The beta version of Live 12 is here! In our Ableton Live 12 review, we take a look at everything new. Generative MIDI capabilities, an overhauled piano roll, new devices, and so much more! And we check if the Berlin company has fulfilled some community wishes.

Update (February 21, 2024): The cat’s out of the bag! Ableton has just revealed that Ableton Live 12 will be released on March 5, 2024. The DAW is still on sale right now, by the way, at 20 percent off*. This sale only runs until Live 12’s release, but you will get the upgrade for free if you buy Live 11 now. And if you already own Live 9,10, or 11 (Standard or Suite), you can take a sneak peek at the public beta right now!

Ableton Live 11 Intro

Available for $58 at

Ableton Live 11 Standard

Available for $199 at

Ableton Live 11 Suite

Available for $433 at

Highlights

• Generative MIDI: have Live 12 create melodies, rhythms, and chords for you
• Global tuning: set the key globally and have all clips and devices follow it
• Microtuning and non-western scales
• New devices: Morphing bi-timbral synth Meld and multi-band distortion Roar
• GUI overhauled: view arrangement, mixer, devices, and clips simultaneously
• New browser workflow: search with tags
• Find new sounds quickly through similarity search

Ableton Live 12 Review – how did we get here?

It’s been an exciting but somewhat rocky year for Ableton. In spring, they released Ableton Live 11.3 with a new software synthesizer and MPE capabilities for just about every included instrument. All that came to fruition with the release of Push 3 in May.

But it seems not every Ableton fan was happy to go for a two-thousand-dollar standalone version of Ableton. One that, to some, seemed a bit unfinished. That seems to have passed, but with the hardware out of the way, all eyes turn to Live.

And the Berliners are a bit under pressure here. Almost every DAW maker has released a significant update this year. With FL Studio adding stem separation and cloud connectivity, Logic Pro adding a mastering assistant and a powerful granular sampler, and Bitwig finally fulfilling Community wishes with the new MSEG module and a new browser, it was clear: Ableton needs to step up their game. Let’s see if they did in this Ableton Live 12 review!

Ableton Live 12 makes music for you (if you want)

As AI is all the rage these days, it’s no surprise DAW makers start including it in some form. While it is not exactly artificial intelligence, Ableton now brings four tools to generate MIDI notes for you. Create new drum grooves with the click of a button, endless melodies and glissandos, and even chord progressions through Ableton’s new generative MIDI tools.

While we’re at it, some neat additions to the piano roll have been introduced as well. You can now split and multiply notes, just like in FL Studio, whose piano roll is among the DAW game’s most powerful ones. There are also various tools to transform your existing notes, similar to what FL offers.

Existing MIDI chords can be arpeggiated and strummed; melodies can be extended and spruced up with legatos, frills, and even grace notes. These tools all take a moment to fully understand, even if you’re a seasoned Ableton veteran. It took me a few tries to grasp which notes to select and how to generate and change things. But once the penny dropped, I spent hours generating and manipulating melodies and chord progressions. This has been one of the highlights of my Ableton Live 12 review.

Find more better quicker – the new browser search

It’s one of the first things you see in the new update: the added „Filter“ section in the browser. Live’s search has historically been a bit limited when it comes to quickly finding that one VST or sample you always use. Now it works with tags. So, if I’m looking for „Serum“ or „drumbeat_128_splicepack“, it’s not an additional dozens of clicks and folders anymore. Just select the tag.

If there are plugins, Ableton devices, or presets that you always reach for, you can even save a browser search as a one-click search. This helps gloss over the fact that, unfortunately, we don’t get any additional „Collections“ in this update. Because seven just isn’t enough.

The most powerful addition to both the browser and drums racks is similarity search. It’s a new tiny button that appears next to any Ableton instrument preset, any one-shot or loop. The DAW instantly shows you similar sounds you can replace it with. And in Drum Racks, you can even replace every sound in your drum kit with similar sounds with the click of a button. Brilliant! Let’s move on with our Ableton Live 12 review.

