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Novation to showcase new DJ talent at BLOC festival

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Novation, Mixcloud and Serato have teamed up with the BLOC Festival to launch a mix competition where one DJ will win a Novation Twitch and a place on the line-up at one of the UK’s coolest music events. BLOC is a two-day, 15,000-capacity festival that takes place in London in July. It’s one of the fastest-growing and best-loved festivals in the UK. The 2012 event promises to put the BLOC Weekend on the international festival roadmap, with headliners Snoop Dogg, Orbital, Richie Hawtin and Flying Lotus taking to the stage.

The competition celebrates the first birthday of Twitch: the Touchstrip Controller from Novation that lets you remix on the fly. Run in collaboration with DJ-set-hosting platform Mixcloud, entrants must submit a 30-minute mix that will be judged on factors including (but not limited to) number of plays, positive feedback, track selection, originality and technical ability. The BLOC Festival team will assess the submitted mixes, and staff from Novation, Serato, BLOC and Mixcloud will choose the winner. The lucky DJ will be flown into London with overnight accommodation, and will play a 60-minute set at BLOC.

The BLOC festival is taking place at London’s new Pleasure Gardens — part of the London Olympic site — on July 6th-7th 2012. For more details and to get involved, visit: www.mixcloud.com/competitions/novation-twitch-competition

Press Kit available here: www.novationmusic.com/media/pr_images/Novation_BLOC_2012.zip

Asobi Seksu x UltraNova

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Yuki Chikudate is the singer/keys player for New York dream pop band Asobi Seksu. Novation was first recommended to Yuki by a former band member, and now she's hooked. "I use Novation products because of their high quality. I use the Supernova II and the new UltraNova synth."

SuperNova II was Novation's landmark synth in the 1990s, and became a workhorse for countless producers and a permanent fixture in hundreds of studios worldwide, as well as in Yuki's live rig, where it has played a big part of her tours for over 10 years. "The sounds are rich and deep and in my opinion have the best string patches. It doesn't sound cheap. It is truly amazing that the Supernova II specifically allows me to write a unique, compelling live arrangement for all of the band's songs on just one instrument. I feel like an orchestra. I also love the multi-timbral function. It allows me to create amazing dense and unique textures. It allows me to be expressive. The performance mode allows me to create a story arch through sound for every song. It allows me to go crazy! I have so much fun arranging keyboards for live performances. One of my favorite things is the arranging of songs from a new album in performance mode."

Yuki's love for the SuperNova lead her straight to the UltraNova when it was launched in 2010. "We use the UltraNova as a MIDI controller while recording in Ableton. Feels great to play on and is much higher in quality than other MIDI controllers. I feel like I'm playing an expressive instrument, not a keyboard. The UltraNova is flexible; you can make it your own and it begs to be experimented with. You can push it. It doesn't feel ‘in the box’.

The UltraNova is an essential part of our band and it has become our signature sound in many ways. It has become an irreplaceable instrument. It has a personality that is distinct yet can be personalized and made your own."

Probably the best praise we could get from Yuki and the Asobi Seksu camp is this: "We used Novation products on every record we've ever made. It is what we use exclusively."

Find out more about what Asobi Seksu are up to here

Tropics upgrades to the Impulse

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Chris Ward, professionally known as Tropics, is a British electronic producer. His debut album, released by Planet Mu, was celebrated by critics worldwide and he has toured with and remixed some of the world’s hottest electronic artists (such as Little Dragon, Falty DL, Rustie, Ed Banger Records etc). A Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP and a Novation Nocturn keyboard already played an integral part of his set up and he recently upgraded to an Impulse, which he now takes on the road for his live shows.

Here's what he had to say about it:

"Im using the Novation Impulse and run a series of plugins through it in Ableton Live. The Automap feature is great; it sets itself up for me and I've never had a problem with it on stage. Using the rotaries and faders assigned to the plugins is also made very simple with Automap. The keys are just right for me too (not too weighty) and overall its an awesome looking keyboard. Another nice touch is the onboard arpeggiator which works well to decorate a build-up, or a nice outro in our live sets."

