Electronic Musician review the Edirol PCR-M1 USB/MIDI keyboard controller and are impressed by its compactness: “The beauty of this unit is its compact size: at just less than 18 inches wide, 9 inches high, and 1.12 inches deep, it is slightly wider than a notebook computer and incorporates 25 standard-width keys. Though they are shorter in height and have a shallower action compared with full-size keys, they feel surprisingly sturdy, as do all the front-panel controls.” (That’s 45cm wide, 22cm high and 3cm deep, for all you Metricians out there.)

The main concern with compact keyboards is the quality and responsiveness of the keys. The PCR-M1 scored well here: “the PCR-M1’s keys felt quite good — light but not flimsy. The timing response was excellent, even when I played with both hands as fast as I could.” The reviewer didn’t like the “detented” knobs on the unit though — these make it difficult to alter parameters smoothly over a wide range. It’s down to personal taste, really.

The conclusion is very good, other than some small gripes about the included editing software: “The PCR-M1 is solid and user-friendly. It works as it should, and using it was fun and hassle free. Edirol should, however, consider adding some PCR Editor basics to the printed material. I’d also like to see different graphical user interfaces in the editing software for the various models. Other than the minor annoyance with the detented knobs, I was very pleased with the PCR-M1.” Overll, this keyboard rates 4 out of 5.

Computer Music magazine reviews Pro Tools M-Powered, the new hardware/software combo DAW from Digidesign. Pro Tools is already legendary in the digital audio workstation world, and this version comes with an M-Audio interface instead of their proprietary audio interface. The version of Pro Tools included is a cut-down version of the full product. In fact, it’s almost identical to Pro Tools LE, the standard “lite” version of Pro Tools.) Still, the limitations aren’t too severe — the review points out that this version handles 32 audio tracks instead of 96, and does not include the TDM system for eliminating latency when processing sounds in real time.

The automation system in this version of Pro Tools is full-strength: “everything from volume to plug-in parameters can be programmed dynamically, either by recording fader/pot movements or drawing in a contour.”

They also point out tat the MIDI sequencing features are undiminished — you can even still use 256 tracks if you really want to– but that the MIDI capabilities aren’t as good as a dedicated MIDI sequencer. Still, this version of Pro Tools is ReWire-friendly, so you can use another sequencer without too much trouble.

In the end, they rate it as 8 out of ten and give it a special nod for its excellent performance. In a nutshell, they call Pro Tools M-Powered “superb audio multitracking software.”

VideoSystems review Cakewalk Sonar 4. They rate it as a solid performer in the digital audio workstation stakes: “The new additions to this program, coupled with its rock-solid performance and generous feature set, make Sonar 4 a must-consider contender if you’re looking for a native processor-based DAW.”

They had good results with connectivity, and also rate the included effects very highly. The loop manipulation features enabled by the new Groove Clip features are not as good as in Ableton Live (what is?) but are still said to be quite acceptable. They also like the video sync features, though they’re not as flexible as Nuendo — but again, that’s probably not a fair comparison.

As mentioned, syncing video to audio tracks was not always as easy as it could have been; the reviewer also had a mysterious problem recording soft synths, where the first note would fail to play. Aside from these hiccups, there were no real downsides to SONAR 4. In the end, they give it a solid if not outstanding rating and conclude that “Sonar 4 has many highly usable features and is easy to learn, which makes it a worthy contender for your dollar.”

The Roland CD-2 is a CD recorder on steroids. It can record from the inbuilt microphone or line inputs directly to CD or CompactFlash card. When recording, you can apply effects and even carry out basic editing operations on your audio. When playing back, you can adjust speed and pitch independently. It would be a good musical sketch book for those times when inspiration strikes, there’s a record label A&R person next to you on the bus, and you’ve foolishly left your laptop studio at home. You can pull out your harmonica and your CD-2 and produce your demo masterpiece on the spot.