Global tuning with microtonal and non-western scales

This falls under the category „Finally, because most other DAWs have had it for YEARS. “ You can set a global key in DAWs like Logic Pro or Cubase. Depending on the DAW and your workflow, new MIDI (and sometimes even audio) clips are automatically set to it. This is now integrated into Live 12. But Ableton being Ableton, it goes further.

Not only can you import any scl-file and have the DAW conform to any microtonal or non-western scale you desire and the DAW applies this scale to all MIDI clips in your project. It also applies the scale to the new software synthesizer Meld, where overtones matter. That’s not something I have ever seen anywhere else – and it helps a lot in sound design.

Ableton 12 review: new and updated devices

Meld is a two-oscillator polyphonic synth with 14 different oscillator types, ranging from VA to wavetable for various types of FM to unusual sound sources like „Bitgrunge“ „Tarp, “or „Bubble. “ And with some of these types, you see a little (b#). That indicates the overtones in this oscillator will be tuned according to the globally set scale. Neat.

They have also added Roar, another highlight for me in this Ableton Live 12 review. It’s a multi-band distortion effect. It does feedback, even in M/S. And that feedback can sound so gnarly, so sexy… Whem I combined it with some of Meld’s more aggressive sounds, I got some of the most evil sounds out of Live I have ever heard.

Not many devices have been updated. Granulator III, from Ableton’s own Robert Henke, has been rewritten from the ground up and is now much easier to use for live granular shenanigans. Live’s arpeggiator and chord devices have been slightly changed to fit into the new global scale option. But that’s about it. If you were hoping for changes in Operator, Sampler, or Auto-Filter, you have to be patient.

Fulfilling community wishes: All-in-one screen, bounce-in-place and more

It was one of the few really big annoyances if you worked with Live on a single screen. Switching back and forth between the mixer in the session view and the arrangement view, back and forth between editing a clip and working with the effects on a track. Now you can see everything. But that comes at a price.

Because Ableton Live is famous for its minimalism, it does get crowded if you have a full arrangement, plenty of mixer tracks, and loads of plugins all visible at the same time. But I guess there is no way you could solve this differently. I personally appreciate it a lot. And then there is „Freeze and flatten“. You read that right. You can now bounce a track’s clips into audio with just a single click. Finally!

What’s missing? There is no support for ARA, CLAP, or the new universal DAW file format DAWproject. You still can’t freeze groups, and there is no dynamic EQ or vocal tuner. To name a few. None of these matter particularly much in the big picture, in my opinion. But if you are among those disappointed because these things are missing, I urge you to try the new beta. It’s one of the most innovative DAW updates in recent years.

Conclusion

During my Ableton Live 12 review, I couldn’t help but be transported back to when I started with the DAW around version 6 or 7. Ableton has added so many new features and has changed so many existing things; it often felt as magical as my humble Live beginnings.

Mind you, this is the beta version we’re talking about. There are still a few bumps in the road, especially regarding the new MIDI tools. But given that we’re still 3+ months away from the final release, I’m sure Ableton will come around.

Price and Availablity

You can get Ableton Live Intro, Standard, and Suite right now over at Thomann (Affiliate). Ableton tells us that the final version of Live 12 is going to be released sometime in spring 2024. If you want to try the new features yourself, the public beta test will start soon.

And if you own Ableton Live 9, 10, or 11 – both Standard or Suite – you can now sign up for and download the Ableton Live 12 Beta.

More about this Ableton Live 12 Review

• All about the manufacturer at Gearnews
• Ableton website

Ableton Live 12 Review Pros and Cons

Pros

• MIDI tools like Transform or Generate are great creative additions
• Roar is one of the best-sounding, most versatile distortion effects on the market.
• Similarity search helps find new sounds quickly
• Bounce-in-place
• New all-in-one GUI makes everything more transparent

Cons

• DAW can become a bit cluttered with everything visible at the same time
• Plugin formats ARA and CLAP still missing
• Still only seven collections in the browser

Videos on Ableton Live 12

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The post Ableton Live 12 Review – More MIDI, more GUI, more sound appeared first on gearnews.com.

