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NewsBox 1 - NAMM Show 2005 Separator Rogue Amoeba - Audio Hijack Pro - NiceCast Separator
The most comprehensive NAMM Show report for electronic musicians and DJs. Futuremusic reports on the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.
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CD Spotlight
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STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) - ARTiFACT
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ARTiFACT: Proof of existence in an evolving world. An ode to preservation and change. The 20 songs on ARTiFACT reflect a songwriting style that approaches composition through what can best be described as sound sculpture, providing a perfect balance to STS9's unique approach to live performance and improvisation with the hooks and melodies of traditional song structures. LISTEN!
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Digital Spotlight
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Beatport - Futuremusic - My Piano
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Soaring melodies fuel a music time machine launching the listener to the top of a world yet discovered. Reminiscent of the early works of Sasha and BT, My Piano's uplifting melody, combined with a funky, asymmetrical bass line creates a progressive, feel-good vibe on the floor while providing a memorable hook to take home until you next adventure in club land. LISTEN!
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Vinyl Spotlight
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Killer Progressive Tribal House from Spain's BeatFreak Recordings. Dark Iberican beast, dense pulsing basslines, it doesn't get much better than this Black Magic! LISTEN!
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Alienware Ozma


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February 3, 2005

../ 2005 NAMM Report: Novation

Novation has always been a company on the edge. They were one of the only companies to cash in on the Acid craze of the early nineties with their BassStation Keyboard and rack. Unfortunately, they were never able to truly leverage their early momentum here in the States due to quality issues and poor customer service. Making matters worse, they then decided to handle stateside distribution duties themselves, a major mistake. The company plodded along in fits and starts that usually coincided with a new product launch, but their products were always handicapped by some of the worst marketing and advertising in the business. It's a shame a company like The Attik didn't take pity on them and develop a campaign that positioned them as the innovators they really are.


novation's nauseating backpack
Think we're kidding about their marketing? Then tell me this isn't one of the ugliest backpacks you've ever encountered...


Novation was recently acquired by Focusrite, a company known for their high end and esteemed product line. I'm sure former CEO, Ian Jannaway, was hoping to benefit from their big marketing dollars or respected image, but that was not evident at the show. The Novation booth was small and congested. Their new Remote MIDI controllers and X-Station synth/controllers in 25, 49 and 61 key incarnations were crammed together on keyboard stands leaving little room to move about.


novation x-station61
The Novation X-Station61


There's not much to discuss about the Remote which is, yet another, MIDI controller in the market that is currently dominated by M-Audio. However, the X-Station is another story. Novation married a 24 bit audio interface with phantom power and a digital output, to a comprehensive MIDI controller with two unique, user-definable controllers, and added their KS hardware synth technology. In addition, Novation's semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and a distinctive fully assignable Touchpad controller really make the X-Station stand out.

The Remote and X-Station keyboards have a great feel and each come with a programmable pitch/mod wheel joystick. The built-in, three oscillator virtual analog synth, based on their KS technology, has 8 note polyphony. The X-Station has a total of 55 assignable knobs, sliders, and buttons to satisfy all your controller desires, and has a dedicated audio section with traditional tape controls such as play, stop, fast forward, etc. But Novation didn't stop there, they added a full-on DSP multieffects unit. Two channels of multieffects are available with up to six simultaneous effects on each channel. Effects include, Reverb, Delay, Distortion, Chorus, EQ and a Compressor. The X-Station can be powered by batteries, the USB bus or by an external power supply. The best part of the X-Station is its price. The 25 key two octave model starts at just $499.
www.novationmusic.com

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Experiments In Sound
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As the name correctly implies, Experiments In Sound, is Futuremusic's latest endeavor for pushing electronic music technology to the very edge of what's possible. Experiments In Sound grew out of Futuremusic's avant-garde events in New York City that featured DJ's taking mixing and live sound reinforcement to a whole new level with the very latest gear and software. Be the first to hear about Experiments In Sound by joining Futuremusic Direct.

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Experiments In Sound: TestDrive

Part of Experiments In Sound, TestDrive will feature the lab results of our DJ Experiments so that everyone can get in on the action. Take the latest electronic music releases, mix vigorously with bleeding-edge DJ technology in a large beeker, and then cook the hell out of it! Be the first to hear about TestDrive by joining Futuremusic Direct.

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Futuremusic Presents... The Next Big Thing

Futuremusic wants to thank everyone who participated in The Next Big Thing 2004. John Digweed, Beatport, Alienware, M-Audio, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, PVDJ, PK Graphics, Ableton, The DubHouse, Propellerheads, Technics, FreeFloat, The Church, PCDJ and every DJ who entered this year's event thank you. From the sheer number of quality mixes, we can tell you that dance music is thriving in the United States. The amount of outstanding talent and creativity really blew us away, and every DJ who's putting their heart, mind and soul behind the music is a winner. John Digweed has made his decision and the winner is...

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