The Ray Gun line of noise filter plugins from Arboretum systems now includes an Audio Units version for Mac OS X. Aside from the cool name, the plugins have a number of noise removal features. These are the features of the Pro version (from the website) — reduced versions are also available.

Intelligent Search Function Ray Gun finds and eliminates noise, all by itself. Fine-tune the processing using Ray Gun’s simple Attenuation, Threshold and Sensitivity controls.

Noise Reduction Ray Gun uses fast spectral analysis, a downward expansion function and special search-and-destroy noise busting technology to reduce or eliminate broadband noise, including fan sound and tape hiss.

Pop/Click Removal Ray Gun finds the spikes, clicks and pops in your file, and seamlessly removes them from your audio.

Filtering Get rid of pesky 60-cycle hum and low-end rumble. For European electrical systems we’ve also included 50-cycle hum filtering.

Level Correction If the noise reduction you’ve selected is so extreme that the overall level is decreased, you can make up for the volume loss at the output stage.

Enhancement The Enhancements section of Ray Gun DirectX offers a classical bass/treble equalizer and a stereo enhancer.

Automation When used within a Mac OS X Audio Units plug-in host that supports this feature Ray Gun Pro AU parameter changes can be fully automated.

The TranzPort wireless DAW from Frontier Design Group allows you to control your music software from anywhere in the room. (Or in another room, but that would be silly.) It’s a nifty-looking piece of plastic with a jog wheel, transport controls and a whole bunch of buttons, and it’s completely wireless.

The TranzPort works with a number of DAWs right out of the box. They list Adobe Audition, Digital Performer, Cubase, Guitar Tracks Pro, Logic, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Reason, SAWStudio and SONAR on the website, with more to come, though it should be possible to do it yourself if you’re brave.

The website has more, much more. They say: Frontier Design Group’s new TranzPort represents a revolutionary way to interact with your Windows or Mac digital audio workstation (DAW). Instead of being stuck in front of your computer to compose, record, and produce music/audio, TranzPort gives you the freedom to control DAW functions from anywhere in your studio.

TranzPort is easy to set up and use. Right out of the box, it’s compatible with popular DAW software such as Pro Tools, Sonar, Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer and others. You can arm tracks, use transport controls, set markers, control pans, punch in/out, start loops, and more from TranzPort’s simple and intuitive interface. TranzPort is a bi-directional controller, so it also provides feedback to you on signal levels, timecode position, track names and more, via a backlit LCD display and LED indicators.

Unlike infrared remotes, you don’t need line-of-sight between the TranzPort and your computer. TranzPort uses high frequency radio waves (RF) to send and receive control data, and uses advanced coding and frequency-hopping techniques to operate without causing interference, even in the presence of other wireless devices.

Using TranzPort, you can:

• Adjust monitor mix settings from inside an iso booth, or easily record instruments that are physically incompatible with your workspace (piano, drums, etc.)
• Get creative in an environment away from the computer (living room, lounge, etc.) without having to run back and forth to the workstation
• Control your recording while physically removing yourself from unwanted computer noise and monitor hum
• Add a set of basic DAW controls to a second location in a studio (producer’s desk, separate room, etc.)
• Remotely control your computer from onstage in live performance without messy cable runs
• And much more!

TranzPort is small and lightweight, runs on standard AA batteries, is mountable to a mic stand (using optional adaptor), and even has a footswitch input. As a very affordable alternative to keyboard/mouse DAW control, TranzPort offers control tools that will speed up your workflow.

Compatible with Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS X (10.2.8 and above), and requiring only one USB port for the small receiver, TranzPort is the remote DAW control solution for everyone from personal/project studios to large commercial recording facilities.

Computer Music magazine (August issue) reviews Guru, the whiz-bang drum machine program from FXpansion. They call it a “state-of-the-art drum machine” — it’s really a hybrid program. First, it’s a normal sequencing drum machine. But more importantly, it’s a loop-slicing program that lets you import drum patterns as audio and then slice and dice them to form your own kits and patterns. The review is positively glowing.

They note that Guru uses eight audio engines for playback: “you get eight very capable drum machinesin one interface, all of them fully synced and working in perfect harmony wioth each other.” They also praise the user interface, which they call “attractive and well designed”.

They really like Guru’s loop-processing features. Its SmartSlice technology analyzes audio drum loops and automatically slices them up into individual beats. It also categorizes them according to whether they are a kcik, snare, hi-hat or other percussion hit, and assigns them to one of its four drum pads. It can even convert the loop to MIDI.

Overall, Guru gets the maximum rating — ten out of ten — and the conclusion speaks for itself: “FXpansion have done it again. Guru looks great and is easy to use, yet can create very complex beats. … Thoughtful design features, highly configurable sample pads and extensive sequencing abilities make Guru a truly phenomenal groovebox.”

Modern handheld game consoles are powerful, portable and have pretty good sound capabilities — perfect for making music on the move. There are several ways to make music on these devices– you can work on that killer drum loop on a bus, in a pet shop or while skydiving. Here are a few programs that can help you make music on your portable game console.

