscape” and it IS the perfect companion to Omnisphere 2.

!Spectrasonics Keyscape

!$379 street price Keyscape is more than just a collection of vintage keyboards. It’s a labour of love project that first started out looking for not just any Fender Rhodes, Not just any Clavinet, Not just any toy piano, but looking for real collector models and completely restoring them to new condition. There’s plenty of vintage keyboard sample libraries - a plethora of them. But no sample library compares to Keyscape in quality, attention to detail and playability with engine feature that match Omnisphere 2 (big surprise) which is why you can open an mix/match sounds between Omnisphere 2 and Keyscape within the Omnisphere 2 interface.!!All presets and effects are optimized in every preset to make use of the engine to not only bring back classic sounds and some new variations that you couldn’t do back in the day!!!If you’re smart enough to get both Omnisphere 2 and Keyscape, Spectrasonics offers “Keyscape Creative” ( a set of 1200 patches that combine the capabilities of both Omnisphere 2 and Keyscape. !!Now for details:!!C7 grand piano!Several upright pianos!3 Fender Rhodes electric pianos!2 Wurlitzer electric pianos!Yamaha CP-70 electric Grand!Honner Pianets and Clavinets!Lots of metallic (bel and tine) keyboards like celeste, chi matron and dulcitone!Toy Pianos (yes toy pianos)!Bass tine electric pianos!!And three of the best Roland digital piano racks ever produced!MKS20 - MKS80 - JD800!!These 3 digital EPs combined with the C7 grand or Fender Rhodes EP just bring back the thick ballad sound of David Foster and Quincy Jones produced tracks! Just beautiful warmth without overpowering the rest of the rhythm section.!!Like Omnisphere, the engine allows for two instrument to layer together and there are plenty of factory patches that make use of this capability. The LA rhodes is such a classic bell tone tine sound like one would hear on an 80’s Al Jarreau album. I really enjoyed demoing the clavinet with a CC volume style pedal assigned to a wah effect. Go to https://www.spectrasonics.net/video/videos.php to hear and see video demos of this product. I think it an essential (especially if you have Omnisphere 2).! !!!

!Arturia V Collection

I know I just said the Spectrasonic’s software is an essential, but Arturia is another must for me. Mainly because there are times when I really need to go back and program the sound I’m looking for by scratch using the front panel or patch cords I’m so used to having. I need an Earth, Wind & Fire synth, or I need a Herbie Hancock Chameleon bass, etc. When you need a sound, lots of times instead of sifting through thousands of presets, I can get there quicker by saying “OK - I need the ARP 2600 bass sound that Joe Zawinul made for Birdland - so I open one Arturia’s 2600 presets and get close. Then I tweak it to perfection and nail it via the Arturia 2600 interface. In other words unlike Omnisphere, instead of starting with a Omnisphere preset or opening the a set of samples that they recorded off an ARP 2600 using their taste at to what sounds good, Arturia uses physical modeling that basically gives you all parameters that you would have if the real 2600 were sitting right in front of you.!!To be fair, both Omnisphere and the Arturia V collection are packed with thousands of great presets if that’s all you need, but imagine the fun of going into a Logic Track Stack and combining the Prophet V synced oscillator lead with one of the Omnisphere cinematic ambient evolving pads. It’s simply synth heaven to have the best of both world’s at your fingertips. Even if you don’t know how to program the Arturia’s V collection synth’s at first, it’s easy to just grab a preset and layer it with some other synth plug-in. Many times I’ll double up on two Arturia synths. I got this killer Steve Poccaro TOTO style brass comping patch by combining the Matrix 12 Synth brass preset with the Jupiter 8 Synth brass preset.!!Remember that Arturia’s V collection already had a wonderful collation of software synths that included emulations of :!Minimoog, Oberheim Matrix-12 , Arp Solina, Oberheim SEM, Wurlizter EP, Roland Jupiter-8, ARP 2600, Yamaha CS-80, SCI Prophet, VOX Continental, Moog Modular.!!Instead of resting on their laurels, Arturia continued to use their TAE modeling technology and now added for NAMM 2017 the following soft synths to the V collection:!NED Synclavier, Hammond B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes Stage-73 electric piano, Farfisa organ and new for Arturia to emulate an Acoustic Grand Piano. !!At $499, this is so much a no brainer in my book. I once considered the idea of getting a few classic synths in my recording studio, but after working with the Arturia V collection, I no longer feel the need as their spot on emulations give me no only the raw power of the originals, but real ease of programability (not to mention more polyphony, effects and MIDI control of everything). I found it refreshing of have the Arturia Synclavier interface so easy to program. Great to have this additive/FM synth engine back.!!!

