UVI | sounds & software

String Machines

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:41:22 +0200

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▶ String Machines User Guide & Contents here

▶ UVI Workstation version 2.0.5 mandatory here

••• TRAILER •••

••• AUDIO DEMO •••

••• OVERVIEW •••

Back in the 70's, leading keyboard designers around the world attempted to reproduce orchestral string sounds through analog synthesis. The results were far from their original intent but were in no way failures. Used on countless cult records and engrained in our collective memory to this day; these 'String Machines' bore an analog soul on their own.

At UVI, we are obsessed with this, having spent countless hours working on ways to capture this analog soul and present it as an accessible, expressive, fully editable digital tool. So was born String Machines; a hybrid instrument, forged with the analog imprint of the 11 most musical string synthesizers ever built.

We've painstaking recorded thousands of samples with the very best analog and digital gear available, putting in everything we've learned in order to bring you this comprehensive instrument at an unbelievable price.

UVI String Machines is your doorway to a grand collection of analog gems from some of the most esteemed synth pioneers of our time.

••• FEATURES •••

• Authentic sounds of character reproduce the analog grunge and warmth of yesteryear

• Instant access to tons of presets and preset layers; find sounds you love and get inspired quickly!

• Dual layers. Select the machine and the associated sounds.

• No loading time when switching machines and sounds.

• Shape your sounds using authentic analog-modeled filters, envelopes, and LFOs

• Experiment with the step modulator and take your sound out of this world!

• Samples recorded in 24/96 khz with Prism convertors, mastered to perfection and converted to 16/44.1 kHz.

••• 11 STRING MACHINES FULL OF CHARACTER •••

Korg Poly Ensemble PE2000

Heavy synthesizer widely used by the pioneers of 70's electronic music

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Eko Stradivarius
Also called "the italian analog string processor"

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Siel Orchestra

Orchestral synthesizer with 4 tweakable presets: Brass, Strings, Organ and Piano

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Excelsior Strings Synthesizer K4

Pretty rare string keyboard, introduced in 1975 by Elettronica Excelsior of Castelfidardo

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Logan String Melody

Pure string synthesizer with great sound and three basic sounds: ‘Violin’, ‘Viola’ and ‘Cello’

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Crumar Performer
Solid and fully polyphonic analog Strings and Brass machine

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Elka Rhapsody

Violin, Cello and Strings with that classic and unique shimmering ensemble effect

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Solina String Ensemble
No doubt, this is THE String Machine

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Yamaha SS30
Dual-oscillator classic string synthesizer full of wood

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ROLAND RS-505

Very famous machine combining strings, a basic polysynth and a bass section

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ROLAND VP-330
Known as a vocoder, it contains excellent sounding strings and choirs

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

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Electro Suite

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:03:27 +0100

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UVI Workstation version 2.0.4 mandatory
>> Download here <<

UVI Electro Suite is a unique compilation of powerful instruments and a huge sound library – featuring construction kits, loops and single elements – exclusively dedicated to Electronic Dance Music.
Simple use, rich sounds and inspiring tools - create your own electro hits at a glance! By the makers of David Guetta's ElectroBeats.

5 easy-to-use included instruments and tools

UES Drum Shaper is a unique tool dedicated to the most useful rhythm elements used in any kind of today's Electro genre: BD (bass drum), SD (snare drum), Claps & HH. Combining very high end and precisely selected samples with the most advanced analog drum modeling and a smart selection of parameters, you will be able to build your own kicks, claps, snares & hats. Thanks to the included step sequencer, you can also create a pattern while shaping sounds.

UES MissionControl

6 sections:
• BD + SD (Bass Drums + Snare Drums)
• HH (High-Hats)
• Percs (Percussions)
• Bassline
• Synth1
• Synth 2
Pick any loops from the Electro Suite construction kits to automatically mix and match them together. It's that simple, just press play or trigger a MIDI note from C1 to B1 and you're ready to go, everything will sound right with no hassle.

UES DirtyMono is a very cool and pretty crazy monophonic synth with a smart phraser. It's not your usual analog modeled mono synth as it contains 4 sounds generators : VCO1 dedicated to pure analog rendered wavetables, VCO2 a digitalish deeply multi-sampled oscillator for today electro music genre, a fat analog sub oscillator and an analog sampled noise. All can be mixed and direct to one of the fatest low pass filter you'll find on software instrument. Other shaping tools like LFOs, envelope and FX will boost this synth to the most analog sounding ecstasy. The phraser is so easy and efficient with its record features, that you'll certainly use it every day.

UES CarminePoly is an exclusive polyphonic synth with attitude. It features two hybrid VCOs containing both stereo, unison and raw waveforms using a deep sampling method rather than modeling - it sounds better and takes way less CPU. These VCOs can be mixed, panned, transposed and are going through a juicy analog modeled filter with full controls like cutoff, Q and drive. At the last stage, four excellent FXs will master the whole thing : a powerful Drive to add harmonics and dirtiness, the famous UVI Delay and Phaser, and the all new Sparkle reverb, magnificent on synth textures. UES CarminePoly is supplied with 20 presets ready to be tweaked by your own hands !

UES SweepMachine is the only tool ever dedicated to create noise sweep. As for all the Electro Suite instruments, it's ultra easy to use: just trigger a MIDI note, select one of the four presets, set the number of bars you want for the sweep duration and that's it ! Three noise generators are available including a Sub Noise and a Metal one.