The Sony Playstation Portable has PSPKick and PSP Rhythm Composer. PSPKick is a simple drum machine that lets you set up a sequence and play the result or save it to a WAV file. The PSP Rhythm Composer is also just a drum machine, but its interface is based on the Roland TR series drum machines for all you retro freaks out there.

The Game Boy Advance has Nanoloop. “Nanoloop is a synthesizer / sequencer for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Stored on a normal game cartridge, it allows to produce nice electronic music without further hardware, using either headphones or an external amplifier (home stereo, active speakers, etc) as sound output.” The interface is minimal, but this is probably appropriate for such a small device. Nanoloop has an 8-voice synth — voices can be a rectangular wave, FM synth or noise. There are filters, envelopes and LFO available. It’s all programmed using an 8-track step sequencer. You can even synchronise up to 4 GBAs together for a group jam session.

Even the plain old Game Boy isn’t left out in the cold — there’s Little Sound Dj: “The basic idea is to transform a plain Game Boy/Game Boy Color into a full-fledged music workstation.” There’s a subtractive synth with resonant filters — you can draw your own waveform! — and an arpeggiator. There are also samples available for drum programming and speech synthesis.

For the Nintendo DS, there’s Nanoloop, which works on this as well as the GBA. There’s also the weird and wonderful Electroplankton. Happy musical plankton bounce around the sea, making harmonious sounds as they move. You can set up their environment to help shape and channel the music they make. There are several different types of plankton, each with different movement and sound characteristics. This is more an interactive fishtank than a music-making tool, but the sounds are lovely and the graphics (as you can see) are simple but beautiful.

So the PSP doesn’t have too much going for it yet — Nintendo users have the better option so far. I’m sure more will be in the works. I could see Sony creating a version of Acid for the PSP — now that would be nice.

Cakewalk Pyro 5 is out now. This is the latest version of Cakewalk’s CD mastering package, though it does quite a bit more than just burn CDs. Essentially, it deals with music recorded on any medium — apart from the obvious CD mastering and burning functions, you can also rip CDs or copy music from cassettes, vinyl, the Internet and so on. You can also put your audio down onto DVD (including dual layer DVD), data CDs, MP3 players or mobile phones. And I don’t mean MP3-capable mobiles. I mean ringtones.

Yes, this is the killer new feature of Pyro 5. You can take any audio, and it will transmogrify it into a ringtone and upload it to your mobile phone. Finally you can become a Ringtone Composer and make your fortune! The website promises unlimited ringtone creation from MP3 or CD: “Cakewalk Pyro incorporates ToneThis technology for the ultimate ringtone generator, with no complicated PC to phone connections.

1. Start with any CD track, MP3, or record your own audio
2. Use simple mouse-clicks to set the start and end time of the ringtone
3. Hit “Upload to Phone” to send an unlimited number of custom ringtones across the internet directly to your phone”

OK, it does lots more, but the ringtone thing is definitely the most amusing. Here’s the full list of Pyro 5’s capabilities:

• Create ringtones from any music source, that are easily sent to your phone
• Advanced burning capabilities including: DVD data disc burning and copying; dual-layer DVD burning and copying; disc image (.ISO) burning, copying, and writing/saving
• CD-extra burning (create audio and data hybrid discs)
• Redesigned, easy-to-use interface with new tabs and transport control to help you get started using Pyro 5 quickly—even if you are new to digital music and media software
• Listen to music using Pyro’s dockable Mini Player
• Improved CD ripping with updated CD-look up engine
• Print and copy track lists and disc content
• Create, save, and open playlists (.M3U and .PLS) with easy transfer to portable players
• Improved audio editing
• Rip CDs, make MP3s, and manage your digital music collection
• Make DJ-style megamixes with crossfades for CDs or your portable player
• Record audio from any source: LP, Cassette, Internet broadcast, microphone
• Digitize and clean LPs and cassettes, and transform them into CDs or MP3s
• Record Internet broadcasts, then put them on CD or your portable player
• Cakewalk-quality editing of audio files
• Locate and organize all the music files on your PC
• Instantly download song, album, and artist names
• Burn and share mix CDs of your favorite music
• Archive important data files to CD, DVD, or Dual Layer DVD
• Create backup copies of your favorite CDs and data DVDs
• NEATO CD-labeling graphics package

Zero-G are about to release Nostalgia, a virtual instrument containing a huge collection of vintage synth sounds. How huge? Here’s the list of gear they used to create this goldmine: Ace Tone ‘Rhythm Ace’, Akai XE8, Akai XR10, Alesis HR16, Alesis HR16b, Alesis SR16, Alpha Juno 2, ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, ARP Pro-Soloist, ARP String Ensemble, Boss DR220, Boss DR55, Casio CZ101, Casio PT-30, Casio RZ1, Casio VL-Tone, Chamberlin, Chapman Stick, Clavinet D6, CR78, Crumar Performer, D50, Delicia Medlodica , Dubreq Stylophone, Elektronika EM-25, Elka Synthex, Eminent 310, Emu Drumulator, Emulator 2, Ensoniq SQ80, Ensoniq SQ-R, Fairlight CMI IIx, Farfisa organ, Farfisa Soundmaker, Fender Rhodes, Fricke MFB512, Gem DEX20, Gem S2, Hammond B/C3, Hammond M102, Hohner Pianet, Jen bass Pedals, Jupiter 6, Kawai K5000, Kawai R5/R50E, Keytek MDP40, Korg DDD1, Korg DDM110/DDM220, Korg M1, Korg ‘Mini Pops’, Korg MS20, Korg Polysix, Korg Prophecy, Korg Trident, Korg Wavestation, Korg X5DR, Linn 9000, Linn Drum Mk2, Linn LM-1, Mattel Synsonics, Mellotron, MemoryMoog, MiniMoog, MKS50, Modulus Monowave, Moog Opus, Moog Taurus Mk1, Moog Voyager, (more…)