For a limited time, you can grab Native Instruments Kontakt 7 for half the regular price! A huge selection of libraries for the flagship sample player is also on sale. Other awesome software deals are coming from IK Multimedia, Universal Audio, and Baby Audio this week.

50% off Native Instruments Kontakt 7

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 is without a doubt one of the most powerful sample-based software instruments on the market today. The sample player not only comes loaded with more than 900 high-quality factory sounds. It also gives you access to a huge selection of add-on libraries from renowned developers. Anyone who’s serious about producing music needs NI Kontakt 7 – so grab it for half the price while this offer lasts!

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 is on sale at Thomann* until March 5 for just $134 – that’s 50% off* the regular price! And if you own an older version of Kontakt, the upgrade to version 7 is also on sale!

Native Instruments Kontakt 7

Available for $134 at

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 Upgrade Kontakt 1-6

Available for $44 at

• More from Native Instruments

Huge Discounts on Kontakt Libraries

Now that you’ve got Kontakt, how about some nice libraries to go along with it? Plugin Boutique is currently offering huge discounts on sampled instruments from many renowned developers including Native Instruments, Big Fish Audio, Cinesamples, Vir2, AVA Music Group, and more. Save up to 92% on these high-quality Kontakt libraries! But hurry up, some of these deals expire today!

• Up to 86% off* Native Instruments virtual instruments (until March 3)
• Up to 50% off* Cinesamples sample libraries (until February 20)
• 91% off* Rigid Audio Everything Bundle (until February 29)
• Up to 28% off* Vir2 instruments (until February 21)
• Up to 25% off* Big Fish Audio libraries (until February 21)
• 25% off* Soundiron Granada 49 (until February 25)
• Up to 62% off AVA Music Group Kontakt instruments (until February 20)
• Up to 90% off* the Karanyi Sounds Kontakt Collection Bundle (until February 29)
• 50% off* Audiority Octamorph FE (until February 29)
• Up to 90% off* Muze (until February 29)
• Up to 92% off Strix Instruments (until February 29)

60% off IK Multimedia Amplitube Collections

What Kontakt is to sample libraries, IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 is to guitar amp and effect simulations! For a limited time, you can stock up on AmpliTube Collections for less than half the regular price. Choose from officially licensed manufacturer collections from Orange, MESA/Boogie, or Fender, or get the authentic sounds of your favorite artists with the AmpliTube signature collections from Slash, Brian May, Joe Satriani, and many more. The collections run in all versions of AmpliTube 5, including the free AmpliTube 5 CS.

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Collections are 60% off* at Thomann until February 29. Check out the full list here!

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Slash

Available for $40 at

• More from IK Multimedia

50% off Universal Audio UAD Bundles

The Universal Audio UAD Native Bundles are the perfect gateway to the world of UAD plugins. Originally exclusive to UA’s DSP hardware such as the Apollo series audio interfaces, these high-quality plugins now run natively on Mac and Windows computers. The UAD Essentials Edition gets you 11 essential plugins, including the LA-2A Leveler Collection, Pulteq EQ Collection, and Oxide Tape Recorder. The PolyMAX synth is also included. Or step it up a notch with the UAD Signature Edition, which includes no less than 44 Universal Audio plugins for an amazing price.

The Universal Audio UAD Essentials Edition Native and Signature Edition Native are both 50% off* at Thomann until February 29.

Universal Audio UAD Essentials Edition Native

Available for $146 at

• More from Universal Audio

40% off Baby Audio Atoms

The brand-new Baby Audio Atoms is still available for the low introductory price! This unique software synth uses a physical model of a mass/spring interaction network to create a huge spectrum of extraordinary sounds. Sounds complicated? Thanks to Atoms’ simple user interface with just six parameters, you’ll be designing unique sounds in no time. If you like to venture off the beaten path when it comes to sound design, don’t miss this fabulous new synth.