A huge sounds library recorded and mastered to perfection

Electro Suite also features a complete sound library of 80 hi-profile construction kits, with all composing elements: thousands of drum loops, single hits, instruments and more.

Every sound was carefully recorded at 24/96 kHz with the very best analog tools, mastered to perfection and converted to 16/44.1 kHz.

Ready-to-go presets from construction kits

The UVI X-Samples category contains hundreds of playable presets chopped from the construction kits. No longer need to cut sounds up yourself from the loops!

Compatible with almost everything

With the free UVI Workstation 2.0.4 (mandatory version), Electro Suite can work:
- as a stand-alone instrument, compatible with Mac & PC
- as a VST, AudioUnit, RTAS and MAS plug-in. iLok required.

With MachFive 3: make the most of all the editing features offered!

••••••••••••••••••••••

Simple use, smart tools, powerful instruments, quick match, premium sample material and customizable sounds: create modern dance, electro and club hits you’ve ever dreamed of!

Electro Suite – create your own way. Simply yours.

Listen to the demos:

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

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MachFive Biosphere

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:47:28 +0100

]]>MachFive Biosphere is a crazy collection of synthetic sounds, created with the new synth engine included in the award-winning sampler MOTU MachFive 3.

MachFive Biosphere provides hundreds of ambient pads, rich textures, morphing layers, and atmospheric resonances, ready-to-use under UVI Workstation 2.

Categories included: Arp-Rhythm, Atmospheres, Bass-Sub, Bells, Brass-Poly, Choirs, Chords, Composite, Distorted, Keys, Leads, Organ, Pads, Pluck, Sweeps, Synth FX...

Many of these programs take full advantage of UVI macro controls, giving you powerful sound design control at your ﬁngertips, without tedious programming.

2.2 GB / 500 presets of Synthesis sounds to be used in any kind of today’s electronic music genre, from Dubstep to Electro, from ambient to modern rock.

Listen to the demos:

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

Emulation II

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:47:21 +0100

]]>Download Emulation II User Guide and Contents here.

--- A big thanks to all our artists-collaborators : Adam & Eve, Yamaki Ryuichiro, JJ Pedrazzani, Poulbo, Clem B, Guillaume Roussel and EdoEldar for their precious help and excellent work, without whom the Emulation II image wouldn’t be the same ---

Emulation II features a set of unique instruments to reproduce that typical music from the 80s: from warm digital sounds to the most analog-ish textures.

UVI adopted a hybrid approach to create these sounds, combining deep multi-sampling and powerful modeling tools (analog filters, LFO, envelopes, etc.), inspired by the original machine and enhanced with today most modern audio processing and script technology.

Bonus : Nyan Cat - the UVI Emulation II edition : Nyan Cat is one of the most viewed videos on YouTube in 2011

Sounds were recorded and carefully selected from the authentic restored instrument, with the very best analog and digital gear, suiting UVI quality standard. This process allows preserving the original sounds’ lo-fi charm.

Besides, hundreds of sounds and instruments among the best are included: drums, bass, bells, choir-voices, fretted instruments, FXs, keyboards, mallets, percussion, synths, strings, orchestral hits and a lot more.

A simple, yet complete, user interface reproduces the looks and feeling of the most famous and essential machine from the eighties. With 250+ best sounds and primary editing tools, Emulation II enables you to create authentic spin-offs with infinite options of sounds and tones.

This is definitely the ultimate digital version of the long standing professional sampler of the mid-80s, that has been used by Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Jean-Michel Jarre, Stevie Wonder, Genesis, Paul McCartney, Enya, Vangelis, in John Carpenter's soundtracks, etc.

Discover also Drumulation: an utter beatbox with step sequencer from the eighties, loaded with 500+ drums and percussion sounds. Make your beats sound 12 bits!

From the Pop culture resurgence to the most modern Electro-Pop, make music without any frontier.

Thanks to the new and free player UVI Workstation 2, Emulation II can work:
- as a stand-alone instrument, compatible with Mac & PC
- as a VST, AudioUnit, RTAS and MAS plug-in. iLok required.

Also compatible with MachFive 3: make the most of all the editing features offered, like unlimited FX by part.

Listen to the demos:

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

Retro Keyboards

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:08:09 +0100

]]>A brilliant collection of the most essential keyboards of all time, now available for all platforms and formats. Truly plug and play.

Seven legendary instruments captured in stunning audiophile detail, with a range of expression that feels like the real thing under your fingers. Three "eras" of a classic tine-based electric piano – a famous electro-acoustic piano; a soulful reed piano; one funky keyboard plus his "little brother".

Each instrument included in Retro Keyboards is organized into "families" of presets to simulate the essential vocabulary of these classic keyboard, including Amp simulator, Tremolo, Vinyl emulation, and much more.

These presets can be designed thanks to the UVI Workstation sound design section, which allows you to add unlimited effects per instruments, from classy convolution reverberation to analog modeled Chorus and Flanger, from a Studio Limiter to high-class EQ... This section also provides Filters and 4 LFOs per instrument.

Classic Electric Pianos

The electric piano was invented in the 1940s , and its principles are derived from both the celesta and the electric guitar. The action is similar to that of a conventional piano, but whereas in a conventional piano each key causes felt-covered hammers to strike sets of strings, in this piano felt-tipped hammers ( after 1970 neoprene rubber tips on plastic hammers ) strike metal dowels called "tines" to create a ping sound which also resonate the tone bars over each tine ( the assymetrical tuning fork principle ), creating a mellow ring. Different models of the pianos were manufactured between 1970 and 1984, 73 and 88 note versions, the stage model, and the suitcase
model which included built in amplifier and speakers.

