Music • Sound • Video • Art

OK. So I was, um, not thinking. If I had been, why would I make a resolution only TWO WEEKS before NAMM to NOT buy any new synth plug-ins before June 2009? I don’t even have the excuse of being hung over. Oh well…

Here are some damn interesting things announced on the first day of NAMM, several of which will migrate into my possession at some point this year. (Note that except for a short discussion of Live8, this is mostly a list with links. I’ll write more on each of these in the future.)

Ableton announces LIVE 8…

The biggest surprise to me was the announcement of Ableton Live8. Caught me completely by surprise.

First, if you have not checked out the videos on Ableton’s site, please do. Reading about the new features is not nearly as effective (IMHO) as seeing some of them in action. I’ve provided links to YouTube videos below, but better quality videos are available directly from Ableton at this link: http://www.ableton.com/home?movie=4

First up, there is an overview of Live8…

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But it gets so much more interesting. Check out “Share” for remote collaboration…

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Then there is “Extend” the integration of Max/MSP into LIVE…

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Finally, for those who perform live with LIVE, there is “Touch” a dedicated, purpose-built control surface built in partnership with Akai…

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OK. Things I like:

• An emphasis on improved work flow (shown throughout the first video)
• The new looper (which is like DP’s POLAR brought into the 21st century) (about 2 minutes into the first video)
• Improved/updated and easy to use effects with an integrated workflow
• An option for an improved, integrated, comprehensive suite (if you want)
• A workflow for sharing projects and collaborating over the internet built-in to the application (in the second video)
• MAX/MSP integrated into LIVE for extending modifying effects and functionality! (third video)

Seems like a short list, but the changes don’t have to be many to make significant improvements.

I don’t know. As I was watching these earlier, I just got a feeling that the Abletons are really on top of where music creation toolsets are going. (New approaches to old problems and all that.)

My main platform is Digital Performer, but DP, SONAR, CUBASE, etc., all seem to be stuck in a paradigm that was laid down in the 80s. It would be nice to see some consideration given to things like user extensibility, collaboration, etc. as an integral part of the programs’ capabilities.

East-West announces Symphonic Choirs…

MOTU announces BPM…

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Native Instruments announced Maschine (and this looks totally fearsome)…

(BTW, some of the “mini-commercials” on the site are pretty funny.)

Waldorf announced Largo…

FXpansion announced D-CAM: Synth Squad (potential winner of the “dumbest name award” for NAMM 2009). This is comprised of three modeled synths plus the Fusor layering environment.

Amber Synth

Cypher Synth

Strobe Synth

Fusor layering environment

Spectrasonic announced a major update to Stylus RMX (called ‘Time Desinger’) and have added 2000 new patches to Omnisphere’s patch library.

(And — and this is utterly amazing to me and is one reason why folks are so loyal to this company — BOTH updates are FREE to registered owners.)

Whew.

And this was only NAMM day one…..