The website gives more details on this useful new gadget. They say that whether your goal is to record audio and make CDs to present a performance or composition for evaluation, to advance your playing skills with the help of high-tech learning tools, to preserve and archive important audio, or to capture unforgettable moments like concerts or public events, the CD-2 will do the job quickly and simply — and with professional-quality results.

Easy Recording
Recording is a breeze on the CD-2. A high-quality stereo microphone is built in for top-grade, on-the-spot recording; additional mics can be plugged in as well. The CD-2 records directly onto CDs. So start playing, and as soon as you’re done you’ll have a finished, professional CD! For extra long recording times (complete concerts, church services, etc.), the CD-2 offers recording to popular card (CompactFlash) media, and supports up to 2 GB capacity for approximately six hours of recording time at 16 Bit/44.1 kHz linear mode.

Edit Your Recordings!
When recording to CompactFlash, your audio can be edited using functions such as Audio Level Adjustment, Song Erase, and Trim for cutting out silence between songs. Once you have everything the way you want, you can burn your performance directly to CD.

Music-Training Support
Students will appreciate the CD-2’s usefulness as an educational/practice tool, thanks to its built-in stereo speakers, speed/pitch control, tuner, and metronome. You can easily record lessons or musical passages, and play them back at a slower tempo while retaining the original pitch. Or change the pitch of the audio and play along indifferent key signatures. The CD-2 provides some great learning advantages for all levels of students.

Convenient Connections
The CD-2 makes it easy to get audio in and out. For ultra convenience, a stereo microphone is built-in, so all you have to do is point and shoot. Or, if desired, you can plug in external mics with the two XLR inputs, complete with phantom power. A pair of RCA inputs and outputs is provided for convenient connection to electronic piano, CD player or stereos; using the 1/4-inch inputs you can plug guitars, mics, and other instruments directly into the CD-2. And if you like, you can use the built-in guitar effects or reverb to greatly enhance your guitar or vocal sounds.

Onboard Effects
Enhance your recordings with the CD-2’s lineup of professional audio effects, such as reverb, EQ, and compression. Make your recordings sound more ambient and lush, or punchy and crisp. Special tools are also provided for guitar and vocals, and the onboard Mastering effects help you put the final polish on your audio before you burn it CD. You won’t believe how good your recordings can sound, and how friendly the CD-2’s tools are to use.

The PCR-M1 MIDI keyboard controller from Edirol looks like a nice complement to the laptop studio musician. The thing I really like is its compactness. I prefer 25-key keyboards for this reason, and this one is very thin and light too. The assignable rotary encoder would be useful too — especially if you don’t already have another MIDI control surface.

The website has all the details, as follows: The PCR-M1 is the most compact, powerful USB MIDI Keyboard Controller available. This incredibly slim device is based on the highly-popular PCR-1, but lacks the audio I/O of the PCR-1 and adds a number of new MIDI features to make it more analogous to the larger PCR-series MIDI controllers. Like the PCR-30, 50 & 80, the PCR-M1 includes a 1×1 MIDI interface, sustain pedal connection, and expression pedal connection. Unlike any other PCR-series controller, the PCR-M1 offers a rotary encoder that can be assigned to a number controls including scrolling control maps, adjusting velocity, changing MIDI channels, & more. The PCR-M1 also includes three different options for drawing power: 1) USB-Powered, 2) AC Adapter (optional), and 3) Powered by 4 AAA batteries.

Also like its larger brothers, the PCR-M1 offers V-Link support for control of video devices directly from your keyboard. The PCR-M1 is incredibly versatile in terms of control. It offers 27 different parameter controls available from 16 different physical controls and functions with the powerful PCR-Editor available for PC & Mac.

The PCR-M1 uses Edirol & Roland’s S.L.I.M. technology to offer a very nice playable action with a very short throw & very little side-to-side play in the keys. It may be small, but this feature-packed device is no toy!

The PCR-M1 measures a mere 1-3/16″ (3cm) thick & weighs just 2 lbs 11 oz (1.22kg). It comes with a protective neoprene sleeve to protect it in travel.