Electric pianos were particularly popular from the early 70's-mid 80's, and many of its signature songs date from this period: The Doors' "Riders on the Storm", "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel, "Still Crazy After All These Years" by Paul Simon, "Babe" by Styx, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Stevie Wonder, "Peg" by Steely Dan, the intro to "Sheep" by Pink Floyd, “Get Back”, by the Beatles (with Billy Preston), plus jazz fusion/crossover classics like “Spain” Chick Corea (Return to Forever), “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock (Headhunters), “A Remark You Made” by Weather Report and “Angela (theme from “Taxi”)” by Bob James. They have never gone out of style, however, and are an integral sound in current neo-soul, smooth jazz, and other genres.

Super W
(Reed Piano)

This electric piano is usually a 64-note instrument whose keyboard range is from A an octave above the lowest note of a standard 88-note piano to the C an octave below the top note of an 88-note piano. Tone production in all models comprises a single steel reed for each key, activated by a miniature version of a conventional grand piano action and forming part of an electrostatic pickup system using a DC voltage of 170v. A mechanical sustain pedal similar to that of a conventional piano is fitted. Compared with the classic electric piano, this one has a brighter, more hollow sound. When played gently the sound can be quite sweet and vibraphone-like,
becoming more aggressive with harder playing, producing a characteristic slightly overdriven tone usually described as a "bark".

Some classic Reed Piano songs : “Dreamer” by Supertramp,”What’d I Say”, by Ray Charles, “No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin, “Mama Told Me Not to Come”, by Three Dog Night, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderley, “Stay With Me”, The Faces…

Electric Grand
(Electro-Acoustic Piano) `

This electric-acoustic piano is a particular type of piano manufactured and marketed by a famous japanese manufacturer during the 1970s and 1980s, although experimental instruments of similar type were made as early as the late 1920s. Unlike a digital piano, this one has hammers and strings. What makes an electric grand unique is its means of amplification, which is done via pickups under the strings (like an electric guitar). This method of amplification yields a smaller, lighter piano, and therefore easier to transport (these pianos are still substantially heavy). The amplification-via-pickups method also bypasses the difficulty of having to mic a conventional grand piano, and thus makes an electric grand easier to set up with a sound system.

Some famous artists who used it: Phil Collins, Tony Banks/Genesis, Jeff Lorber Fusion, Hall and Oates, Journey, Howard Jones…

Funky Clav

This instrument is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar but is better understood as an electric harpsichord. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk and rock songs. The recorded models consists of 60 keys and 60 associated strings, giving it five-octave range from F0 to E5. Each key uses a small rubber tip to do a "hammer on" (forcefully fret the string) to a guitar-type string when it is pressed, as with a conventional clavichord. The end of each string farthest from the pickups passes through a weave of yarn. When the key is released, the yarn makes the string immediately stop vibrating.

The archetypal clavinet sound can be heard on Stevie Wonder's track "Superstition", Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under Foot", Sun Ra's "Atlantis", The Commodores' "Machine Gun", Billy Preston's "Outa-Space", Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Tank" from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters" and Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne". The track "Up on Cripple Creek" by The Band, is the first recorded example of patching a Clavinet through a guitar wah-wah pedal. A Clavinet was also used in Tori Amos' track "Not David Bowie", which appeared on her anthology "A Piano: The Collection" and in Soundgarden's "Fresh Tendrils" from Superunknown.

Planet H

Those were a series of electric pianos built in Trossingen, West Germany from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Sound is generated by an array of metal reeds which are plucked by foam pads, which have been impregnated with adhesive (actually a proprietary viscous silicone oil). The pads are connected to metal rods connected to the keys. On pressing a key, the pad is released, creating a tension which makes the reed vibrate. Electrostatic pickups mounted directly below the reeds transmit the sound to an amplifier.
During its period of manufacture, this electric piano was offered in a number of designs. It soon found popularity with popular music groups of the 1960s, leading to produce the Combo model, designed for the performing musician in mind. This had no legs, being designed to sit atop an organ or acoustic piano.

The early models of this Electric Piano were used on a number of hit recordings from the 1960s and 1970s, including « She's Not There » by The Zombies, « Louie, Louie » by The Kingsmen, « I Am The Walrus » by The Beatles, and « Joy to the World » by Three Dog Night. This instrument is enjoying a renaissance due to the popularity of retro sounds and the availability of new pads for the earlier models, most of which had been reduced to unplayability due to pad decay.

All texts arranged from Wikipedia.org

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

]]>

Complete Toy Museum

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:35:50 +0100

]]>► From May 11th to 21st : a coupon of $80 offered on Complete Toy Museum

► Coupon code : FDM_80_7+t1y

► Coupon available once per account

• • • • • • • • • •

This is a serious deal : Complete Toy Collection features tons of marvelous "ready to play" presets from more than 300 musical toys. A massive 20 GB library containing more than 21 000 samples and loops carefully recorded in 24 bit / 96 khz with the best gear on earth.

(Download and take a look at the content PDF, you will see why this library is so stupefying!)

Check out the video!

Acoustic Toy Museum

Several passionate owners of musical toy collections gave us access to very rare and sometimes very old musical toys. Even a famous museum opened its doors to our insane sound design team.

