First look at the Turnado by Sugar Bytes from Richard Devine on Vimeo.

Sugar-Bytes has released Turnado. As someone who has been making music since the early 90s to be able to mangle stuff so easily always blows my mind. There’s a demo version so go crazy. $180 to own it.

“With its instantaneous, one-knob, multi-parameter modulation features, Turnado will lay waste to the audio landscape. Giving you the power to crunch, chop, twist, mash and elevate your music to new levels, Turnado will have you creating wicked new sounds that will blow any crowd away.” – sugar-bytes.de

For more info: sugar-bytes.de/content/products/Turnado

Sugar Bytes has announced Turnado. I used to spend quite a lot of time mapping several effect paramaters to one single knob. Take that concept and have all your paramaters increase in strength from 0 to 100 and back to off and I think you can start to get the idea of Turuado. Although the video above is in German you can get a good idea of what this thing can do. Available this summer.

“The idea is simple: Turn a knob and the effect is on. Turn the knob further and effect parameters start to move and modulations start to apply. Turn the knob down and the effect is off. This one-knob-action fits perfectly for all kinds of studio or stage situation where you bang your midi controller creating wicked breaks to let the crowd dance even harder. While each effect provides one knob to control it, underneath that easy cover you find effect parameters and modulation engines to be controlled by the main knob in all thinkable ways, which makes loading an effect just the starting point of the way you can go with it. The powerful “Dictator” mode allows you to animate all main knobs and run that animation with just one fader. This way you easily create and control complex effect layerings and arrangements in a new and inspiring way.” – sugar-bytes.de

For more info: sugar-bytes.de/Turnado

Christmas is around the bend and a theme this year is pro-audio software bundles. Linplug and Sugar Bytes are two companies that make goodies worth making noise with so they get some space here. The LinPlug offer gives you CronoX 3 Sample Synthesizer, MorphoX Synthesizer, Rob Papen Albino 3, Octopus FM Synth, Alpha Classic Synth, ElementP Percussion Synth, Ian Boddy Soundset for the Alpha, Summa Soundset for the Octopus (altogether more than 5500 preset sounds) for $399 which is less than half of what you would buy them for seperately. Sugar-Bytes is selling their Sugar Bundle which consists of Guitarist, Thesys, Consequence, Effectrix, Artillery2, Unique, WOW, Vogue and Robotronic for $499.

“This year we celebrate the most insane christmas deal we ever had!” – Sugar Bytes

For more info: Linplug and Sugar Bytes

photo credit: Steve Rhodes

http://www.youtube.com/v/_sJrZ1nHBOo?hl=en_US&fs=1

I like almost all the plug-ins from Berlin based Sugar Bytes. I can see thier new plug-in Consequence being really useful. Sometimes it’s good to have a virtual helper in the room. You know the scenario: You’re in the studio and you hit middle C, next it’s D# and up to G. You can’t seem to hit any new keys. Your melodies are your melodies and you can’t seem to go anywhere else. Consequence can help by having it’s “Sound Generators” spit out sequences, chorus, envelope curves, etc… It can’t hurt right?

http://www.youtube.com/v/0bO_8-G6stQ?hl=en_US&fs=1

“The word Synquencer describes the combination of a powerful synthesizer and complex step sequencer which creates pitch-, modulation-, and trigger data. Consequence uses 16 chords to play them in sequence, extract melodies to trigger a unique sound section with lots of available instrument sounds and intelligent trigger interpretation. The Consequence VST plugin sends MIDI data, so all kinds of MIDI-compatible gear can be controlled by Consequence.” – Sugar Bytes

There is a demo version available. Consequence is $199.
For more info: sugar-bytes.de

I really like the Berlin based audio software developer Sugar-Bytes. Effectrix is one of my all time favorite plug-ins. I’m glad their new plug-in Eloquence works on Midi parts (not audio). We’ve seen a nice resurgence of hardware like the new Dave Smith Instrument’s Tetra so this would make a nice companion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OSaGMjRR3A

“Eloquence provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard” – www.sugar-bytes.de

Available now for $129/99 EUR. For more info: www.sugar-bytes.de

Berlin is the undisputed center of electronic music. A few times a month friends and blog readers come to visit. I’ve decided to make a Google Map with the locations of many of the great record stores, labels, synthesizer manufacturers, audio software companies and nightclubs you can check out upon arrival.

Ableton, Tresor, Hard Wax, Native Intruments, Schneider’s Buero, Neumann, MFB, Gigolo Records, Berghain, JoMoX, Sugar Bytes, BPitch Control, SoundCloud… what more do you want?

If you do come to visit don’t forget you will be in a gorgeous city full of historic places and green parks. Don’t spend all your time dancing. See it all!

Remember Google Maps is feature rich. You can get point to point directions, zoom way in, see satellite views and create your own map of places in Berlin you want to see (click a pin and select “save to my map”).

To view the map full screen and also see the complete list of great places: click here

Here is a Wire to the Ear video of an absolutely must have plug-in that has just been released. Effectrix is a VST/Audio Unit which sequences effects such as XLoop, Scratch, Reverse, Stretch, Tonal Delay, Stutter, Vinyl, Crush, Filter, Phaser, Chorus, Delay and Reverb. Sugar-Bytes from Germany has done a really fantastic job here.

