Intuem is an unusual sequencer that tries to preserve a human feel to the music. Its makers, Companion, say “The most beautiful music doesn’t often come from a sequencer, it usually comes from the heart of an artist and is captured directly to tape. It has long been the problem that a sequencer cannot easily accommodate dynamic, free flowing, beautiful music that respects a sequencer’s bar and beat boundaries so looping tools and rhythm machines keep in sync. Intuem 3.5 puts an end to that.” Intuem version 3.5 adds a raft of new features, including extensions to Intuem’s core functions. There’s also external sequencer control, which means you can use Intuem to control the tempo of your entire studio — and tempo is Intuem’s speciality. (more…)

Dynamix is a sound shaping plugin from Hungarian company WWAYM. I have no idea how to pronounce their name, but this plugin sounds interesting. They call it “a completely new way to waveshape your sounds.” They say it’s not a traditional effect, but it can be used to emulate a compressor, EQ, distortion effect, and many more, as well as having its own tricks. Despite this fresh approach to sound shaping, the user interface has a nice retro feel, if you like that sort of thing. (more…)

Key Rig is one of the first in a projected line of virtual instruments from M-Audio, who are better known for their music hardware. It’s an interesting idea — it’s a VST plugin that can also run standalone, and M-Audio intend it to be usable as an all-in-one keyboard sounds module. Simply load Key Rig onto your computer, plug in your keyboard controller and you’re away. And the really unusual thing about it is that the whole thing fits on a single CD. (more…)

Keyboard magazine reviews Synchro-Funk, a package of loops from Sony for their Acid music composition software (but usable by any other package too). Laptop Studio doesn’t often feature sample libraries, but in this case the review itself makes pretty amusing reading: “Picture this: Prince and Kraftwerk decide to collaborate — Prince contributes the danceable funkiness, Kraftwerk provides the machine soul. But just before they begin recording, someone floods the studio with laughing gas.” (more…)

SpectraFoo is a signal metering and analysis tool from Metric Halo. It looks useful for the pro sound engineer, not so much for the run-of-the-mill Laptop Studio musician, but it deserves mention here for its fun name at least. Metric Halo write: SpectraFoo provides all of the tools today’s digital projects demand. Whether you are a live sound engineer or a studio mixer, you need the power that Foo provides. Including standards-based level metering, high-speed, high-resolution spectral analysis, the unique Phase Torch, correlation metering, triggerable waveform display, power balancing and a variety of power, envelope and spectral histories and phase analysis on any number of input or output channels, the SpectraFoo range is absolutely essential for broadcast production and critical mixing & mastering. (more…)

Native Instruments Kontakt 2 is favourably reviewed by Keyboard magazine. They write: “Only at version 2, Kontakt is arguably the most flexible, creative, and usable sampler to take up residence on our hard drive since software instruments first became viable alternatives to hardware.” (more…)

Pro Audio Review take a look at Sony Acid Pro 5 and say it’s an excellent consolidation of all the features that Acid is famous in an improved interface. They are particularly pleased with the ReWire support in Acid Pro 5, as well as the new support for VST plug-ins and multiport VSTi soft synths. They also like the new Media Manager for organising your Gigabytes of samples and sounds. This kind of function is more and more necessary these days; some reviewers have found the Media Manager to be a bit heavyweight, here they found no problems with it. (more…)

3D World magazine reviews Ableton Live 5. They talk a lot about the general features in previous versions of Live and how they are useful to various types of musician — live performer, DJ, studio musician — and also mention their favourite new features: “DAW features have been added to Live 5 enabling audio professionals to access high-end studio effects and processors such as clip-freeze and compression. This is a fantastic addition to Live as in the past I have found many Live users still using other sequencing software to master a Live mix.” (more…)

Bhajis Loops is a software DAW for Palm PDA devices. It looks surprisingly full-featured — it contains a complete sample editor, virtual instruments with wavetable synthesis, pattern editor and sequencer, effects and automation. And like every other music production software these days, it has a special mode for live performances — Ableton Live has a lot to answer for. It sounds perfect for those long commutes on the subway in the mornings. (more…)

Ableton Live 5 gets a top review in the October issue of Future Music magazine. They have always had good things to say about previous versions of Live, and they think this new version is a huge improvement on an already great program. They give Live 5 their Platinum Award for general all-round excellence. It scores 8 out of 10 for value for money, 9 for build quality, ease of use and versatility, and a perfect ten for quality of results. (more…)