This is neat — it’s a microphone that connects directly to your computer’s USB port. Samson Audio’s C01U is probably not the high-end professional choice, but it sounds pretty convenient, especially for those impromptu laptop gigs. It’s a good alternative to either a poor-quality 3.5mm microphone jack or a separate audio interface.

There are more details on their website. They say: The C01U USB Studio Condenser Mic is the first affordable studio condenser mic with a direct USB output. For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances.

Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable.

The C01U condenser microphone is based on our wildly successful C01. It features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings.

The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any DAW software program. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices.

It’s a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio — from Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

CNET review Sound Forge Audio Studio 8. For creating and manipulating digital audio, they say Sound Forge Audio Studio is “perhaps the most complete and easy-to-use application for Windows PCs.”

They say the interface is a bit boring but as a result quite intuitive. As for features, there are no real surprises, but they say “what makes Sound Forge Audio Studio so powerful is the depth of its tools, such as delay and chorus effects or vinyl restoration, and the ease with which these are applied. Plus, everything is done in real time and in a nondestructive manner.”

Sound Forge Audio Studio has another unusual feature aimed more at relative beginners. “Perhaps the most empowering feature for novice users is the publishing option, which uploads musical creations to ACIDplanet.com, a vibrant online community of music makers spanning all genres. Here, members can publish their songs, bios, and commentary, as well as listen to and rate others’ compositions. Users can also download more free samples, view homemade videos, join discussion forums, and enter contests.” I like the concept of an audio application that “empowers” its users.

They rate the program highly for its compatibility with many audio and video formats; its customizable interface; excellent real-time effects; export options; and its top performance. The downside is that it is a single-track editor only, and doesn’t support third-party plug-ins or plug-in chaining. The overall rating is 8 out of ten — excellent — and the bottom line: “You can’t find a more reliable and feature-filled audio program for less than $70.”

Steinberg are due now to release HALion String Edition 2, the new version of their orchestral strings library. As the name implies, it’s based on their HALion sampling engine. The new version features more effects and, well, basically more of everything.

Here’s more information from their press release and website: HALion String Edition 2 includes 9 GB of sounds performed by one of Europe’s leading orchestras, which was recorded in 24-bit and using top grade recording equipment. Included are solo and ensemble strings in a large variety of articulations including, crescendo, trills, up and down bowing, portamento and many more. HALion String Edition 2 also features RealAmbience, a new technique that offers a full, 3D concert hall sound with no artificial reverb.

During the recording and production phases, particular attention was paid to achieving a warm and emotive yet detailed and precise sound that sits just as well in an RnB mix as in a classical arrangement. Features such as the sound browser window also make the full breadth of sounds contained in HALion String Edition 2 readily accessible, and the unique Q-Controls allow easy control of the most important sound-shaping parameters.

HALion String Edition 2 offers several technologies to maximise efficiency in its use of the computer’s CPU and RAM resources. First seen in Steinberg’s award-winning HALion sampler, RAMSave unloads unused samples from RAM, freeing up memory for other instruments and applications. The supplied ECO versions of sounds allow high levels of polyphony even on older computers, while the advanced disk-streaming mode makes HALion String Edition 2 highly efficient in its memory use.

HALion String Edition 2 supports all major plug-in formats such as VST, DXi, and AU. ReWire support offers easy integration into Pro Tools, while the standalone version allows HALion String Edition 2 to be used without a host application.

Future Music magazine have reviewed Steinberg’s HALion Player sampler. They review it largely from the point of view of a HALion 3 user, so they notice the cut-down (“minimalist”) interface and the lack of flexibility. However, they also point out that it is cheaper than HALion 3, and it is meant to be used by people who want the specific sounds in the package, rather than those who are looking for a full-on “power sampler”.

There are a number of effects availalbe, but the reviewer laments that fact that these are essentially hard-wired. Each patch has a particular set of effects available for it, and these cannot be changed. Even worse, if you use HALion Player to import sounds to create your own samples, you can’t use the built-in effects at all.

Despite these limitations, they like HALion Player in its own right as a simple sampler with excellent built-in patches — the lack of control and flexibility actually leads to more of a “fun factor” than more complex packages. They give it a ten out of ten rating for ease of use, and at least seven for their other criteria. Their overall verdict: “HALion Player is nowhere near as powerful as SampleTank, Kompakt or Intakt. However, it’s incredibly easy to use and cheap too, delivering the goods sonically.”