The result is a flashy selection of inspiring instruments ready to play with: Toy Pianos, Musical Boxes, Ancient Automates, Wood and Metal Xylophones, Mini Bells, Baby Drums, Toy Guitars, Ukulele, Melodicas, Small Accordions, Harmonicas, Children Percussions, Funny Horns, Musical Gadgets, Musical Cubes, Plastic Tubes and much more.

Loops and phrases are also included for instruments like old music boxes ; and let's not forget the Baby Drums and Toy Guitar sections that were played by skillful musicians in top-grade studios.

> Toy Pianos and Keys

By far, this is the most complete selection of Toy Pianos around the word, featuring the famous Michelsonne pianos, rare wood pianos and other keyboards.

> Xylo and Metal

A fair amount of xylophones and metallophones, sanza, and Clavi-Harp.

> Children Bells

Simple bells, key-triggered bells, and chimes.

> Toy Guitars

Two small guitars and two ukuleles. Multisamples, chords and loops expertly played in various tempo and for every key, so you can play riffs in any song.

> Music Boxes

An Aladdin's cave of music boxes! From old and crispy models, to the most clean with typical tones. Presets with different samples randomly played for every note are included for the classic models.

> Baby Drums (L)

Two different drum sets, a children school one and a very cheap cardboard one, both recorded in a professional studio and played with talent by a monster studio session drummer.

> Baby Percussions (L)

More than a dozen different percussions to cover a wide-range of needs. Loops played by an excellent percussionnist also included.

> Melodicas and co

Along with the prominent melodicas, you'll find other reed instruments like accordions and harmonicas.

> Blow Toys

Recorders, whistles, tiny trumpets... basically anything that can be blown into.

> Musical Gadgets

Everything that couldn't be sorted: from the giggle stick to the puzzling boom whackers.

> Ancient Automates

Animated plush animals with ancient looks.

> Kindergarten

Warning: you must at most be 36-month old to play with this category. Roly-poly toys, moo boxes, play centers, everything the youngests need.

Electric Toy Museum

Every aspect of each of the 97 electric machine has been captured : multi-sampled instruments with release samples for every note, rhythms converted into sliced loops, GM drumkits created, FX and speech voices carefully organized ... You will feel like having all these toys right under your fingertips.

These jewels' character come from their acoustic assembling and the "cheap" speakers they use. To capture the essence of them, we did sample them in a superb sounding studio room. We took the time to find the right microphone for the right machine, then recorded every note and every sound possible (including release samples, key clicks, etc...), we also did record drumloops or instrument loops.

After editing this huge amount of sounds, we did finalize by trying to find the best way to organize the collection in 10 categories: Children, Developed, Drums & FX, Mini Sampler, Musical Toys, Organ Basic, Silly, Small, Speech & Style-o-phone.

> Children (11 machines)

These toys are particularly designed for kids, even if most of the time, elders do play with them.

> Developed (9 machines)

Sometimes real advanced keyboards are hidden behind the word "toys", whose technique nonchallenges some tedious semi-pro keyboards.

> Drums & FX (13 machines)

Especially designed for drums and FX, whether they are pure sound FX machines or drum machines. That's the rhythm of the household.

> Mini Sampler (3 machines)

Seriously impressing for their days and intent, these keyboards came with a microphone and/or RCA sampling facility.

> Musical Toys (15 machines)

More toys than musical, most of the time with no keyboard, some of them hide very surprising features...

> Organ Basic (10 machines)

THE electric organs that have been scattered about in youngsters' bedrooms for the last forty years.

> Silly (10 machines)

It's not they sound poorly, it's not they were too quickly designed, it's not we don't love them, it's... just totally silly!

> Small (11 machines)

These keyboards were designed to be "child' fingers-compliant". Some machines from this category became iconic.

> Speech (3 machines)

These are the talkative toys, whether it's for learning spelling, just for fun or to make music.

> Style-o-phone (11 machines)

One of the best and oldest kind of musical toys ever designed.

Recording Gear

Converters : Prism and Apogee with Antelope Atomic Clock
Mic Pres & Direct Boxes : Grace Design, D.W Fearn, Universal Audio & SSL
Microphones : Neuman, Bruel & Kjaer, Shoeps & AEA

Whatever the kind of music you produce, you will certainly find a place for these incredible sounding toy instruments. Download and take a look at the content PDF, and you will have a better idea why this library is another milestone UVI collection !

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

World Traditions

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:41:22 +0200

]]>World Traditions is a sonic journey around the globe to capture the essence of several musical and percussive "Traditions" : African, Arabian, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, Spanish and Gipsy, Brazilian, Balkanish, Celtic and even Occidental with a complete collection of typical accordions.

This libray contain in 2.2GB more than 4500 samples, including tons of Loops and Phrases, as well as instruments presets, organised in 10 categories :

> African

From Marimba and Kalimba to Djembe and Bongos, the percussions are all oozing with authenticity. Apart from this large selection of percussion loops and samples which is the essence of African music, you'll also find male and female voices, typical African guitar parts, and many other staples of African music

> Arabian

Wonderful sound of Arabian voices and instruments. With the included loops and phrases, the traditional melodies of Arabia come alive, allowing you to instil that unique ingredient in your productions. Featured instruments are: luth, male and female voices, violin and percussion. As a bonus, you'll find many multi-samples of the featured instruments, and a special synth selection.

> Asian

This section addresses the need for traditional music from Asia: vocal, percussion and highly exotic instrumental loops. A treasure chest for authentic asian sounding loops and phrases.