Native Instruments Monark !

� !$99 or included in “Komplete 11” !MONARK delivers the sound of analog mono synths. MONARK was created using the low-level modular DSP framework of REAKTOR CORE and takes advantage of Zero-Delay Feedback technology as formulated by its creator, Native Instruments' Vadim Zavalishin. Using mathematical prediction, ZDF technology eliminates the sample delay normally produced when trying to digitally model analog circuits involving feedback, such as a resonant filter. Because it’s impossible to recreate complex analog circuits with mathematics alone, MONARK’s engineers relied on their ears to make the final adjustments to its sound. It’s also included in NI’s Komplete collection.!

Rob Papen Blade !

� !!!!At the heart of BLADE, lies the Harmolator. This special oscillator system uses 9 global controls which change the harmonic content (partials) of the waveform. The Harmolator allows oscillator spreading, fattening the sound and also square / sine wave sub-oscillator. What's more, the sound can be modified further by the 21 per-voice distortions types and 14 filter types.Blade offers total control of the sound over time using an array of different modulation controls.!!!The most significant of Blade is the central XY screen. Here you can either alter things directly by moving the cursor around, or you can record paths which can be replayed.The recorded path can be looped, bi-directional looped and tempo based as well. Even the speed of the XY recording can be modulated for dynamic changes!!So the XY pad is also an incredibly advanced “human input” modulation source. Furthermore, Blade has the full range of other modulation sources, including a dedicated envelope, LFO and velocity as modulation source for Harmolator controls.!Two FX units featuring all the FX from other Rob Papen products, plus the Arp / Sequencer and an Easy page which allows you to easily control sounds, all add up to an amazingly flexible and useful instrument at the cutting edge of today's synthesizers! For $499. you can get 15 Rob Papen FX and synths in the explorer 4 bundle including blade. !!

U-He Diva!

� !Diva is based on a number of modules that closely model components of classic synths from Moog, Roland and Korg. You can mix and match each section, with options for voltage- or digitally controlled oscillators and envelopes, plus a selection of multimode, ladder, cascade and bite filters. This opens up a wide range of combinations and it’s easy to get great-sounding results. Along the bottom is the Global section, from where you can set up and tweak LFOs, tuning, amp, pan, voice stacking and much more, as well as selecting from two FX slots including phasing, chorus, reverb and delay. Diva consumes a fair amount of CPU in high-quality mode, but represents the current pinnacle of analogue-modeled sound. An new “Oxide” preset bank is new for NAMM! $179 street price!

iZotope Iris 2 !

� !!!Iris is a little different from your average synth as it’s a ‘sampling resynthesizer’ that uses sampled digital audio to generate sound. There are three sample layers available per patch as well as a Sub layer that lets you add lower frequencies to a sound, plus a main display that shows either a waveform or a spectrogram view. Iris works by enabling you to select parts of a sound, both from its waveform and also within its spectrum, using the same technology that you find in RX, with a comprehensive set of tools that let you home in on a particular part of a sound. This intuitive synth is an amazing resource for sound designers, and layering up samples makes it easy to create breathtaking sound effects. $149.00!!!

KORG Gadget collection

$199 during introductory period - available late spring 2017 The award winning KORG Gadget music production iOS app is soon to be released for the Mac. KORG Gadget for Mac provides a new dimension of inspiration for every creative artist. The Mac version supports AU, VST, AAX, and NKS plug-in formats. With KORG Gadget, you can use the Mac version at home and the iOS version when you are mobile, letting you enjoy a seamless workflow between tablet and computer.!!!Main features of KORG Gadget for Mac !!* The ultimate Gadget collection includes all of the more than 30 gadgets. !* Intuitive and simple operation that delivers powerful music production !* Power users can get back to the basics, beginners can jump right into great music making. !* Takes advantage of the large screen with a single-window four-split (divided in four) screen design. !* Comes with "Gadget Plug-in Collection," a magnificent collection of plug-ins that support AU, VST, AAX, and NKS. !* Two new gadgets provide long-awaited audio recording. !* A new powerful drum gadget with 16 pads. !* Supports the latest technology including Allihoopa, Ableton Link, and Bluetooth MIDI. See more at: http://www.korg.com/us/news/2017/011202/#sthash.OMrTw182.dpuf

Software Synths (Mac iOS - iPad) !

KORG i-MS20 !!