Baby Audio Atoms is on sale at Thomann until March 31 for $53 – 40% off* the regular price!

Baby Audio Atoms

Available for $53 at

• More from Baby Audio

The post Software Deals: Big Discounts on NI Kontakt 7, IK Multimedia, UAD & more! appeared first on gearnews.com.

SSL Native FlexVerb plug-in is now and only today available for $18 (down from $279)! Here’s the deal!

Solid State Logic Native FlexVerb deal at Plugin Boutique

SSL remains among the recording industry greats to this day, embodying both quality and innovation for 5 decades (and counting). This goes for both the hardware and software realms of pro audio. Native FlexVerb is an example of SSL’s excellence with the latter. It’s a comprehensive reverb plug-in with Room, Hall, Plate, and Chamber simulations. At this price, it’s worth adding to any plug-in collection.

The SSL Native FlexVerb plug-in generates room, hall, plate, and chamber reverbs with plenty of sound shaping options. In addition to the typical parameters, which we’ll talk about in a second, they include a 6-band EQ and compressor.

The available reverb and effects controls are input and output volume, early reflections, pre-delay, diffusion, size, reverb time, and modulation (rate, depth). A visual analyzer represents the generated reverb graphically.

SSL Native FlexVerb – Price and availability

You can have Solid State Logic Native FlexVerb here at Thomann for the party price of $18 (down from a decidedly non-party $279). The offer is valid only today (February 20, 2024). The plug-in works under macOS 10.12+ and Windows 7+ in AU, AAX, VST, and VST3 64-bit formats.

You need a free iLok account (or a paid USB dongle) for authorization. An unrestricted demo version and a PDF user manual are also available for download from the developer’s website.

SSL Native FlexVerb

Available for $18 at

More information about Solid State Logic and the plug-in

• Deal at Thomann
• SSL Native FlexVerb at the Solid State Logic website
• More SSL news

SSL Native FlexVerb Video

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! We will receive a small commission if you buy something through these links. We appreciate your support!

The post Deal: Get SSL Native FlexVerb for $18 – last chance! appeared first on gearnews.com.

If you’re recording vocals or any other acoustic instruments that go out of tune quickly, you’ll run into Melodyne sooner or later. The plug-in is almost unrivaled in terms of pitch correction quality. But what if you’re on a tight budget or you don’t like the workflow of the ARA plugin? Take a look at the best Melodyne alternatives.

What is Melodyne?

When Celemony CEO Peter Neubäcker presented DNA – Direct Note Access – at the 2008 Musikmesse in Frankfurt, visitors and engineers were blown away. This technology was introduced as a new feature of Melodyne, and it made it possible to change polyphonic audio recordings. With DNA, you can change an audio recording of a major chord on the guitar to a minor chord, or even transpose entire songs.

The plug-in is also central to the workflow of most vocal producers; this type of editing is known as “Graphical Mode,” as each analyzed note can be moved, stretched, and selected separately in the Melodyne editor. Melodyne has set the bar regarding audio quality and in-depth editing options for adjusting individual notes in audio recordings. And few other plug-ins have even come close.

In addition to vocal recordings, Melodyne is frequently used to correct recordings of acoustic instruments. If a piano is slightly out of tune or a string on a guitar is not quite there, Melodyne allows you to make barely audible adjustments. So, when you’re looking for the best Melodyne alternatives, these features are a must!

What do the best Melodyne alternatives need to bring to the table?

Correcting individual notes in a recording with a high quality that you can barely hear it working its magic is the basis for Melodyne’s success. The plug-in can also be used in ARA format in DAWs that support it. This means that you don’t always have to play back the track’s contents on which you load Melodyne to edit them in Melodyne.

As mentioned, the plug-in also offers the option (with the most extensive version, Melodyne 5 Studio*) of correcting notes in polyphonic audio material. The notes the plug-in recognizes can also be exported to your DAW as a MIDI clip. Since version 4, it has also been possible to edit notes from several instances of Melodyne in one. New features in the latest update, Melodyne 5, include editing sibilants separately for de-essing.