> Indian

With the included loops and phrases, the traditional melodies of India come alive, allowing you to include that unique ingrdient in your productions. Featured instruments are too numerous to list here, from percussions to vocals and instruments. As a bonus, you'll find many multi-samples of the featured instruments. Give this volume a listen, and dive into the magic of Indian traditions.

> Mediteranean

Instrumental loops in all (or most) major and minor keys for Baglamas, Bozouki, Tzouras and Saz. Additional phrases of Combos and Oud as well as all of the above, many instrument multisamples are also provided, with variations such as Pizz or Tremolo. Large selection of drum and percussion loops, with tempo ranging from 100 to 185 bpm. Played by gifted local players, this section explores the Greek/Turk side of Mediterranean music !

> Spanish & Gipsy

Created by natural-born musician and recorded with excellent Gipsy performers, and delivers effortlessly the trademark sound and rhythms of the genre. Discover guitars, vocals, palmas and many other specific loops performed by well-trained players!

> Bossa Brazil

The drums & percussions, guitar and bass were performed together but sampled separately, for maximum flexibility. The drums & perc are divided in sticks, brushes and mallets loops which express well the nuances of bossa performances. For both the guitar and bass loops the key is given, as well as the chord played when applicable.

> Balkanish

This section explores traditional music from the Balkans with handy construction kits. Instruments include Accordion, Double bass, Violin, Saxophone, Derbuka, Strings, Percs, Voices...

> Celtic

Phrases and samples of all the typical instruments that thrive in Brittany, Ireland and Cornwall: celtic guitar, violin, concertina, acoustic guitars, Irish flute and mandolin as well as biniou (small bagpipes) and bombarde (french shawm)

> Accordions

The styles grouped here are quite varied, ranging from Canadian folklore to French "bourrée", while also approaching polka, German traditional and Beerfest material, and even Celtic melodies.

No doubt that this collection will add this very special thing into your creations that will inspire your audience with a vision of world music.

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

The Seventh

Thu, 27 May 2010 18:03:42 +0200

]]>For the first time, the last sequel of the all-time famous electric piano brand is now available as a virtual instrument. Only for UVI users.

While sharing the same electro-mechanical design with its ancestors, this great piano also brings its own soul and character along with sound and music quality.

Thanks to our radical chain of recording gear and sampling techniques, we were able to achieve certainly one of our best electric piano ever : first we took the time to carefully tweak the instruments to obtain the most homogenized playing sensation possible (voicing, tuning ...). Then we did record direct from the internal microphone to a custom Universal Audio preamplifier plugged into the Prism Orpheus converters using Vovox uniques cables. We sampled up to 14 velocity levels as well as the release sounds for every note. Everything was captured at 24bit / 96khz for a crystal clear sound quality.

The result is a very unique and expressive electric piano, a 21st century instrument with the soul of the 70s.

Check out the video!

The electric piano from the 21st century

"Voicing the piano"

Direct recording from the internal mic

The recording set-up : Prism Orpheus and Universal Audio preamps

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

Acoustic Toy Museum

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:43:46 +0100

]]>For the first time, hundreds of musical toys were used to create a magical and unique sound library that will add innocence and freshness into your productions.

Deeply multi-sampled in 24 bits / 96 kHz and meticulously recorded in the very best conditions using world-class microphones and Class-A equiment, each instrument sounds authentic and soulful.

Several passionate owners of musical toy collections gave us access to very rare and sometimes very old musical toys. Even a famous museum opened its doors to our insane sound design team : the Musée des Art Décoratifs, sharing the same building with one of the most famous museums in the world : the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

The result is a flashy selection of inspiring instruments ready to play with: Toy Pianos, Musical Boxes, Ancient Automates, Wood and Metal Xylophones, Mini Bells, Baby Drums, Toy Guitars, Ukulele, Melodicas, Small Accordions, Harmonicas, Children Percussions, Funny Horns, Musical Gadgets, Musical Cubes, Plastic Tubes and much more.

Loops and phrases are also included for instruments like old music boxes ; and let's not forget the Baby Drums and Toy Guitar sections that were played by skillful musicians in top-grade studios.

(Download and take a look at the content PDF, you will see why this library is so stupefying!)

Check out the video!

> Toy Pianos and Keys

By far, this is the most complete selection of Toy Pianos around the word, featuring the famous Michelsonne pianos, rare wood pianos and other keyboards.

> Xylo and Metal

A fair amount of xylophones and metallophones, sanza, and Clavi-Harp.

> Children Bells

Simple bells, key-triggered bells, and chimes.

> Toy Guitars

Two small guitars and two ukuleles. Multisamples, chords and loops expertly played in various tempo and for every key, so you can play riffs in any song.

> Music Boxes

An Aladdin's cave of music boxes! From old and crispy models, to the most clean with typical tones. Presets with different samples randomly played for every note are included for the classic models.

> Baby Drums (L)

Two different drum sets, a children school one and a very cheap cardboard one, both recorded in a professional studio and played with talent by a monster studio session drummer.

> Baby Percussions (L)

More than a dozen different percussions to cover a wide-range of needs. Loops played by an excellent percussionnist also included.

> Melodicas and co

Along with the prominent melodicas, you'll find other reed instruments like accordions and harmonicas.

> Blow Toys

Recorders, whistles, tiny trumpets... basically anything that can be blown into.

> Musical Gadgets

Everything that couldn't be sorted: from the giggle stick to the puzzling boom whackers.

> Ancient Automates

Animated plush animals with ancient looks.