Computer Music magazine review Ableton Live 5 in their September issue. Everyone has been excited about this latest update, and with good reason — they give it an Editor’s Choice award, and also awards for Innovation and Performance. They have always championed Live — “In terms of technology, ergonomics, workflow and on-stage usability, Live stands alone, doing things that no other software can do in ways that are genuinely inspirational.” As for this new version, they simply say that “Live 5 is the most exciting and forward-thinking audio application on the market.”

The review runs through a few of the new features. “Live 5 introduces the brand-new Auto-Warp algorithm, designed to automatically and perfectly Warp absolutely anything you throw at it.” Warping is Live’s process for detecting tempo and beats in audio files, and the new Auto-Warp automates a process that had to be done manually in previous versions. Related to this, there’s also the Complex Warp Mode — “an amazing sounding frequency-domain algorithm for timestretching full pieces of music.” They say that Auto-Warp is an amazing piece of technology, and while it isn’t perfect, its ability to work an many styles of music is “a total triumph.”

They are also impressed with improvements in navigation interface. The Clip View transport system makes it easier to work with Clip Loops, which can now be defined more flexibly. The Arrangement View has similar improvements, and the Session View now has Nudge buttons for easy fine adjustments to track timing. All these new adjustments work in sync with the global quantise setting, so they’re good for live performance or quick and easy studio work. In general, they say, “shuttling and navigation in Live is far easier than it was in version 4.”

Live 5 also has a Track Freeze feature, which conserves CPU by pre-rendering a track (complete with instruments and effects) to an audio file. There’s also a new feature called Live Clips — dragging a clip from the Session View into any folder in the browser saves it as a Live Clip, which can be previewed and loaded into another Live Set. Live Device chains can also be saved and reloaded as presets, which they say “empowers” Live users to create their own libraries of effects.

Apart from these major features, they are also excited about a long-overdue feature — there are now contextual menus available throughout Live. We’re so used to using these in other applications that their absence in previous versions of Live was always a bit odd.

The only gripes in the review are the lack of fine control over global tempo (particularly important to live DJs) and editing in the Arrangement View. These aren’t new problems, and they are minor, but the reviewers feel that improvements here would make for an even better product. They would also like to see more improvements in overall DAW workflow, though this must depend on how you plan to use Live.

Their final rating is nine out of ten — I doubt they would ever give ten for such a large program. “Live 5 is an extremely well-realised update … it’s the sheer weight and ingenuity of the new features that impresses this time round.” If you’re thinking about upgrading, they say, “version 5 really is a must-have,” and for everyone else, “you simply have to check it out.”

Computer Music magazine reviews LiveSet, an interesting MIDI environment manager from PeterTools. It scores a perfect ten — they gave a top rating and an “Innovation” award. LiveSet is a ReWire host that provides low-level control of MIDI devices. It displays software instruments and sequences and lets you control them in real time, and reroute MIDI to any physical MIDI output or ReWire device. Devices are wired to various LiveSet modules, which are presented in a great big virtual rack like Reason — oh well, nothing’s perfect.

The LiveSet modules do various fairly simple things, like transpose MIDI notes to a different pitch, or generate chords from single notes. There’s an LFO, which simply generates an oscillating MIDI control signal, and a module that smooths out velocity information from MIDI notes (excellent if your keyboard skills are as rudimentary as mine). These simple modules turn out to be very useful — the reviewer thinks that LiveSet “serves to highlight the MIDI limitations of most ‘pro’ software!”

Reason users get extra modules — one allows you to trigger sets of mutes and solos by simply hitting a MIDI key. Another lets you manipulate loop positions and directions and so remix your tracks in real time. They say these open up huge possibilities, especially when performing live — “Incredible!”

