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Spitfire Audio “channels Afro-percussion through dub signals and free jazz” in new plugin instrument.

Spitfire Audio promises a new take on Afro-percussion with Tape Percussion, its latest sample-based instrument plugin.

Tape Percussion features the sound of the Nok Cultural Ensemble (NCE) and recorded at Ariwa Studios in South London, this is designed to blend diverse Afro-diasporic percussive traditions with glitching beats, and to “extend the futuristic pulse of dub technologies”.

Tape Percussion comes as an NKS-compatible plugin and features five one-shot jazz kits and six one-shot African percussion presets spread out across the keyboard. The eight drum loops and 69 atmospheric scenes, meanwhile, marry Caribbean rhythms to dub-inspired warps. Finally, there are a further 13 ‘tonal warped’ presets.

The content is presented in Spitfire Audio’s familiar plugin, which enables you to blend between clean and processed signals and adjust the amount of reverb and tape saturation. You can also control the release and attack.

Tape Percussion runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. It weighs in at 2.7GB and costs $29/£29/€29. Find out more on the Spitfire Audio website.

Currently, Native Instruments’ Komplete bundles sales are not as common as they once were, so if you are looking to buy one of them, now could be the time. That is because the company is currently offering up to 50% off its all-encompassing Komplete 13, with prices starting at just $99/£89/€99.

That is the price you’ll currently pay for Komplete 13 Select, the baby of the family that features 12 instruments, four effects and five expansions. With the regular price being $199/£169/€199, that is a 50% saving.

Step up to the standard Komplete 13 and you can save 33%, with the price for this 52-instruments, 16-effect, 73-expansion bundle currently down to $399/£359/€399 from £599/£539/€599.

If you want even more content – 92 instruments, 26 effects and 39 expansions – try  Komplete 13 Ultimate, currently available for $799/£719/€799 rather than $1,199/£1,079/€1,199. Again, that is a 33% saving.

Lastly, the all-singing, all-dancing Komplete 13 Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which includes almost all the software that Native Instruments has to offer. That means 96 instruments, 26 effects and 73 expansions, all for $999/£899/€999 rather than $1,599/£1,439/$1,599, a 37% saving.

You can find out more about each Komplete 13 bundle and place your order  here .

Modern Sounds has announced the availability of Pluto, a new compact two-voice mini-modular synthesizer.

What they say about Pluto:

“Pluto is compact and portable, with abilities that belie its small size. Five channels of modulation (named for the five moons of Pluto), two voices, two sequencers, a mini-keyboard, and onboard effects make Pluto its own complete sound environment, but it can happily play with all your other gear.

The design of Pluto draws from a legacy of portable electronic instruments, from the Buchla Music Easel to 80s Casio synthesizers. With a focused, approachable interface, Pluto invites exploration.”

Features:

• Portable 2-voice, 2-sequencer patchable synthesizer
• Create complex, randomized sequences
• Low-aliasing digital oscillators, wavetable oscillators
• Rechargeable battery
• Built-in delay and reverb effects
• Mini touch keyboard
• Clock range from 1 bpm to audio rates
• Audio input for audio processing
• Audio output (stereo headphone, line)
• Quantize to preset scales, MIDI, or even audio input
• Eurorack-compatible patch signals (5v)
• Sync In & Out
• MIDI In & Out (TRS, USB)
• 2 channels CV Out (0-5v, 1v/oct)
• USB C cable included
• 5 patch cables included
• 5 x 3.5 x 1.57 inches, 12oz

Audio Demos:

Pluto is price at $499. Modern Sounds says that the July 2022 batch has already sold out, but you can sign up for updates on the next batch.