> Kindergarten

Warning: you must at most be 36-month old to play with this category. Roly-poly toys, moo boxes, play centers, everything the youngests need.

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

]]>

Grand Piano Collection

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:56:23 +0200

]]>► From May 11th to 21st : a coupon of $60 offered on Grand Piano Collection

► Coupon code : FDM_60_a6H%a

► Coupon available once per account

• • • • • • • • • •

Grand Piano Collection features surely some of the best sounding sampled pianos in the market. True to our beliefs, we don't think it's about figures (like velocity, memory, number of microphones) but about feeling. A good sounding piano is a rare alchemy between the instrument, the acoustic in the recording studio, the microphones and above all, the engineer's taste. These pianos are not our first endeavour, in fact we did sample many more, so we had the chance to see the expertise turn up.

Grand Piano Collection highlights five wonderful instruments :

- Steinway D Concert Grand
- Fazioli F278 Concert
- Erard Baby Grand Piano
- Seiler Upright Grand
- Japanese Upright

For everyone of them we used the same method :

First, we had to find the right instrument. Then we solicited two different classical and jazz pianists, both outstanding concert performers, to give us a hand finding the ideal one. After some research and like dozens of piano reviewed, we found the amazing sounding models that all our consultants loved. Then we booked for several days some of the best recording studios in Europe, for example (www.guillaumetell.com) for the Steinway. As the tuning work is important, we took the best qualified person for that essential part of the process.

During the recording we always used the very best sounding quality gear. But for each piano, we did select a different set up, to give different colours for every of the five instruments. And thanks to UVI Engine's advanced keygroup layers and rule switching, the sustain pedal and release samples perform and "feel" like a real piano.

At the end of the process, during the editing of samples, we consulted a great instrumentalist to test the result of this work, then we were able to even improve the instruments in response to make it really enjoyable.

The result is five excellent sounding pianos, with soul and a musicality.

In the maze of piano sample libraries, Grand Piano Collection has a very unique place: the UVI philosophy regarding pianos is to propose truly musical and excellent sounding presets, but with a convenient and "realistic" size (around 20 GB for 5 instruments). It's also the most versatile library, thanks to the choice of very different sounding instruments.

Acoustic Grand Piano - Steinway D
> Testing microphones and positions

Acoustic Grand Piano - Steinway D
> The final choice : Neuman U67, close to the board.

F Grand Piano - Fazioli F278
> Overall look on this wonderful instrument

F Grand Piano - Fazioli F278
> Setting up the recording

F Grand Piano - Fazioli F278
> Model and serial number

Seiler Upright Grand
> Close look on the wonderful mechanism of the instrument

Seiler Upright Grand
> Setting up the recording

Erard Baby Grand Piano
> Master piece build in 1930 by the famous manufacturer Erard

Erard Baby Grand Piano
> Close up of the microphone's placement

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ key required

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F Grand Piano 278

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:55:11 +0200

]]>After popular demand from the UVI community, our great sound designer team was back to work. The goal: find and record the best model of the Italian manufacturer Fazioli. We did choose a superb sounding F278 model, in our opinion, better than the usually sampled model F308.

Take a listen to the demos and make up your mind.

What's new in version 2:

Updated presets with macro knobs

New script and skin, bringing you even more realism

Free Update: If you already own F Grand Piano, just log in to your UVI Soundsource account and download the soundbank again. If you've reached the download limit, please contact us

For that kind of unique instrument, we did choose a very unique gear: the microphone set-up was a matched pair of Neumann M150 and the preamp/converters were the ones from the acclaimed Nagra D2. A unique combination of exceptional gear for the first time in sampling a piano library.

The UVI philosophy regarding pianos is to propose truly musical and excellent sounding presets using a convenient and realistic size (7 GB for this one).

Thanks to UVI Engine's advanced keygroup layers and rule switching, the sustain pedal and release samples perform and "feel" like a real piano.

At the end of the process, during the editing of samples, we consulted a great instrumentalist to test the result of this work, then we were able to even improve the instrument's response to make it really enjoyable.

This wonderful UVI Soundcard fully completes our Grand Piano series, putting forward, once again, an excellent sounding piano with true musicality.

> Overall look on this wonderful instrument

> Setting up the recording

> Model and serial number

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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EKOLOOPZ - Hip Hop Planet

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:23:08 +0200

]]>Hip Hop Planet from the brand new EKOLOOPZ series isn't another Urban sample library... Why ?

• First of all : sound quality

This library was produced the same way the best Hip Hop and R'n B tunes are. From creating and mixing the construction kits - with a unique way to analyse and process the sounds -, to the mastering, done at Sterling Sounds in New York by top mastering engineer Chris Gerhinger. The result is that punchy sound you won't find anywhere else. All recorded at 24-bit 96 kHz resolution.

• Unprecedent flexibility, compatible with MOTU BPM

Even if the library can be used right away with the included UVI Workstation, it also contains datas for the new MOTU BPM format, making the library completely flexible with the patterns and kits in BPM format and allowing thousands of combinations.

• More content than the usual sample library

Hip Hop Planet contains 87 construction kits produced by Eric K-Roz for EKOLOOPZ. From these kits were extracted over 3.6 GB and thousands of all-new, never-before-released loops, samples and beats. All organised in different way:

- Sliced loops & phrases
- Individual sounds sorted by type and by construction kits
- Ready to use drumkits
- BPM data including patterns, kits, and pattern + kits
- Instruments "X-Samples" : ready to play "sample" instrument extracted from construction kits.

