The wind beneath your wings? Electric Keys is free plugin that gives you those classic ‘80s ballad FM electric piano sounds. Learning to love these DX-style tones is the greatest love of all.
Fans of big ‘80s ballads can start preparing their truck driver key changes, because Karanyi Sounds has just released a free plugin that focuses on those classic FM electric piano sounds that were found in the likes of Yamaha’s DX7 and helped to propel the likes of Whitney Houston, Chicago, Bette Midler and Phil Collins to the top of the charts.
Electric Keys is described as a set of “comeback electric pianos”. It comes with “10+” presets, one of which gives you that classic ‘LA’ sound. Sounds have three individually tweakable layers and there are dual DSP effect units: Vapor Dimension MK2 contains 10 algorithms, and Ethos offers 20 types of reverb.
In addition, there are various randomisation options, and all controls offer MIDI learn.
It runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU formats.
Electric Keys has a regular price of $29 but can be downloaded for free for a limited time by using the code on the Karanyi Sounds website.
Developer Geert Bevin (Moog Music, LinnStrument, MPE standard co-author) has introduced a free and open-source tool, ShowMIDI, that’s designed to make it easy to visualize what’s going on with MIDI data.
“I had this idea many years ago,” notes Bevin. “This time, when I had to wade through logs of MIDI monitor messages again, I finally rolled up my sleeves and got it implemented. I think it presents real-time MIDI data in a new way that makes it much more understandable and discoverable.”
ShowMIDI is available for macOS, Windows and Linux, with AU, VST, CLAP and LV2 formats. There’s also a standalone version.
It visualizes:
MIDI ports
channels
program change
note on/off
channel pressure
polyphonic pressure
continuous control change
pitchbend
RPN and NRPN
MPE configuration and channel modes
ShowMIDI is designed to be always on and auto-hides past information, using the spacebar you can pause the flow and focus on a data snapshot with the latest state of any MIDI entity.
ShowMIDI is available now as a free download. You can download pre-built binaries for Linux, Mac and Windows, and h@xx0rs can get the source at Github.
Universal Audio has announced that its LUNA Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) – previously only available to UA Apollo customers – is now available as a free download for all Mac users, no UA hardware required.
UA says that LUNA is the only recording software with the sound of classic studio equipment, like analog console summing and tape machine emulations, built right in.
“Today we are thrilled to make LUNA, our award?winning DAW, free to all Mac users. No UA hardware and no purchase required.” says Connor Sexton, Product Manager at Universal Audio. “With LUNA and the LUNA Pro Bundle your music will have album?quality sound from the start.”
Features:
Record and playback as many tracks as your machine can handle with unlimited track count.
Analog Summing, Tape Machines, Channel Strips, Bus and Parallel Compression built into the LUNA mixer with LUNA Extensions, no extra plug-ins or separate windows required
Create with record-ready sounds from Shape, a comprehensive toolkit instrument with every sound needed to finish a track or start an idea
Quantize audio more efficiently with LUNA’s proprietary Razor Blade and Polyphonic warp algorithms
Recall key moments, song variations, and creative ideas with intuitive and powerful full preview Import Session Data
Avoid modes and menu diving with LUNA’s smart tool and session browser
Get powerful tactile control with industry leading control surfaces including Softube Console 1, SSL 360, and MCU
Easily use your favorite Audio Units plug-ins and instruments
In addition to LUNA Digital Audio Workstation, UA offers the Pro Bundle, a $399 collection of UAD Plug?ins and LUNA Extensions, co?created with API, Ampex, Studer, Pultec, and others. Mac users can try the essential LUNA Extensions and UAD Plug?ins add?on bundle free for 30 days.
LUNA is available now as a free download for MacOS.