Celemony Melodyne 5 essential Download

Customer rating:

(46)

Available for 95.00 € at

Celemony Melodyne 5 editor Download

Customer rating:

(8)

Available for 389.00 € at

Celemony Melodyne 5 studio Download

Customer rating:

(6)

Available for 669.00 € at

• The latest news about Celemony
• Product website

Synchro Arts Revoice 5 – Most versatile of the best Melodyne alternatives

Freshly released with new features and improved pitch correction quality, Revoice 5 from Synchro Arts* is one of the most versatile Melodyne alternatives. It also includes ARA support, extensive options for correcting each note, and more.

Revoice offers several options for automatically adjusting vocal stacks for duets and creating natural-sounding harmonies with a vocal track. Compared to the biggest version of Melodyne, what is missing is the option to fix polyphonic audio material.

If you want something simpler, there are two versions of RePitch from the same manufacturer, RePitch Elements* and RePitch Standard*. These lack the option of aligning recordings of multiple vocals, and some of the correction tools are not quite as detailed.

Synchro Arts RePitch Elements Download

Customer rating:

(1)

Available for 44.00 € at

Synchro Arts RePitch Standard Download

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 89.00 € at

Synchro Arts Revoice Pro Download

Customer rating:

(11)

Available for 499.00 € at

• The latest news about Synchro Arts
• Product website

Antares Auto-Tune Pro – Graphic Editor and ARA

This list of the best Melodyne alternatives is explicitly NOT about real-time correction à la Auto-Tune, which can be heard in almost every Pop song these days. Nevertheless, the original Auto-Tune plug-in manufacturer also offers one of the best Melodyne alternatives with the most extensive version, Auto-Tune Pro*.

As with Melodyne 5, Auto-Tune Pro X allows you to compare the recordings of several tracks using the multi-view function. You can also change and correct each note of the recording in detail in the graphic editor. And, of course, the legendary real-time tuning effect is also included, whether as a creative tool or gently for live performances.

Antares Auto-Tune Pro X Download

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 459.00 € at

• More on Antares
• Product website

Waves Tune and Plugin Alliance Bx_Crispytuner: The cheaper VSTs of our best Melodyne alternatives

Waves Tune* and Plugin Alliance Bx_Crispytuner are not nearly as powerful as Melodyne. But both are more than sufficient for straightening out out-of-tune notes of vocal recordings or gently adjusting a guitar melody. And the manufacturers of both plug-ins have sales so often that you can buy them for a very reasonable price.

Like Melodyne, Waves Tune (unlike Waves Tune Real-Time) is designed to correct individual notes of a vocal recording in a graphical editor. You can do this manually and move individual notes to the correct pitch using the mouse. Or you can set a key and let the plugin move the wrong notes to the right place automatically.

Bx_Crispy Tuner from Plugin Alliance / BrainWorx / Native Instruments includes pitch correction in the graphical mode and in real-time, key recognition, and additional tools for editing formants, vibrato, and the timing of vocal recordings. So, you’ve got quite a few features to fix your vocals!

Brainworx bx_crispytuner

Available for €448.24 at

• Get all the news about Waves Audio
• The latest news on Plugin Alliance

Free Melodyne alternatives: Samplab and in your DAW!

If you’re looking for a way to recognize the chords in an audio recording, which Melodyne does as well, then there is the free alternative, Samplab. There is also a paid version of the VST. With this version, you can change the chords of a recording, almost like in Melodyne Studio. They have also included an AI audio generator to create free text input samples.

Many of you will have read this so far and, at some point, thought: “My DAW can do that!” Reaper (ReaTune), Logic Pro (Flex Pitch), Cubase Pro (Vari-Audio), FL Studio Signature Edition (Netwone), and Reason (Pitch Edit) each come with their own, perhaps not quite as robust “Graphic Mode” vocal tuning plug-in which might be enough for what you need. Users of Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio still have to resort to third-party plug-ins and check out this list of the best Melodyne alternatives.