� ! !With the iMS-20, Korg hit on to the winning formula of bringing a classic analogue synth to the iOS platform - complete with a faithfully retro interface - and combining it with a recreation of the SQ-10 16-step sequencer, a six-part drum machine, mixer and built-in effects. Of course, as with any software emulation, design and features mean nothing unless the sound hits the spot; fortunately the iMS-20 scores top marks with its faithful rich analogue-style tones. $29.99!!!

Arturia iProphet !

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Arturia's third iPad synth is an emulation of Sequential Circuits' 80s classic, the Prophet VS. The first synthesizer to employ vector synthesis, the VS featured a joystick for mixing between its four wavetable oscillators - a core architectural element that's fully replicated on iProphet, along with an 'Envelope Mixer' for automating its movement. $9.99!!

Moog Animoog !

� !!Animoog is a wavetable synthesizer, albeit one stuffed with samples from Moog’s classic and contemporary synths. There are up to eight timbres splayed across an 8x16 X/Y grid, and sounds can be moved dynamically through those timbres each time a note is played. This won a Tec award at NAMM. $29.99!!!!

Hardware interfaces !!!

Apollo Twin Quad processor Audio Interface

!Universal Audio's Apollo Twin was an easy sell - high-quality I/O meets access to the acclaimed library of UAD DSP-powered plugins in a portable package - and we suspect that there'll be plenty of takers for the new MkII version as well.!Available with Solo, Duo or new Quad Core processing, this 2-in/6-out interface features redesigned A/D and D/A conversion that's said to deliver increased dynamic range and ultra-low THD. The Unison technology on the dual mic preamps and front-panel DI is designed to ape the sound of a selection of famous solid-state preamps, guitar amps and stomp boxes from the likes of Neve, API and Fender.There's improved monitor functionality in comparison to the original Twin, and Universal Audio's Realtime Analog Classics UAD plugin bundle comes as standard. Street prices for the Apollo Twin MkII are expected to be $699 (Solo), $899 (Duo), and $1,299 (Quad). !!Universal Audio Apollo Twin MkII features:!!• Desktop 2x6 Thunderbolt audio interface for Mac and Windows with next-generation 24-bit/192 kHz audio conversion!• Available UAD-2 QUAD, DUO, or SOLO Core Processing for tracking through vintage compressors, EQs, tape machines, !• mic preamps, and guitar amp plug-ins with near-zero latency!• Unison technology offers stunning models of classic tube and transformer-based preamps, guitar amps, and stompboxes!• Built-in talkback mic for communication with studio talent and recording slate cues!• Improved monitor functionality including monitor remote functions and Mono, Mute, DIM, and ALT monitor controls!• 2 premium Unison mic/line preamps; 2 line outputs; front-panel Hi-Z instrument input and headphone output!• 2 digitally controlled analog monitor outputs for full resolution at all listening levels!• Up to 8 channels of additional digital input via Optical TOSLINK connection!• Includes Realtime Analog Classics UAD plug-in bundle, featuring Legacy versions of the LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, !• 1176LN Limiting Amplifier, and Pultec EQP-1A Program Equalizer, plus Softube Amp Room Essentials, Raw Distortion, !• 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and more!• Runs UAD Powered Plug-Ins via VST, Audio Units, RTAS, & AAX 64 in all major DAWs!!I run an Apollo 8p interface in my new studio. Mainly so I can run their plug-ins!

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Apogee Symphony I/O Mk II Thunderbolt !!!! !

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Highlights!!• Best AD/DA conversion of any Thunderbolt audio interface!• Up to 32 channels of modular analog I/O with optional 8 mic preamps!• Best per-channel value of any interface in its category!• Choice of Thunderbolt, Pro Tools® HD (Mac/PC) or Waves SoundGrid® connectivity*!• Ultra-low latency performance!• Intuitive touchscreen display and front panel control!• Option card slot for future platform flexibility!• Designed in California, Built in the U.S.A.!!

! •! 2×6 Configuration: $2295 USD! ! •! 8×8 Configuration: $3295 USD! ! •! 16×16 Configuration: $4295 USD! ! •! 8×8+8MP Configuration: $4690 USD! !Apogee interfaces have always been a high end product line, but I find them in so many major commercial and top home !studios that their reputation stands for clean and pristine audio. Apogee continues with this level of expertise with it’s new !Symphony series interface. What’s new is their 2 way compatibility with Thunderbolt, PT HD and Sound Grid formats. !Previous high end interfaces had proprietary formats so that transferring audio data was problematic. Multi-channel audio at !this resolution is a major studio need to compete with any other studio and format compatibility is always an issue. I see many !top composer studios running Logic X and the Apogee Symphony I/O Mark II.!!!

MOTU - Three new half rack choices !!!!!!