Better than any word, take a listen to audio demos, to figure out the sound quality of the library. No doubt, this is the first high-end Hip Hop library ever packaged to rock the world!

IMPORTANT :

• iLok Key required

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Beat Box Anthology

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:33:31 +0200

]]>Beat Box Anthology is the one-stop shopping collection for drum machine sounds and loops, covering almost every generation of these instruments. Even if these cult machines were a milestone in the 70s, 80s and 90s music production, their sounds are still used today in a lot of Urban, Hip Hop, Electro House and even Electro Pop productions.

The first "affordable" drum machines were manufactured in the 60s, and were designed to imitate the sounds of drums and percussions. Analog synthesis was the the first technology used to generate the drum sounds and most models left no opportunity to the user to alter or modify the pre-programmed rhythms. Then in the 80s the first models using low resolution digital samples were launched, and were quickly used in the most successful tunes in the music industry. In the 90s the sound quality turned better, but loosing in the meantime the character that had made older models so remarkable. That's where and why our investigation stopped.

Beat Box Anthology is divided in three sections: Classic, Analog & Digital. In the Classic category you will find the cult machines that are still used a lot today, like the 808 or the 909. Sampling and recording was particularly complete, covering every parameter and setting you can find on these machines. To capture the essence of these pieces of history, we did record everything in 24bit 96kHz, using the best DI Box and analog to digital converters.

Another unique approach to this kind of collection, is the mastering step that once more makes it unique. Sounds were mastered at Sterling Sound with Chris Gerhinger, for this punchy sound you won't find anywhere else.

With a total of around 10 000 samples and loops from 80 different machines, Beat Box Anthology also contains hundreds of native kits and patterns for the new MOTU BPM, then being its best companion. Whatever the kind of music you're making, you will certainly find room for these incredible sounding machines.

LOOK AT THE VIDEO - Beat Box Anthology Presentation

Machines used to create the sounds :

Acetone Rhythm Ace FR-1, FR-2L, FR-6 & FR-8 / Akai XR-10 / Alesis HR-16, HR-16b & DPM5 / Amdek Rhythm Machine RMK-100 / Bohm Digital Drums M. / Boss DR-110 Dr. Rhythm, DR-220 A, DR-220 E & DRP-I Dr. Pad / Casio RZ-1 / Crumar OMB-2 / Dynacord Add One / Elka Drumstar 80, OMB 5, Wilgamat / E-mu Drumulator / ETI Drum Synthesizer / Godwin Drummaker 45 / Hohner Drum Performer & Rhythm 80 / Kawai R-100 / Korg DDD-1, DDM-100, DDM-220, KPR 77, KR33, KR55, MR16 & S3 / Linn 9000 & Linn Drum / Mattel Synsonic Drums / Mini Pops Junior Keio / MPC the Kit / Novation Drumstation / Oberheim DMX / Pearl Drum-X & Fightman/ Realistic Rhythm Box Concert Mate / Roland CR-78, CR-8000, TR-505, TR-55, TR-606, TR-626, TR-66, TR-707, TR-727, TR-77, TR-808 & TR-909 / SCI Drumtracks/ Siel MDP40 / Simmons Clap Trap, MTX-9, SDS 400, SDS 800, SDS 9, SDSV & Trixer / Solton Arranger + / Tama Techstar TAM500, DS200 & Techstar TS204 / Ted Digisound Synth / Univox ARI / Vermona / Wersi Drum Composer / Wersi Wersimatic WM24 / Yamaha DD-10, MR10, QY10, RX5, RX7 & RX8

> Patchwork of these incredible machines

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™Key required

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Upright Grand Piano

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:27:15 +0200

]]>Once again, we are glad to introduce a new beautiful sounding piano, this 5 GB library brings up a strong upright piano full of personality and musicality.

After the successful launch of the UVI SoundPack Acoustic Grand Piano and UVI SoundPack Baby Grand Piano, the number one request of our customers was to have a very good Upright Piano, that would be used a lot these days in modern Rock, Pop and even Jazz music.

To find a good sounding upright piano was not an easy task, so we did look over several models and several places, until we found the one that delighted our team, and to be honest: we love it. A modern and high-end version from the manufacturer Seiler was unanimously picked to be the one. As you can hear in the demos, it sounds really close, warm and musical.

As for all our sounds, we did use extremely good microphones, excellent sounding mic pre and insanely good analog to digital converters. Every single note was carefully multi-sampled in multiple velocity levels. We also used the same special technique, introduced in Baby Grand Piano, to capture the true sound when playing with the sustain pedal, to add another level of realism.

Thanks to UVI Engine's advanced keygroup layers and rule switching, the sustain pedal and release samples perform and "feel" like a real piano.

At the end of the process, during the editing of samples, we consulted a great instrumentalist to test the result of this work, then we were able to even improve the instrument's response to make it really enjoyable.

This wonderful UVI Soundcard fully completes our Grand Piano series, putting forward an excellent sounding piano with true musicality.

> Close look on the wonderful mechanism of the instrument

> Setting up the recording

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™Key required

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Spirit of Gongs

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:19:50 +0200

]]>This is another crazy and exclusive UVI Soundpack from UVI Soundsource: 80 ancient gongs and related percussions in one single library.

Gongs are mainly East and South East Asian musical instruments, the shape of a flat metal plate, usually hit with a mallet. There are gongs of various sizes, and this collection focuses on the most musical ones, middle to small-sized, from 5 to 26 inch.