Image-Line FL Studio Signature Bundle Download

Customer rating:

(105)

Available for 339.00 € at

Steinberg Cubase Pro 13 Download

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 569.00 € at

• News on Samplab
• More on Image-Line
• The latest from Steinberg

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The post Best Melodyne Alternatives: Cheaper and free VSTs for Vocal Tuning! appeared first on gearnews.com.

Tonocracy by Atomic Amps is a fully featured guitar amp simulation and modeling plugin – and it’s now FREE! This week’s collection of the best free plugins also includes a unique low-pass filter by NUSofting and a simple but effective Tremolo effect by Outobugi. Enjoy!

Atomic Amps Tonocracy is now FREE!

Atomic Amps has announced that the Tonocracy amp and effects modeling plugin is now free! Tonocracy was originally released in 2023 and combines the developer’s SchemAccurate modeling tech with a ToneSnap feature for capturing your own gear snapshots and loading Neural Amp Modeler profiles. It also comes with a bunch of custom IRs by ML Sound Lab. Quite an amazing deal if you ask me!

At the core of Tonocracy is the SchemAccurate modeling technology, which combines component-level modeling with AI-based techniques to produce accurate recreations of classic amps. It comes loaded with a great selection of amps from classic Marshalls and Fenders to Vox, Mesa Boogie, EVH, and even Friedman and Dumble.

The built-in ToneSnap feature is based on the free Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) by Steve Atkinson. Using a simple, streamlined interface, you can easily capture snapshots of your own gear and store them as a playable preset. ToneSnap also gives you access to a growing library of snapshots created by the community.

With the added bonus of custom IRs by ML Sound Lab, Tonocracy looks like a fantastic package for a FREE plugin!

Tonocracy is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.

• Get Tonocracy here
• More from Atomic Amps

NUSofting Eugene Filter Free

Eugene Filter by NUSofting is a unique low-pass filter plugin based on a Cascaded Integral Comb (CIC) Ladder. The developer says that this circuit provides self-oscillating characteristics similar to typical synth VCFs, but with an airy character and a wider spectrum of resonances.

In addition to this, Eugene Filter also features a traditional 24 dB transistor ladder filter emulation. There’s even a built-in chorus effect for more sonic variety, as well as the option to adjust the dry/wet mix.

Eugene Filter comes in two versions. The paid version (€10) is the same as the free version but adds an envelope follower and a “Random Walk LFO” for modulation.

Eugene Filter is available for macOS and Windows in VST, VST3, and AU formats.

• Get Eugene Filter here
• More from NUSofting

Outobugi Wave: Free Tremolo Plugin

Outobugi Wave is a basic but effective tremolo plugin. It’s got a Time knob with the option to sync to your song tempo, and a large Amount knob for dialing in the desired intensity of the effect. Furthermore, Wave also offers Shape and Offset controls for shaping the modulation curve. There’s even a waveform display, so you can see what you’re doing.

Wave is a VST3 plugin for Windows.

• Get Wave here
• More from Outobugi

Looking for more free plugins like Tonocracy, Eugene Filter and Wave? Check out our archive!

More Videos about Tonocracy

The post Tonocracy, Eugene Filter, Wave: Free Plugins of the Week appeared first on gearnews.com.

Everyone’s favourite indie plugin developer, TAL, launches TAL-Pha which emulates the late 80s Roland classic, the Alpha Juno 2 and its rack-mounted sibling.

In the Days of the Hoover

The original Alpha Junos (there were two) were somewhat of an anomaly when they were released. The synth landscape had become distinctly digital. Yamaha’s DX7 had ushered in the new age three years previously. Everyone and their mother were scrambling to be the latest digital king of the castle.

And yet Roland seemed hell-bent on sticking with analog synthesis, albeit enhanced by digital technology. It wouldn’t be until a year or so after the Alpha Juno 2 that they’d finally dip their toe into the digital waters with the D50. In doing so, they pretty much killed the aforementioned DX7.