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At this year’s NAMM show, MOTU displayed 3 new audio interfaces with complementary digital audio I/O configurations, flexible routing, stand-alone mixing, AVB-TSN networking and connectivity to a host computer through class compliant, high-speed USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 3.0 and iOS). All three units share the same advanced features as MOTU's other latest-generation interfaces, including ultra low-latency USB drivers, flexible internal routing, 48-channel mixing, DSP effects and Wi-Fi control.!!What’s different about these interfaces? How they get audio in and out (different formats).!!The M64 — 256 channels of MADI I/O $595!The M64 provides one bank of optical MADI I/O, plus a 2nd independent bank of coaxial MADI I/O on BNC connectors, for a total of 256 simultaneous MADI I/O channels. A duplicate BNC output is included for splitting the coax bank to two separate destinations, without the need for a separate splitter. This is the least expensive way to use the MADI format that I know of.!

8D — Professional digital I/O with SRC $595!The 8D provides two stereo pairs (four channels) of AES3 digital I/O and two stereo pairs of RCA S/PDIF digital I/O, for a total of 8 digital I/O channels. The AES3 inputs are equipped with sample rate conversion for easy, trouble-free digital transfers.!!

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!LP32 — 32 channels of ADAT "lightpipe" I/O $595!The LP32 provides four banks of 8-channel ADAT optical "lightpipe" digital I/O for a total of 32 channels at 44.1/48 kHz or 16 channels of SMUX at 88.2/96 kHz. Each I/O bank is individually switchable between 8-channel ADAT, 4-channel SMUX or stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF).

Slate Digital - VRS-8 / ML-2

!Slate Digital new Virtual Recording Studio includes a low-latency audio interface, a new addition to the Virtual Microphone System, and the company's established preamp, outboard and effects modeling plugins.!!!The interface, called VRS-8, is an eight-channel box with a VMS-One preamp (as used in Virtual Microphone System's hardware interface) on every channel, feeding all-new AKM5578 A/D converters with a reported 124dB dynamic range, as well as an XTC clock for what we're told is super-stable, jitter-free timing, JFET instrument preamps, and two headphone outputs with discrete amps.!!

The VMS-One mic pre gives an ultra-linear response, serving as a 'blank canvas' for the software mic modeling of Slate's Virtual Microphone System - which brings us to the second element of Virtual Recording Studio: the ML-2 modeling mic, essentially a much cheaper, small-diaphragm alternative to the large-diaphragm ML-1.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The ML-2 outputs a perfectly neutral signal for transformation into any of almost 20 emulated vintage and modern microphones in the VMS plugin, and processing with one of Slate's (currently only two) virtual preamps and/or, of course, any other plugins you like.!!The VRS-8 will cost $1999, including a year's subscription to Slate's Everything Bundle and a permanent license for Virtual Preamp Collection. The ML-2 comes in at $150, and you'll be able to buy a VRS-8 with five ML-2s for $2499, and throw in an ML-1 for another $500 (usual price $999).

!iConnectivity Connect Audio 2/4

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Sometimes you simply need a small portable interface that can connect with just about any laptop or computer. The ConnectAUDIO2/4 has 2 neutrik inputs, a headphone jack, MIDI in/out, 2 phono outs and a USB 2.0 connection in a half rack space case. Simple.!

!iConnectivity describes their ConnectAUDIO2/4 as an easy to use, ultra-sturdy, 2-input/4-output professional audio and MIDI interface for MacOS, Windows, Linux, and iOS (Requires Apple Lightning-to-USB-3 Camera Adapter).!!Features:!! •! easy to set up and control!! •! Multi-mode direct monitoring. Full metering modes of all the audio signals going in and out!! •! Easy to set levels and check/assign routing!! •! Two extra assignable outputs to make it fit your application, such as you're cuing or tracking!! •! Headphones can have an independent mix!! •! Are you using an instrument and a condenser mic? Or one dynamic mic? Individually switchable +48V phantom power for each input!! •! USB 2.0 bus-powered, no wall power required!! •! studio-quality interface with industrial-grade metal chassis. No protruding parts to break off!! •! iConnectivity MIDI inside! !$149.99 street price!

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Sample Libraries !

