Massive X
Native Instruments (NI) has recently announced that one of its most popular synthesisers is being given a huge overhaul. Massive has been popular with my students for its huge synth sounds, simple operation, and usefulness across a range of genres.
The new version now has 125 wavetable oscillator waveforms, alongside the traditional analogue waves, and features sound effects as sound sources. The synth has eight different filter types and lots of routing options. NI's flagship synth now seems well equipped for the next ten years! native-instruments.com
DrumPack
Drum mics are something that no good recording setup should be without, and Sontronics has just announced two sets. They are the DrumPack and the DrumPack Plus. The two sets both contain condenser microphones specifically tuned to capture the drums for which they are designed: a large diaphragm for the kick drum and a small diaphragm for the snare and toms. The DrumPack Plus also features two pencil mics for overheads.
Most drum mic sets are based around dynamic mics, so for Sontronics to offer a set entirely using condensers is a little bit different. Further, Sontronics makes excellent microphones, and these packs are very competitively priced when compared to sets from other manufacturers. sontronics.com
ModulAir 1.0
A slightly weirder plugin – but worth covering because of the price! ModulAir is, as the name might indicate, a modular synth plugin that can be run on both Windows and Mac operating systems. It features 43 different elements including oscillators, filters, and effects that can be strung together in any order you want.
The synth can save patches containing up to 18 different modules which, if you've ever used a real modular synth, is a blessing. You would otherwise be re-patching cables for hours; this does it at the touch of a button. Did I mention that it's free?