Alpha Junos would find a home with the young and creative minds behind the emerging dance music wave of the late 80s and early 90s. No doubt fuelled by their low secondhand prices and their ability to play chords with a single key, Alpha Junos became highly sort after.

TAL-Pha from TAL Software

And now we can relive those days at a fraction of the cost of the original, courtesy of TAL Software. Their new plugin, which has been the subject of some speculation over the last few days, launched today. Using an MKS-50, Roland’s rack version of the Alpha Juno 2, as a model, they have faithfully recreated this modern classic.

As well as adding modern features and functions, it nails the sound of the original. Better still, it can read and convert sysex from the original (Alpha Juno 2 and MKS-50). And if you own an original of either of those units, TAL-Pha can be used as a software controller/editor/librarian!

TAL-Pha gives us everything about the original that made it so popular. DCO’s, and LFO that can operate at a very slow rate, PWM, comprehensive VCF, VCA and those all-important chord memories. On top of that, we get aftertouch, and MPE support, multi-mode arpeggiator, individual tuning for the DCOs (which makes them VCOs!) and support for microtuning.

There’s a comprehensive FX section and a stereo unison mode that can stack up to seven voices. Surprisingly, or maybe not, there is no on-screen recreation of the much-maligned data wheel!

More Information

The plugin is available as in VST, VST3, AU, AAx and CLAP flavours and will work on 64-bit Windows, Linux and Mac systems, including Apple Silicon.

TAL-Pha retails for $80 USD but has an introductory discount of 20% meaning you can pick this up for a mere $64 USD. A demo version is available.

• TAL Software Website
• More from TAL Software

The post TAL-Pha from TAL: Hoover Up Those Classic Analog Tones appeared first on gearnews.com.

A software plugin from ALM/Busy Circuits? Inspired by the Akemie Taiko drum module, Motto Akemie puts six of them in a plugin with a step-sequencer.

Motto Akemie

It’s always interesting when a modular company does something unexpected. I’ve enjoyed the way Noise Engineering has pulled its DSP code-writing prowess into the realm of plugins. Now ALM/Busy Circuits are having a go with Motto Akemie.

It’s pretty basic-looking, but I really like the minimal tones and clear space. The idea is also very simple, giving you six identical FM drum synths and a six-channel step sequencer. It’s the sort of thing that can’t help but generate very cool patterns of percussive pleasure.

From the Taiko module, we have the dual operator voices, wavetables and control system for each voice. At the top, next to the mute/solo buttons you get to choose between two algorithms. FM is the regular carrier plus modulator, whereas Mix mixes the two operators together. Next, you get regular level and pan settings. Then, you explore the start and end frequency of your operator, giving you a nice pitch sweep if that’s what you want. Ratio determines the harmonic ratio between the two operators. Speed gives us the rate of change, and Wave selects one of eight waveshapes. Feedback routes the first operator back on itself for that lovely sense of FM corruption, and the two Release settings control the operator’s envelopes.

Sequencing

The sequencer has a lot of different layers to it. It handles up to 16 steps with each track having its own relationship to tempo. Along with the Gate view, you can control every single parameter of each of the six voices, per step, with offsets. And everything can be randomised.

Ther result is a funky and deliciously vibrant FM rhythm source that’s brilliantly self contained and refreshing straight forward. Download now for $40.

• ALM website.
• More from ALM.

The post ALM Motto Akemie: Chaos in a 6-Voice FM Drum Machine Plugin appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Cherry Audio CR-78 is its very first drum machine plugin with a recreation of a true classic, the first programmable, microprocessor-controlled, analog CR-78!

Cherry Audio CR-78 And A Short History

Before the 808 and 909, Roland had a long and rich history in the world of rhythm boxes. They’ve been building such devices since 1964. However, 1978’s CompuRhythm CR-78 was their, and the world’s, first programmable unit.