Following our pristine audio quality policy, we did record these pieces of history with the best analog and digital equipment in 24bit / 96 kHz, to capture the essence of these rich percussive instruments. Depending on the model, we were able to sample in multiple velocity levels.

In addition to the recordings, we assed the perceptual tuning of each sample, allowing the presets to be played around the keyboard. Thanks to that, the collection stands as more versatile than just a "classic" gong collection: sound textures are varying from large metal bongs, to magnificent and musical bell chimes.

Instruments are sorted in a very meticulous way, from their original location : Burma, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam... Pictures and actual sizes are provided along for most of the presets.

Spirit of Gongs will open you up to a new era of metallic sonic textures, from the traditional ones to the most processed sounds and musical FXs.

LOOK AT THE VIDEO - Spirit of Gongs Presentation

> Little outline of gongs recorded for Spirit of Gongs

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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Baby Grand Piano

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:17:19 +0100

]]>We are proud to introduce a new beautiful sounding piano, this 6 GB library brings up a very unique and rare instrument with an exceptionally warm and emotional sound, something hard to find with old pianos.

After the success of our UVI SoundPack Acoustic Grand Piano, we felt it was time to come up with something slightly different. So back in the road we were looking for a piano with sound and history. We did visit a serious amount of ancient piano addicts. As for the Acoustic Grand Piano, the alchemy is not easy to find, and we did try several models and places until we found the right one. During our investigation we fell in love with a gorgeous baby grand piano built in 1930 by the manufacturer Erard. This is one of the "smallest grand piano" ever built, and it sounds incredibly large in regard to its size.

This time, to capture the heart of this lovely piece of musical instrument history, we didn't bring the piano to a big studio, but came up with our own gear to record the piano in place. As usual, our gear consisted in extremely good microphones, excellent sounding mic pre and insanely good analog to digital converters. Every single note was carefully multi-sampled in multiple (up to 8) velocity levels; we did also introduce a new special technique to capture the true sound when playing with the sustain pedal, to add another level of realism. Thanks to the UVI Engine advanced keygroup layers and rule switching, the sustain pedal and release samples perform and "feel" like a real piano.

At the end of the process, during the editing of samples, we consulted a great instrumentalist to test the result of this work, then we were able to even improve the instrument's response to make it really enjoyable.

Once again, we are very glad, for the result is a soulful sounding piano, full of history and true musicality.

> Master piece build in 1930 by the famous Erard manufacturer

> Close up of the microphone's placement

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™Key required

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IRCAM Solo Instruments

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:52:35 +0200

]]>► From May 11th to 21st : a coupon of $70 offered on IRCAM Solo Instruments

► Coupon code : FDM_70_L6M=t

► Coupon available once per account

• • • • • • • • • •

In collaboration with the famous IRCAM research department, this brand new collection presents the finest solo instruments played by the most talented contemporary musicians, captured in the very best conditions to ensure maximum fidelity.

- Violin, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Flute in C, Oboe, Clarinet, Basson, Alto saxophone, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Bass tuba, Accordion, Guitar, Harp.

This PRESTIGE UVI Soundcard™ not only contains the usual sounds of these sixteen wonderful instruments, but also some very rare playing techniques that you will not find anywhere else: multiphonic, aeolian, hit-on-body, buzz, crushed... Carefully programmed with expressive key-switches, each preset can be loaded and played instantaneously whatever your system.

> Take a look at the demos and you will understand why this collection is so unique !

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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Mayhem of Loops

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:51:41 +0200

]]>This collection is the perfect toolbox for building a modern rhythm section from a wide variety of drum, percussion, instrument and fx loops. A massive selection of over 5,000 loops covers the following styles:

- Big Beat, Breakbeats, Creative Dub, Drum’n Bass, Electro, Fresh Disco House, Grunge HipHop, Industrial, Jungle, Old Underground Hip Hop, Ragga and Dub, Roots Disco, Roots Funk, Speed R’nB, Trip Hop, UK House and more...

> All loops were carefully sliced, so you can use them immediately at the right tempo, or drag and drop the audio or the MIDI for deeper groove editing and remixing in your sequencer. A truly unique and versatile sound library.

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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Xtreme FX

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:48:22 +0200

]]>X-Treme FX is dedicated to sound effects, foleys and atmospheric sounds. It puts 5.000 creative sound effects at your fingertips: the soundset represents over 8 GB of sample data.

Included categories are:

- Atmospheres, Scenes, Unreal, Science-Fiction, Sub & Drones, Natural, Urban, Foleys, Musical

Scenes are provided: one preset loads up an ensemble of related sounds, perfect for live mixing or creating a virtual soundscape. Throughout the library you’ll find sounds that are off the beaten track, original and expressive.

> X-treme FX is also a great composition tool that will serve as a source of inspiration for new musical ideas.

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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Synth Anthology

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:47:36 +0200

]]>No mere simulations here - thanks to state-of-the-art sampling technology the character and the power of each classic synth is immediately heard. The best hardware equipment was used to capture every detail of these legendary instruments, including the use of tube or class A compressors and equalizers. This UVI Soundcard™ contain over 2.000 presets, using more than 24,000 waveforms – 8 Gb in total!

This collection covers the history of synthesis:

- Classic Analog, FM & Formant, Vector Synthesis, Wavetables, Additive, PCM, Analog Modeling, Stack & Chords, Bonus Machines, Pure Waveforms

> Classification by type of sounds or by synthesis technology is provided for easy sound searching.

IMPORTANT :

• iLok™ Key required

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