Vienna Symphonic Library Historical Winds I

Whether you’re following an authentic performance practice or you’re just looking for new inspiring sound sources – Historic

This Collection features recordings of five rare instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque periods: Transverse flute, Baroque oboe, oboe da caccia, ophicleide and serpent.!The transverse flute is a reedless woodwind instrument - a predecessor of the modern concert flute. Unlike the modern flute the Baroque flute has just one valve and a limited key range of about 2½ octaves. The body is made of wood, thus its warm and soft sound is more similar to the recorder than to the sound of a modern (transverse) flute. !!The Baroque oboe is a double reed woodwind instrument that appeared in the mid-17th century covering the soprano range from c1 to d3. As opposed to the modern oboe the Baroque oboe has only three keys. In order to produce higher pitches, the player has to “overblow”, meaning to increase the force of air to reach the next harmonic.!!!The oboe da caccia covers the alto register of the Baroque oboe and looks like a hunting horn with its curved tube and brass bell. It is a transposed instrument in F, so it sounds a 5th lower than the oboe. Bach wrote parts for the oboe da caccia in his cantatas, passions, and especially in his Christmas Oratorio. The successor to the oboe da caccia is the French horn.!!The ophicleide is a conical-bore brass instrument belonging to the bugle family that is similar to the tuba. The ophicleide is most famously used in Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique”, but also Wagner and Verdi wrote parts for it. !!The serpent is easily recognized by its exceptional visual appearance, covering the bass register of the cornetto family of instruments. Serpents are usually made out of wood covered by leather. The round, brass-type mouthpiece is similar to that of a trombone or tuba so the instrument can be considered as an ancestor of the tuba. However, the wooden construction and the fact that the instrument has six finger holes rather than valves makes it difficult to classify it clearly as either a woodwind or brass instrument. The serpent was rediscovered in the 20th century by legendary film music composers such as Bernard Hermann (1959: Journey to the Center of the Earth) and Jerry Goldsmith, who used it to create “alien” sounds for Ridley Scott’s legendary sci-fi horror movie “Alien” (1979).!!!!!!!!

Historical Winds II!

Historic Winds II includes recordings of nine rare instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque era: Cornett, five crumhorns,

and three natural trumpets.!!The Cornett (or zink – not to be confused with the trumpet-like Cornet) was a popular wind instrument of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Its conical wooden pipe is about 24 inches long and covered in leather. There are no valves but six front finger holes as well as a thumb hole on the back, as on the recorder. The cup mouthpiece is usually made of horn, ivory or bone and it takes a lot of practice to achieve pure intonation. !!The Crumhorn’s name is derived from the German “Krummhorn”, which means “bent horn”. The lower part of the instrument is bent upwards in a curve like the letter “J” and the cylindrical shaped pipe has seven finger holes on the front and one on the back. Unlike recorders Crumhorns have a double-reed mouthpiece like the bassoon; it produces the typically bright and “nasal” timbre that music of the Renaissance period is often associated with. Historic Winds II contains recordings of five different crumhorns, covering the soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and double bass register.!!Natural trumpets were originally used as military instruments for acoustic signals. As they have no valves the instruments are characterized by their long tubing compared to modern trumpets. They can only produce notes of the natural harmonic series, from the 3rd to the 16th, of the corresponding key. Impure harmonics, such as the 7th, 11th, 13th and 14th note of the harmonic series, and even chromatic notes can be achieved with advanced “lipping” techniques. The majority of Baroque trumpet parts were written for natural instruments pitched in Bb, C or D. VSL has recorded three different Natural trumpet in these keys to provide you with utmost flexibility.!!!!!!

Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 2

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HIGHLIGHTS!!Specifically designed for Epic music!DISTRICT I - ORCHESTRA: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Harp Ensemble!DISTRICT II - CHOIR: Children, Woman, Basso Profundo!DISTRICT III - EPIC PERCUSSION!DISTRICT IV - KEYS: Soft Piano, Piano Ensemble, Harmonium, Positif Organ!21 Sections/ Instruments!Extensive Articulation Sets!True Legato for nearly all sections!!Based on CAPSULE for KONTAKT Player!Works with the free Kontakt Player or Kontakt 5.5.1 full!110 GB of samples (54 GB NCW compressed)!!!!!The follow-up to the Metropolis Ark 1. Ark 2 includes High Strings (24 Violins), Mid Strings (10 Violas, 8 Celli), and Low Strings (8 Celli, 12 Basses), Brass Ensembles (Fluegelhorns, Wagner Tubas, Bass Trumpets, Tubas, Euphoniums), Woodwind sections (Alto Flutes, Bass Flutes, Bass Clarinets, Contrabass Clarinets), 3 different choirs out of men, woman, and children, Correns Harps (6 Harp ensemble), Glamer Pianos (3 Steinway piano ensemble)Harmonium, a Positif Organ, and a lot of useful atmospheric percussion instruments. Metropolis Ark 2 aims at an all-in-one solution to create epic music at its low dynamic scope. Metropolis Ark 2 was recorded at the fabulous-sounding Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin. Orchestral tools CAPSULE engine is a flexible articulation management system and is the technical heart of Metropolis Ark 2. Apply legato transitions to every articulation you want, morph and blend between up to four articulations, build your own patches, set up key switches the way you want them, get full control over microphones and panning.!!!!If your planning for writing an epic score, the Metropolis Ark 1 and Ark 2 are an easier way to get their. Their textures are thick yet not overwhelming. Their treatment of instrument in their low registers is superior to most other libraries. the choices of instruments lend themselves well to action sequences. Don’t look for subtlety here. This is meant for giant full orchestral cues!!The real contender to the VSL library is frankly the Berlin Series from Orchestral Tool. Especially when it comes to fast attacks from strings and winds. Check out OrchestralTools.com to hear product demos of everything they make.!!