It seems inconceivable these days to have a drum machine that you can’t program, so the CR-78 was a huge hit! And it was a huge hit that ended up on numerous huge hits! The list of songs and artists is a veritable who’s who of pop. OMD, Hall & Oates, Genesis, Phill Collins, Ultravox, Blondie, Roxy Music, The Cars, and Tears For Fears, to name just a few.

The CR-78 is still gaining new friends to this day and remains incredibly popular. So it is an utter delight to see Cherry Audio beat Roland Cloud to the punch (again) with their new CR-78 plugin. Everything we love about the original – lovingly modelled, not sampled – with all the improvements that a 21st-century rhythm nut craves!

Cherry On Top

How does it improve on the original? First up, the rather clunky original method of programming a CR-78 has been replaced with the later X0X style of step sequencing found on later Roland units. The original CR-78 required an optional programming unit. Bizarrely, Roland only ever made 2000 of these, one-quarter of the total number of CR-78s that they made!

Cherry Audio’s CR-78 goes way beyond just improving the programming. All the original preset rhythms and variations/fills are there but now every voice can be edited. There’s an FX section (Overdrive, Delay, Flanger & Reverb), a mixer with independent level, pan, and solo/mute per voice, and a global EQ and compressor. Once you’ve programmed your beat masterpiece, you can drag it OUT of the CR-78 as either a MIDI track in your DAW or, if using the standalone version, a Standard MIDI File (SMF).

Cherry Audio CR-78 – Like The Original, Only WAY Better

You’ve got velocity sensitivity, external MIDI triggering, a Song Mode with 99 patterns, and 99 steps per song. The plugin comes with a ‘separate outs’ version so you can process each instrument individually in your DAW.

And, as one has come to expect, Cherry Audio has packed this full of amazing presets. There are subtly named recreations of many classic patterns as well as a huge number of original presets that also take advantage of all the new features.

More Information

Cherry Audio’s CR-78 is available here at the Thomann shop (affiliate) for just $49 USD. A free 30-day demo is also available from the Cherry Audio website.

Cherry Audio CR-78 Drum Machine Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 49.00 € at

• Cherry Audio Website
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Happy birthday, Plugin Boutique! For no less than 12 years, the software reseller has been quenching our thirst for the latest effect plugins and software instruments. Thanks for that! Plugin Boutique is celebrating its 12th anniversary with a month of sales and huge discounts. What’s more, they even throw in a free synth from Universal Audio as a bonus until the end of February. Check out these Anniversary Deals – there’s something for everyone!

Plugin Boutique turns 12

Here’s to a dozen years! Plugin Boutique is celebrating its 12th anniversary this month, and that means huge discounts and lots of awesome deals for you! Whether you’re looking for software synths or effect plugins and bundles for mixing and mastering – these anniversary deals have got you covered. Compressors, multi-effects, equalizers, delays, reverbs, distortion effects, overdrives, saturators, phasers, flangers, synths – you name it! Check out the deals here.

Native Instruments x Plugin Boutique Digital-Analogue Bundle

Available for $54 at

Universal Audio Electronic Music Bundle

Available for $69 at

Excite Audio Deals

Available for at

The deals include well-known and brand-new products from acclaimed developers such as Arturia, Audified, Audio Damage, Audiority, AudioThing, Boz Digital, DopeSONIX, Glitchmachines, iZotope, Krotos, Loopmasters, MeldaProduction, Native Instruments, Output, Plugin Boutique, Producertech, Softube, Sonnox, Sugar Bytes, UJAM, Universal Audio, zplane, and many more. And the platform says that even more deals will arrive over the next few weeks – so check this link frequently!

Sonnox Plugin Deals

Available for at

Arturia Instrument Plugin Deals

Available for at

More information about the Anniversary Deals

This anniversary offer is only valid during the month of February 2024. And for each order placed during the anniversary month, Plugin Boutique throws in the Universal Audio PolyMAX software synth for FREE – a $199 value! Talk about a sweet deal!

• Deal page
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Note: This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!

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