WORLD OF MUSIC ; PORTABLE KEYBOARD - Latest Portable Music Keyboards, Synthesizers and Music News

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

iZotope Ozone 12 adds new machine learning modules and a more musician-friendly AI assistant ‘Unlocking the impossible without compromising on creative control’.

US developer iZotope first introduced its machine learning-powered ‘assistant’ feature to its Ozone and Neutron applications all the way back in 2017. This smart analysis feature works by analysing your incoming audio and suggesting a mixing or mastering preset specifically designed to suit the source material.

This assistant tech is one of the key areas to receive an upgrade in the latest version of iZotope’s Ozone mastering suite. In Ozone 12, the Master Assistant will still suggest settings, but now allows for more creative guidance from the user. The new interface now has options to specify modules, dictate LUFS targets and select from a variety of genre presets, allowing you to shape the Assistant’s suggestions around your specific tastes and intentions.

According to iZotope, Master Assistant is intended to ‘guide, not decide’ and is designed to “assist and inspire artists, unlocking the impossible without compromising on creative control.”

There’s more to Ozone 12 than just the Master Assistant though. The update also introduces a trio of new modules to work with.

The first of these is Stem EQ, which makes use of stem separation algorithms in order to individually EQ the vocal, bass, drum and instrument elements of a stereo audio file. Next up is Bass Control, which uses machine learning to intelligently refine and control low-end frequencies.

The final new module is another machine learning-powered tool named Unlimiter. This is designed to restore transients and dynamic range to overly compressed audio files.

Ozone 12 also adds a new IRC 5 mode to its Maximizer module, which iZotope claims “delivers outstanding loudness and clarity without the usual tradeoffs like pumping or distortion.”

Ozone 12 is out now in three tiers – Elements, Standard and Advanced – which contain varying assortments of modules and are priced at £55/$55, £209/$219 and £479/$499 respectively. You can compare the different versions at iZotope website.

The latest version of Ozone is also available as part of iZotope’s Music Production Suite, which also includes iZotope’s Neutron, Nectar and RX applications, the Catalyst Series effects, Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig, and more. That bundle is priced at £769/$799.

Head to the iZotope site for more info and to try a free demo.

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

Rexing Product Page

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

Composer & synthesist Anthony Marinelli shared this behind-the-scenes look at Tom Oberheim’s garage workshop.

This follows up on Marinelli’s new interview with Oberheim, and offers a rare look at the process used in creating some of the most important synths ever created.

Video Summary:

“Step inside the legendary garage workshop of Tom Oberheim—the birthplace of some of the most iconic sounds in music history. In this rare behind-the-scenes tour, Tom shares his latest creation: a custom-built computer he’s designing entirely from scratch—just because he loves the way it sounds.

Along the way, Tom opens up his treasure chest of innovations, showing us priceless prototypes from his storied career, including the original Maestro Phase Shifter prototype and circuit boards that paved the way for his groundbreaking synthesizers.

I’m joined by Rob Rosen (Rosen Sound) and Marcus Ryle (Alesis, Line 6) as we hear directly from Tom himself, walking through this sacred space filled with history, innovation, and pure sonic imagination.”

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

Rexing Product Page

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

The hardest hitting synthesized drums ever put in a plugin.

Tekno combines analog circuit modelling, FM and digital synthesis to create production hard hitting electronic drum.

US plugin brand Baby Audio has released its latest plugin instrument, Tekno, a virtual drum synth with 18 engines that combine circuit-modelled virtual analogue, FM and digital approaches to percussion design.

Tekno has been designed in collaboration with audio signal processing engineer Jatin Chowdhury, and comes stocked with 73 preset kits from producers including Mr. Bill, Richard Devine, Virtual Riot and Yoad Nevo. According to Baby Audio though, Tekno is far more than a simple source of preset drum sounds.

Rather than making use of samples, every engine in Tekno synthesises its sounds from scratch, and the developer is quick to tout the non-linearity of its virtual analogue circuity, which apparently results in a more nuanced and varied response from each hit.

Each sound generator has its own set of bespoke parameters allowing users to adjust the pitch, shape and timbre of the sound.

At the low end of the frequency range are two kick generators, the first of which, Kick A, is punchy and slightly 909-like, albeit with a broader range of sound shaping options. Kick B, meanwhile, is more 808-inspired, with a long tail and powerful low-end.

There are similar variations in the other engines too. Snare A, for example, covers fuller and more tonal sounds, while Snare B is snappier. Similarly, Hats A and B between them cover off a range of sounds between sharp metallic tones and softer, noisier hats.

Beyond these engines are a range of percussive generators aimed at creating sticks, cymbals, toms and tonal bleeps and glitches.

Along with the generators themselves, Tekno comes equipped with a range of analogue modelled effects that can be applied to each drum hit individually. These include tape saturation, an exciter, ring modulation, reverb, a compressor and more.

There’s also a suite of master effects including a filter, reverb and a limiter/clipper capable of tying the full kit together with a touch of saturation. The master section also offers a variety of humanise tools designed to push the non-linearity even further, introducing changes in timbre, velocity and timing with each hit.

Baby Audio claims that Tekno combines ‘the best of both analogue and digital’ and ‘sets the bar for the hardest hitting synthesized drums ever put in a plugin.’

You can put these claims to the test yourself with a free trial download. The plugin itself is priced at $129 but is currently available for the intro price of $79. It can also be bought via a 6-month rent to own program priced at $14.99 per-month.

Tekno is available in VST, AU and AAX formats for PC and Mac. Head to the Baby Audio site to find out more.

Prime For Yound Adults Trial

Rexing Product Page