Cinesamples !

Viola Da Gamba !!!!!!!

Cinesamples is well known for their orchestral sample libraries and their “world” instrument series. I recently included their Zither/Dulcimer library into my palette and it’s really well done and musically useful. Since I have a cellist brother who is also known for his Baroque ensemble work playing the Viola Da Gamba, I had to take a look at Cinesamples new Viola Da Gamba library. The Viola da Gamba is a 6-stringed bowed and fretted instrument that first appeared in Spain in the mid to late 15th century and was most popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Think of it as a fat viola or an anorexic cello played between the legs. These samples (like most of Cinesamples libraries) were recorded at the MGM scoring stage (on the SONY picture lot) also known as the Barbara Streisand stage. This is of of the finest scoring stages in the world having an amazing history of orchestral recording sessions (including scores for The Wizard of OZ, (1939, Herbert Stothart), Gone with the Wind (1939, Max Steiner); Anchors Aweigh (1945, George Stoll); Ben Hur (1959, Miklos Rozsa); Lawrence of Arabia (1962, Maurice Jarre); and Doctor Zhivago (1965, Maurice Jarre). !

!This instrument is strung with 6 gut strings that are tuned to: D1, G1, C2, E2, A2 and D3.!! The Viola Da Gamba is fretted in a manner similar to early guitars or lutes, by means of movable wrapped-around and tied-on gut frets.  The movable nature of the tied-on frets permits the player to make adjustments to the tempering of the instrument. On this particular instrument, the frets only extend 7 semi-tones on each string.  !

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This Viola Da Gamba library offers the following articulations:!Sustains, True Legato, staccato, chug, sforzando, pizzicato, with an optional accent overlay. The Drones patch contains Measured Sustains, Trills, Tremolos, Sul Ponticello Drones, and Open Strings. By default these articulations are chosen using keyswitches. !!! FULL version of Kontakt v5.5.0 and above required! ! ! Native 64-bit support for stand-alone and plug-in versions on both Mac & PC! ! ! Compatible with all major DAWs and with music notation software, using the Kontakt Engine !!For those of you who already have the Cinewinds library, check out cinesamples.com for the 1.3 update. In fact check out everything they make as the quality is excellent. ! !!

Guitars/Basses !

East West MIDI Guitar series !Already well known for their For those of you tech savvy guitarists who already know about the Fishman TriplePlay Wireless MIDI Guitar Controller, our friends over at East/West have adapted a group of sample libraries that are optimized for the TriplePlay system. This is a product upcoming for spring 2107 and going to http://www.soundsonline.com will keep you updated. There are 5 libraries available divided into Orchestra - Ethnic & Voices - Soundscapes - Guitar & Bass - Keys & Percussion. A preliminary demo video featuring Jennifer Batten is already posted so that you can listen to the libraries. I’ve already been hearing from many guitarists who tell be the latency of playing a string and triggering a MIDI instrument was always problematic until the Fishman TriplePlay became available. As you watch this video, you can tell that latency is almost undetectable and does not seem to hinder the guitarists ability to record a virtual instrument. !!!Also from East West is a subscription service that allows access to over 10,000 of East West’s virtual instruments called the “Composer Cloud”. It costs basically $30 a month or $300 per year. Expect more sample library companies to follow East West’s business model because it offers a way for those who can’t immediately shell out large sums of cash for their scoring project libraries. It’s also a way to gain access to more sample libraries than you might not otherwise have. To boot, if you qualify as a student or teacher it’s only a very affordable $15 a month. So kudos to East West for thinking of those starving musicians on a limited budget.!!Of course NAMM 2017 had plenty of new guitars, pedal stomp boxes, amps and am heads. Here are a few standouts:!!