The modules are simple, but according to this review, LiveSet is more than the sum of its parts. When they are brought together, “the effect they have on live performance is staggering.” Overall they give it a perfect ten out of ten and say: “This is a perfectly executed, insanely useful program that any aspiring live musician would be mad to overlook; once you’ve tried it, you’ll genuinely wonder how you ever got by without it.”

iZotope have announced a new deal on their three plug-ins — for academic users. Students and teachers can get the Ozone 3 mastering system, the Trash distortion effect, and the Spectron effects processor in a bundle for half price. Interesting — I seem to remember that Propellerhead Software have some sort of academic deal for Reason as well. More power to these people for investing in the future of music. From the website, here are details of iZonic’s plugins:

Ozone 3 — Integrated Mastering System with Analog Modeling
iZotope’s Ozone 3 combines analog modeling with 64-bit digital precision to deliver a complete integrated suite of world-class mastering processors. Ozone 3 isn’t a collection of plug-ins — it’s a single powerful interface that combines all the required mastering tools in one system, making it easier to understand and use the mix.

Trash — Complete Distortion Processor
iZotope Trash sets a new standard in distortion and amp modeling. With its wide range of 64-bit box, cabinet, and speaker models, multiband distortion algorithms, fully sweepable and triggerable filters, and unique delay module, Trash is able to provide a superior sound with tremendous flexibility.

Spectron — Spectral Domain Effects Processing
Spectron is a complete effects processing software package. Users will find standard effects including delay, chorus, filter, flange, panning and morphing as recognizable starting points to a completely unique set of effects. Spectron uses spectral domain processing to provide control over selective frequency bands for a unique and nearly limitless sonic palette. Spectron’s elegant, easy-to-navigate interface allows users to quickly access the power of the software’s unique sound-shaping transformation possibilities.

Digidesign have announced the Mbox 2, the new version of their original Mbox bundle. This looks pretty good — it’s a Pro Tools system you can actually afford. The hardware handles the connections (including analog, digital, and MIDI), and the included software handles the editing.

Apart from the very nice-looking interface box, MBox 2 comes with Pro Tools LE, the “light” version of Digidesign’s flagship music production software. It also comes with a great bundle of other software called the Pro Tools Ignition Pack — in total, Mbox 2 includes more than 50 plug-ins and instruments.

Here’s the rundown of features in this package, from the website.

Mbox 2 Hardware Features

• Superior sound quality
• Four simultaneous inputs with analog and digital I/O
• Two analog inputs (XLR and 1/4″ jacks) and two analog outputs (1/4″ jacks)
• 2 channels of S/PDIF digital I/O (RCA)
• 48V phantom power for condenser mics
• 24-bit/48 kHz audio
• MIDI in/out
• Zero-latency monitoring
• 100% USB powered

Mbox 2 Software Features

• Award-winning Pro Tools LE software (Windows XP and Mac OS X)
• 32 simultaneous audio tracks (128 virtual audio tracks)
• Integrated MIDI sequencer with 256 simultaneous MIDI tracks
• 37 DigiRackâ„¢ and 7 Bomb Factory plug-ins
• Includes the Pro Tools Ignition Pack software and tools
• Support for streaming ReWire applications
• Beat Detective LE groove analysis and correction tool

Pro Tools Ignition Pack

• Propellerhead Software Reason Adapted 3
• Ableton Live Lite 4 Digidesign Edition
• FXpansion BFD Lite
• IK Multimedia SampleTank 2 SE
• IK Multimedia AmpliTube LE
• IK Multimedia T-RackS EQ
• Celemony Melodyne uno essential
• Pro Tools Method One instructional DVD
• Bunker 8 REX File CD
• 1-year membership to Broadjam.com
• Limited-time free trade magazine subscription

Propellerhead Software have transmogrified all the sounds from their legendary ReBirth soft synth into a ReFill pack. This is essentially a sound library for use by Reason. They have done this as part of their ReBirth Museum project. The ReBirth ReFill is free to registered Reason users.

There’s a brief blurb on the ReBirth Museum website: “To fill the gap left by the now discontinued ReBirth application, Propellerhead Software presents the ReBirth ReFill! A 100 mb monster ReFill that not only recreates the sounds of the original application, but also of all of the Mods that were available on the Propellerhead website.”

The ReBirth RB-338 ReFill can be downloaded, free of charge, from the Propellerhead website. Go the ReFill section and look for the Free ReFills.