Posts by Lyubomir Dobrev

Musikmesse 2018: Steinberg teams up with Rupert Neve Designs on new USB interfaces

Two new USB interfaces by Steinberg, with transformers by Rupert Neve Designs, no less. Will these worry makers of luxury 2- and 4-preamp units already on the market by Focusrite and others?

Neural DSP recreates coveted Darkglass distortion pedals in plug-in format

Developer start-up Neural DSP has a new distortion pedal emulation created in partnership with Darkglass Electronics and models their super-nice (and pricey) Ultra pedal series.

Apple Mac Pro 2018 rumours: An all-new modular Mac with easy upgrades in the offing?

The new Mac Pro has already been in the works for some time and could be showcased in June at Apple's WWDC event, envisioned as the highest-end desktop system in the Apple line-up.

Spotify is building hardware, likely an in-car streaming player

As Spotify is gearing up for an April 24 event, informed speculation arises that the music streaming giant is about to launch its first hardware device, reportedly an in-car controller or player.

Magpha mastering EQ sounds analogue “all the way up to 20khz”

Featuring an extremely minimalistic, distraction-free user interface, this EQ offers true analogue phase behaviour up to 20kHz and very broad Q factors (<0.1) for final wideband tone sculpting.

NI Maschine MK3 becomes a Logic Pro X controller after latest update

With the latest update (v. 2.7.3) to its Maschine production platform, NI has added integration with Logic Pro X to the Maschine MK3 hardware controller. The unit's displays now showcase the Logic mixer.

Musikmesse 2018: RME debuts Digiface Dante and AVB audio networking interfaces

RME is furthering its audio networking catalog with the impending launch of Digiface Dante and Digiface AVB. Both are USB 3.0 mobile audio networking interfaces that offer different things.

Pen2Bow app turns the Apple Pencil into a legitimate iPad MIDI controller

Developer Dimos Gaidatzis created Pen2Bow, an EUR 9 app that turns the Apple Pencil into a violin bow MIDI controller. The algorithm detects linear and circular motion, generating four MIDI streams.

Musikmesse 2018: Drawmer intros a pair of CMC monitor controllers

At Musikmesse 2018, British manufacturer Drawmer will introduce a pair of new monitor controllers: CMC3 and CMC7. The CMC3 is the compact model, while the CMC7 is designed for Surround setups.

Deal: Boom 3D turns your Mac speakers Surround for only USD 8

The makers of Boom 3D claim their software enables a 3D Surround Sound audio experience using just your built-in Apple speakers on the iMac, MacBook Pro, or whatever fruity computer you have.

Audiority packs three classic distortions into EUR 45 plug-in bundle

To give guitar players some Easter inspiration, Audiority released a pack of three distortion plug-ins. They emulate actual pedals which have seen plenty of action in pedalboards across the planet.

UVI USQ-1 recreates the vintage digital sounds of 1986’s ESQ-1 workstation

A very technically accomplished synth for its time, the ESQ-1 has a very lush, distinct sound that you can find on many synth-pop and industrial records from that era. The Ensoniq is a true treasure!

Apple macOS 10.14 rumour round-up: iOS and macOS apps united at last?

Allegedly, Apple plans to combine iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps as part of a project internally named "Marzipan". However, this doesn't mean you will be able to run every iOS app on your Mac. Read on...

BandLab rebrands Sonar as Cakewalk and sets it free on Windows

After acquiring the Cakewalk brand and assets from Gibson, BandLab is rebooting Sonar, a popular "alternative" DAW, as Cakewalk by BandLab. The software is completely free to download for Windows!

G-Sonique Neurofunker XG6: a rompler full of bass drops and wubs

G-Sonique Neurofunker XG6 is a rompler with over 146 sounds ready-made for bass music styles, such as DnB, dubstep, and neurofunk. Great if you struggle with programming your own sounds!

Intel intros 6-core Core i9-8950HK laptop CPU with improved multi-core performance

Intel officially launched its latest high-end Coffee Lake Core i9 laptop processor. Likely to go into next generation MacBook Pros, the CPUs are made on a 14nm process and have six cores.

Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel Strip: the best of Rupert Neve?

Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel Strip is a mono unit which combines a mic preamp, three-band EQ, compressor, and stereo-linked sends & returns. It's a Cadillac of a channel strip!

Apple iMac 2018 rumours: Prettier and faster music production?

The iMac is a fantastic and inspiring music production machine. Here's everything we think we know about its possible 2018 revamp in terms of design, features, specs, and price.

Apple MacBook Pro 2018 rumours: A better laptop for musicians?

The 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros didn't come off as convincing upgrades for musicians with reduced connectivity, somewhat gimmicky OLED touch bars, and price increases. Can Apple win them back?

Physical Audio PA1 Dynamic Plate Reverb: Kirchoff plate in action!

Taking advantage of physical modeling, the PA1 lets you choose among 6 simulated materials like Gold and Titanium. What's more, the left and right channel pickup positions can be changed across the plate.

CraveEQ by CraveDSP: an affordable alternative to FabFilter Pro-Q?

CraveEQ has three equalizer models based on a theoretically ideal analog EQ curve. At EUR 59, it's an affordable alternative to FabFilter Pro-Q but sadly only available for Windows.

GarageBand for iPhone X lets you control synths with facial expressions

With the latest update to GarageBand for iOS, Apple finally took advantage of the elaborate camera system it developed for the iPhone X to turn facial recognition into a music controller!

Apple Mac Mini 2018 specs, price, release date rumours: budget Mac for musicians?

The Mac Mini has always been an opportunity for musicians to set up a reasonably capable Mac rig for music production. However, it hasn't been updated since 2014! Has Apple forgotten or there's more to come?

Is Apple planning a new USD 999 MacBook in 2018 to replace the MacBook Air?

While the current-gen MacBook Air can be had for a reasonable USD 999, its hardware is lagging. Later this year, Apple may fire up a new 13-inch MacBook to take over the "slim, affordable" flag.