Tweak your beats, create new rhythms, turn your stuff into colorful grainclouds….reverse parts, stretch others, apply delaylines or even create melodies out of atonal material. – Sugar-Bytes.de

I’ve been waiting for a plug-in like this to appear for Mac OS-X. On the PC side there has been Illinformed’s Glitch. In this video I set up a simple Roland TR-808 drum loop using Audiorealism’s ADM. I added the Ableton Compressor and Saturator to make the 808 more like “hot chrome”. I go through some of the presets, adjust a few parameters and alter some Effectrix sequence bars. As I recorded this I noticed a few parameters I need to figure out. For example, how to adjust the sequence step length and have one effect line modulate another. I also see there is a random function which I absolutely love.

There is a 30 day demo. Be warned: to try is to buy!

Moog Voyager OS. Take a normal Moog Voyager and get rid of its Midi, presets, display and XY pad and you have the new “OS” which stands for Old School. I’m not sure I totally “get” this new synth. Unless the sound quality improves by removing those features what’s the point? Having midi, XY and patch memory has to be worth a few hundred bucks to anyone, no? link

Dave Smith Instruments Prophet ’08 Synthesizer Module. A table top or rack mount version of the Prophet ’08. If you want to play chords and you want real analog it’s either an uber pricey Studio Electronics Omega, something used or the new Prophet 08. The new module will be the least expensive way into the polyphonic analog world. link

Access Virus TI Snow. A small table top version of the Virus TI. I would rather have a real analog synth or a Waldorf Blofeld but I know the Virus sounds great. Somewhat unique in a hardware synth is the new Atomizer utility announced for Virus TI’s which allows for stuttery effects. link

Alesis SR-18. This is a big surprise! An update to the SR-16! Drum machines are back! The SR-16 was such an 80′s sound. I still use the tom sounds whenever I can. Id like to sit on a couch with the SR-18 for a few hours. It runs off batteries, 32MB sound set, has a bass synth and built-in effects. link

Akai XR20. Another new digital drum machine! The XR20 has 700MB of sounds, runs off batteries, has built-in effects, glowing pads that follow the beat and a mic input. link

Akai MPC 5000 - How can I list all of the features of the new MPC? I’m not! Let’s just say this box has every feature known to man. I’m not sure adding a 8-track hard disk recorder and 3 Oscillator synth is what the MPC needs but nevertheless there is a new MPC flagship in the house. link

Spectrasonics Omnisphere. Talk about hype, this new product from Eric Persing wont even be out until September. Eric is a master at marketing with lots of cool videos on his website. He also likes to create new buzzwords for the technology in his products and for Omnisphere it’s “Steam Engine”. Apparently Omnisphere is not a rompler and has “real” Oscillators and such. Modulation comes from Granular Synthesis, Timbre Shifting and Polyphonic Ring Modulation. Keep using big words Eric we are listening. link

URS Saturation plug-in. URS makes the best Native plug-ins. The URS Classic Console Strip Pro really does bring the sound of a high end console into your laptop. Saturation is a key tool to use in everyday ITB mixing. So URS is now releasing a Saturation plug-in and I’m happy. It will offer four models: Motorcity, German, British and Modern. link

Sugar Bytes Effectrix. I’m not sure if German software company Sugar Bytes was at NAMM but their announcement coincided so I’m adding this to my list. I love plug-ins that mangle, glitch and randomly rearrange things on the fly. Effectrix looks like it fits the bill. Basically it’s a mini effect sequencer that opens in your main DAW as a plug-in. Effects you can control include: Looper, Timetretch, Scratch, Reverse, Tape Stop, Tonal Delay, Stutter, Crush, Filter (10 filtertypes), Phaser, Chorus, Delay, Reverb. The price is right on this one too! link

Metasonix Fucking Fucker. Eric Barbour of Measonix makes products using vintage vacuum tubes. He makes products that sound nasty. He names his products nasty names. His latest is a guitar amp that costs $5000. Its name? Fucking Fucker of course. I’m sure Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) is already on the waiting list. link

M-Audio Torq 1.5. When people ask me what DJ software to get I say Torq. The interface is gorgeous and the built-in sampler slots and effects are super fun. I also really like the X-ponent controller available for it. Some of the new features in Torq 1.5 include: Tempo Anchors, Plane Elastique time-stretching/compression technology, Hide Mixer option, Effects Chains, Auto Gain and more. link

Novation Nocturn. The new mini controller from Novation has some tricks up its sleeve. Appearance wise, it reminds me of a Faderfox. “Automap” is now at 2.0. What’s Automap? Simply put it automatically connects your on screen knobs to the Novation hardware. The new Automap has a cool transparent HUD (heads up display). The Nocturn has eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders, each equipped with LED rings, eight user-assignable illuminated buttons and a 45mm cross-fader. link

Yamaha Pocketrak. Small solid state recorders have hit the mainstream market big time. The Sony PCM-D1 and D50, Zoom H1 and H2 are examples. Here comes Yamaha’s entry and it’s pretty. Its small… very small: 1.7 Ounces and 1/2 Inch Thick. Its got 2GB memory and USB 2.0 connection. Every musician should be out in the world grabbing his own sounds instead of buying them. link

So how are you going to spend your money in 2008? Do any of these or other NAMM new releases tempt you? Have you ever been to NAMM or Musikmesse?