ACOUSTICA PIANISSIMO
CHAMPAGNE PIANO, BEER PRICE
THE PITCH Killer sampled grand for Windows.
THE PIANO Acoustica sampled a Steinway D concert grand at four velocity levels (to the tune of 250MB) and modeled other aspects such as sympathetic string resonance.
THE FORMATS Standalone or VST under Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, or Vista — and there’s a free demo download.
$68.95 direct, www.acoustica.com
KORG MICROKORG XL
DOMO ARIGATO, MR. KATOH
THE PITCH Everyone from ravers to proggers loved the MicroKORG, and this new version adds the multiple modeling technology (MMT) of bigger brothers R3 and Radias.
THE GUTS Basically virtual analog, but MMT also gives you formant (vocal-like) waveforms, and sample playback for authentic vintage keys. Effects from the KAOSS pads, too!
THE VOCODER Lets you do robot voices from “Let’s Groove Tonight” to “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”
$750 list, www.korg.com
CLAVIA NORD ELECTRO 3
RED, RETRO, REVAMPED
THE PITCH Killer vintage keys — B-3, Rhodes, Wurly, Clav — plus much better piano and the ability to load samples.
NEW STUFF VS. ELECTRO 2 Acoustic piano sounds from the Nord Stage. Updated organ sounds from the Nord C1. Sample memory of 256MB, into which you can load anything from Nord’s sample library, just like the Nord Wave. Reverb!
WE THINK The E3 blows away the limits that’d kept the Electro from being the ultimate ultralight gig keyboard.
61 keys: $2,249 list/$1,899 street; 76 keys: $2,499 list/$2,199 street, www.nordkeyboards.com
ANALOGUE SOLUTIONS LEIPZIG-K
LEIPZIG IS CALLING YOU
THE PITCH Beefy real analog monosynth with boutique-quality construction.
ANALOG-NUT FEATURES Discrete components, not chips. Two each of control voltage ins and outs. Two inputs for running external audio through the synth.
WHO’DA THUNK The new millenium’s analog synth market would be partying like it’s 1979?
Approx. $1,600 street, www.analoguesolutions.com
TOONTRACK DRUMTRACKER
REVOLUTIONARY REPLACER
THE PITCH Convert entire audio drum tracks to MIDI performances with separate hits preserved.
THE SECRET Proprietary filters can tell the difference between different drum sounds in an audio track, then assign MIDI notes for playing corresponding sounds from your favorite drum plug-in.
WE THINK If it works as claimed (you bet we’ll review it), it’ll set a new benchmark for drum replacement.
$149 list/$130 street, www.toontrack.com
C-THRU MUSIC AXIS 49
HONEYCOMB KEYS, YEAH YEAH YEAH!
THE PITCH A compact, more affordable version of the Axis-64 “harmonic table” alternative keyboard (reviewed May ’07). It’s also plug ’n’ play USB — no drivers needed.
THE CONCEPT Press a cluster of keys anywhere on the keyboard, and if it’s the same “shape,” it plays the same chord or interval.
WE THINK The visual-musical consistency keeps beginners playing, and inspires pros to come up with chord progressions they might not think of on a regular keyboard.
$495 est., www.c-thru-music.com
EASTWEST ZERO-G SATIN GROOVES
DISCO INFERNO
THE PITCH A one-stop shop for adding the smoother side of disco, funk, and soul to your tracks.
THE STYLE Early Marvin Gaye to late Jam and Lewis, 60 to 100 bpm.
THE CONTENTS Loops and construction kits in Acidized WAV, AIFF, Apple Loops, REX2, EXS24, Kontakt 2, and NN-XT formats.
$143.95 direct, www.soundsonline.com