MARTIN D-200 Deluxe!!I know that most of you guitarists have both acoustics and electrics, but my award for the most beautiful looking and sounding guitar at NAMM 2017 is the Martin D-200 Deluxe. The NAMM demo was just outstanding in sound. Of course it’s a limited edition series for Martin, but this guitar just outshines everything in it’s class. It’s not only prohibitively expensive (it lists for about $149,000.00) it’s meant for only a handful of people. Fortunately for the rest of us, Martin makes plenty of guitars that sound wonderful and are affordable (within reason starting at $999). We can dream, can’t we?!!

!! !Fender Custom Shop

Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster, Journeyman Relic - 2- color Sunburst

At least for me, when I think of Rock guitar history, there is no guitar that matches the history and the players who made the Fender Stratocaster a staple for so many of the iconic electric guitar sounds. I know many electric guitar collectors and there is not one among them who does not have at least one Sunburst model. Street price on this beauty is $5,100.00.!!The NAMM fender booth had many demonstrators playing this model and the sound was every bit what a strat can be sonically. So many wonderful variations (using with the expected stomp boxes and amps) with player s who were churning out rock, blues reggae, rockabilly, pop and just about any other popular music genre.!!It’s description from the Fender website:!!With the addition of an eye-catching Journeyman Relic finish, the Fender Custom Shop has upped the coolness factor with this Eric Clapton Stratocaster. The "broke in" look of this solidbody electric guitar ensures that its 2-piece select ash body's figure shows through, and its pliant nitro finish bears the feel of an instrument that's been played for decades. The Eric Clapton

Stratocaster is packed with amazing tones, by virtue of three Vintage Noiseless pickups, a mid-boost circuit, and a Fender TBX master tone circuit. From its blocked vintage synchronized tremolo tailpiece to its soft "V" neck, every inch of the Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Stratocaster solidbody electric guitar is built to Eric's exact specifications.!!All I know is that this guitar is as essential tool to get the right sounds for a strat. Now let’s mention a couple of stomp boxes that are new for NAMM 2017.!!!!!!

DigiTech FreqOut !

If you’ve ever tried inducing singing harmonic feedback onstage, you’ll know of the few challenges involved. First, it helps to have deafening volumes, far louder than what may be allowed in a smaller club venue or that would be preferred for ideal cabinet miking. Heaps of gain helps. And if you can soundcheck early, you’d also want to make tape lines on stage of where to stand to induce the exact feedback notes you want to hear. Forget all of that. The FreqOut can induce controlled feedback at any volume or gain level in any of its 7 available harmonic pitch intervals.!!Essentially, the FreqOut looks at your signal and hones in on those preferred harmonics to create its singing feedback pitches. It’s ideal to use in momentary mode where you step on the foot-switch at those precise moments to add a majestic beauty to sustaining notes. If you kill the dry signal you can induce ebow-like sounds as well. Gain & Onset knobs control how much feedback is blended in and how long it takes for the feedback to increase to full intensity, respectively. The FreqOut isn’t the first feedback inducing pedal to hit the market, but DigiTech has certainly created what will likely be the best feedback pedal released to date.!!!

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Electro-Harmonix Blurst

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!The Electro Harmonix Blurst Modulated Filter brings you an analog low-pass filter with adjustable resonance. Instead of being envelope controlled (like an auto-wah or auto-filter), the Blurst is LFO controlled for automated rhythmic filtering. Tap tempo and 3 Tap Divide options provide flexibility for live syncing. The 3 Shape options let you choose from triangle, rising saw-tooth, or fall saw-tooth waveforms.!!Perhaps the most exciting aspects of the pedal are the expression pedal modes. These give you the option of controlling either the Range, Rate, or Filter. Controlling the Filter via exp pedal disengages the Rate & Range knobs for a manual sweeping through the entire frequency range. This sounded killer at NAMM. While the Blurst definitely supports CV input for control over the selected exp pedal parameter, I’m hoping to get confirmation that CV control also allows control over the full filter sweep. If so, this pedal will be a force to be reckoned with if hybrid modular/CV rigs are your thing.!

!!Drums !

