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KOMA Elektronik & Passepartout Duo have announced a Kickstarter project to fund production of their unique new touchless electromagnetic synthesizer, the Chromaplane.

The Chromaplane, a polyphonic analog synthesizer, is designed around ten tunable electromagnetic fields that are emitted from its aluminum surface.

The instrument is played in a unique way. The pickups are the main way in which you interact with the instrument, drawing lines over its surface to reveal drones, lively melodies, or distorted noise. The developers say that “this unorthodox approach is an invitation to invent new techniques and to make a very personal connection with the instrument,” adding, “there is no right or wrong way to play.”

The Chromaplane is a standalone device, including a filter and a delay, but can also be integrated into a wider setup, thanks to a variety of connectivity options.

Official Chromaplane intro video:

“We imagined a device that could combine the expressivity and immediacy of an acoustic instrument, alongside the endless possibilities of electronic sound design,” they note. “The most subtle gestures translate immediately into sound, giving a powerful connection between your hands and your ears.”

Production of the Chromaphone is being funded via a Kickstarter project, which will launch July 23rd, 2024.

Three price tiers are available as follow:

• Super Early Bird (limited availability): €299
• Early Bird (limited availability): €319
• Kickstarter Price: €359

Bundles including the Field Kit and multiple Chromaplane units will be available as well.

*Note: Crowdfunding campaigns can involve risk. See the project website for details.

Muse Group has announced upgrades to Muse Hub and Audacity, making it easier for users to preview and use new sounds, loops and FX plug-ins. As before, both of these are free to download.

Audacity 3.6 has been given a visual refresh, and the software also gets a new master channel. New compressor and limiter effects have been added for you to put across it. We are informed to expect more “major improvements and features” in the upcoming Audacity 4.

Muse Hub has partnered with developers — including Solid State Logic, Baby Audio, ACE Studio, WavTool and others – to offer a variety of production tools, including:

• Standalone Apps: From accessible Muse Group favorites to AI music composition and podcast production tools. These include apps that transform MIDI into vocal parts or split recorded samples into MIDI stems for projects.
• Plug-ins: Compatible with Audacity or any third-party DAW, Muse Hub plug-ins range from virtual instruments to easily-tweaked effects.
• Muse Sounds: Designed for effortless, beautiful playback within notation apps MuseScore Studio, find unique editions of prestigious sample libraries from iconic sound designers Spitfire Audio, Orchestral Tools, Vienna Symphonic Library and more.
• Loops & Samples: Royalty-free and ready-made samples, sound effects, tracks and kits to drop directly into productions to create instant hits.

New apps in the updated Muse Hub include Ace Studio, Samplab and WavTool, all of which are powered by AI.

Ace Studio enables you to automatically turn MIDI and lyrics into a complete vocal track, which sounds impressive, while Samplab can change an audio sample’s key or break apart the stems.

WavTool is an “AI-powered DAW” that can generate audio and separate stems. It also comes with a library of presets.

On the plugin side, Muse Group’s own AmpKit guitar amp//effects studio is now part of the Muse Hub, and Baby Audio’s Crystalline has also been added. The inclusion of SSL’s VocalStrip2 also catches the eye.

Finally, there are new sounds: a special edition of Spitfire Audio’s Symphony Collection, cinematic sounds from Cinesamples and orchestral ensembles and soloists from Orchestral Tools.

Audacity 3.6 has also been updated to support the Muse Hub changes.

In addition to a long-awaited visual refresh, the free desktop app now includes a new master channel for adding production and effects to tracks.

Both Muse Hub and Audacity are both available now as free downloads.

Find out more about all of these products and more on the Muse Group website.

Today, Native Instruments announced Traktor Pro 4, a major update to their flagship 4-deck DJ software that adds flexible beatgrids, high-quality stem separation, Ozone Maximizer, and Pattern Player.

Official video intro:

New in Traktor Pro 4:

• Stem Separation powered by AI and RX – Precisely isolate and manipulate drums, bass, instruments, and vocals individually.
• Flexible Beatgrids – Traktor Pro 4’s beatgrids are ideal for moving between genres or mixing tracks with a changing tempo. With flexible beatgrids you can precisely follow each tempo change throughout a track, enabling highly accurate looping, beat jumps, beat effect layering, and beat alignment—all without impacting the audio quality.
• Pattern Player – Bring the sounds of iconic drum machines and leading producers to your sets.
• Ozone Maximizer – Ozone Maximizer utilizes technology from iZotope’s award-winning Ozone mastering software. Its Intelligent Release Control allows you to finally boost the loudness of your sets without distortion.

Features:

• Core functions
  • Complete control over up to four decks in Track, Stem, and Remix Mode
  • Highly reliable Sync to keep everything sounding on point
  • [New] Advanced flexible beatgrids for precise effects, looping, navigation and mixing between tracks with changing tempo
  • [New] Ozone Maximizer with iZotope’s award-winning technology to boost loudness while preserving transients and dynamics
  • Mix recorder to record your sets
  • A range of EQs and filters modeled on industry-standard mixers
  • Key detection and shifting feature for harmonic mixing
  • Smart Playlists for efficient library organization
  • [New] Two free months of Beatport Streaming Advanced or Beatsource Streaming
• Creative tools
  • 40+ studio-grade Native Instruments effects to transform your tracks, available in four chainable Deck FX slots
  • Mixer FX for quick and easy effect layering
  • [New] High-quality stem separation powered by iZotope’s pro-grade RX technology, including four-track waveform display
  • [New] Pattern Player packed with drum patterns from iconic drum machines and the signature sounds of leading producers
  • Additional free remix sets available to download
  • Reliable looping, hot cues and beatjump functions, plus high-quality timestretch algorithm
  • Remix decks for adding samples and effects and triggering them in sync with the rest of the mix
• Integration and compatibility
  • Best-in-class timecode vinyl tracking
  • Plug-and-play support for CDJs and most club mixers
  • Ableton Link and MIDI clock support for seamless integration with hybrid performance setups
  • Deep MIDI mapping for personalized mapping of any compatible hardware and software
  • Compatible with all Traktor hardware and mappable with any DJ hardware
  • Supported audio formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audio CD, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, non-DRM AAC

  

Introducing Flexible Beat Grids in Traktor Pro:

Introducing Stem Separation in Traktor Pro 4:

Introducing Ozone Maximizer in Traktor Pro 4:

Introducing Pattern Player in Traktor Pro 4:

Tractor Pro 4 is available with the following pricing:

• Traktor Pro 4: $149 / €149
• Traktor Pro 4 upgrade from Traktor Pro 3 (50% off): $74.50 / €74.50