Yamaha Recording Custom Series Shell Pack 5-pc w/22" Kick

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!So what’s the big deal about another drum set from Yamaha? They are designed with input from one of my favorite drummers - Steve Gadd. Street price $4,420.00!!!!Gadd and Yamaha made sure to use only the best of Yamaha's proprietary hardware on the re-designed Recording Custom drums. Each piece was chosen to give you stability, ease of use, and tonal enhancement. The High Tension lugs are built with increased weight to help dampen unwanted noise and ringing from the shells. YESS mounts connect to the shell with minimal contact. This allows the drums to resonate freely. And the YESS mounts are also placed so that they won't ever interfere with your drum placement or head changes.!!Yamaha Recording Custom 5-piece Drum Shell Pack Features:!! •! Updated top-of-the-line Yamaha shell pack! ! •! 10" and 12" Rack Toms, 14" and 16" Floor Toms, and 22" Kick Drum! ! •! Designed in collaboration with Steve Gadd! ! •! 6-ply birch shells exude a powerful sound with plenty of definition! ! •! 30 degree bearing edges give the drums a crisp response! ! •! High tension lugs minimizes unwanted ringing! ! •! Hardware engineered for simplicity and strength! ! •! TH945B Double Tom Holder included! !!!!!!!!

Tama Star Bubinga Shell Pack with Snare Drum 7-pc 5 piece shell kit!

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!New for Tama at 2017 NAMM is the STAR shell pack 7 piece drum kit. I’ve always been impressed with the sound of TAMA drums ever since I had the opportunity to work with Kenny Aronoff on a John Fogerty tour. !!The STAR walnut 7 piece kit features a rounded bearing edge to provide more contact between the head and shell, allowing vibration to travel from the head to the shell more efficiently. To maximize resonance, STAR drums feature a brand new mounting concept to achieve this goal, the Super Resonant Mounting System. This mounting system has three contact points with the drum. Two are located on the batter hoop, and one is located on the bottom hoop. These three points create the largest possible theoretical triangle on the drum. By placing the third contact point as far as possible on the bottom hoop, using the support arm and rubber at each contact point, Tama was able to reduce the stress on the shell and hoop and increase natural resonance.!!Features!! •! Bass drum(s): 22" x 18"! ! •! Tom(s): 10" x 8", 12" x 9"!

! •! Floor tom(s): 14" x 12", 16" x 14"! ! • Shell material: Walnut! ! •! Thickness (mm): 5.0! ! •! Bearing edge: Rounded! !Street price $4,877.00!!!!!!

Roland EC-10 EL Cajon

!Electronic Cajon with Sapele Playing Surface, 30 Electronic Kits, and Integrated Amplifier and Speaker!!!!!!!!

At the Roland booth at NAMM 2017, I saw and heard a demo that surprised my eyes and ears. The percussion demo guy playing was a single cajon, yet all these different sounds were coming out as he sounded like a full drum kit and all these electronic sounds were coming out. He switched easily between genres and tempos. I thought, “OK, how is he doing this”.!!Roland EC-10 EL Cajon at a Glance:!! •! acoustic sounds combined with a Roland sound module! ! •! Straightforward controls make performing easy and natural! ! •! Battery-powered w/ built-in speaker for all-in-one performance! !Already an acoustic instrument, the Roland EC-10 EL Cajon is loaded with a Roland sound module, providing you with a massive palate of sounds. You can supplement your rhythms with a layered tambourine and djembe, create a backbeat with acoustic or electronic snare sounds, or add low-end drama with an electronic kick. Enhance the EC-10 EL Cajon's natural sounds with studio-optimized cajon sounds. Just like a traditional cajon, the Roland EC-10 EL Cajon is self-contained and easily portable. An integrated amplifier and speaker deliver high-quality sound that's loud enough for acoustic gigs, and six AA batteries powers the EC-10 EL Cajon for up to 12 hours. An Electronic Sound Out jack lets you connect the EC-10 EL Cajon to

a PA system for larger performances. A Mix In jack allows you to connect your smartphone or iPod for backing tracks or break music. Of course, you can always turn off the electronics for a traditional cajon.!!Features:!! •! Hybrid acoustic/electronic cajon enhances your music! ! •! Top-notch acoustic cajon sounds from a quality sapele playing surface! ! •! Packed with 30 electronic kits with traditional and electronic sounds! ! •! Supplement your natural acoustic sounds with studio-optimized cajon sounds! ! •! Integrated amplifier and coaxial speaker for all-in-one performance! ! •! Up to 12 hours of playing time on 6 AA batteries! ! •! Weighs less than 9 pounds! ! •! 6.5" speaker with 3W rated power output! !!So let’s all gear up with Gustav Holst and set the way back machine to 1914 and set the time signature to 5/4 and prepare for a journey to Mars.!!!Any questions, E-mail me at larry@larryahopkins.com.!If you want to check out the audio post and music/composer credits for me, simply go to my IMDB page at:!http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1479400/!I have so many silly audio post credits, you’ll have to scroll way down to see the composer and music department credits.!! Take care, !Larry Hopkins