Check out a video of Tropics live here.

http://soundcloud.com/tropics
http://twitter.com/tropics_
http://facebook.com/tropicsband

Your name on a Launchpad... As simple as ABC

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

There aren't many DJ/production duos that make their own software, but when you get to know them, Disco Fries aren't your average partnership. The pair, known as Nick and Danny to their friends, attended the well respected Berklee College of Music in Boston and forged a signature sound that would see them attract the attention of an assortment of pop music giants. In their short career, they've remixed Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Usher, Pitbull, Chris Brown and Steve Aoki. Their remix of Far East Movement's 'Like a G6' was viewed 1.5 million times on YouTube… you get the picture.

But when they're not in the studio working on the the next top 40 smasher, they're on the road, tearing up nightclubs as a DJ duo across the United States and beyond — as far afield as China!

But the Disco Fries don't do things by halves; as a party piece to set their show apart, they wrote a special Max For Live patch for their Novation Launchpad that turns it into a mobile scrolling display board. Könversate lets you type in whatever message you like to be displayed on the Launchpad, with options for colour and scroll speed, plus sync options and a flash feature!

Here's a link to the application: Click here. Thank you Disco Fries!

(Note, this application is a patch for Max For Live and was not designed by Novation.)

Focusrite wins second Queen's Award for Enterprise

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd., based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, has been awarded the 2012 Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. The Award follows three consecutive years of sustained growth in global business and market share for Focusrite, aided by the opening of offices in the United States and Germany over the period. This is the second time Focusrite have been honoured with the Award, having collected the prize in the Innovation category in 2008.

Founder and Executive Chairman Phil Dudderidge commented on news of the Award: "This is a great recognition of the outstanding growth of our international business over the past three years, well over 100%. I would like to acknowledge not only the supreme efforts of our staff in the UK and abroad but also our distribution and retail partners and not least our hundreds of thousands of customers around the world who depend on Focusrite and Novation products in their music."

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise were established in 1965 and are only given for the highest levels of excellence in the categories of Innovation, International Trade and Sustainable Development. To receive the Award in the category of International Trade, Focusrite showed a substantial and sustained increase in export earnings over three consecutive 12-month periods, to a level considered outstanding for the products and services concerned, and for the size of the organisation.

Global Sales Director Damian Hawley added, "To receive this award for our outstanding International Trade results over the last few years is an honor and a real testament to the quality of our products. We would like to give a special mention to our teams worldwide: our offices in the UK, Germany and the USA together with our Territory Managers for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Asia-Pacific and Latin America. We would also like to acknowledge the exemplary work done by our global distribution partners in more than 80 countries, as well as all of our retail partners around the world for the massive level of support that they have shown the Focusrite and Novation brands over the last few years."

KS Factory Sounds

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Original factory preset sounds for the KS4 KS5 and KS Rack

Nio 2/4 Installer 1.4

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This version installs the nio driver along with nioFxRack Standalone.
It does not install the VST/AU versions of nioFxRack.
Please note that if you wish to use the nioFxRack VST/AU versions it is advised that you install the previous release (1.3) first.

This update applies to Mac OSX only.

Fixes:

1) Adds OSX Lion Compatibility
2) Fixed issue with MIDI I/O on OSX Lion
3) Fixed issue with buffer audio stream in nioFxRack Standalone

Focusrite & Novation @ SXSW 2012

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

South By Southwest (SXSW) is a music, film and interactive festival that happens every year in Austin, Texas. Literally thousands of bands flock to the city to perform, and every bar, art space, cinema and coffee shop in the city turns into a popup music venue and Austin transforms into the centre of the music universe.

So where better to go gear spotting? Check out this video to see what went down with the Focusrite and Novation street team at SXSW 2012.

The Novation x UDG Twitch Courier Bag

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Twitch has been designed for portability, so our friends at UDG have designed the ultimate carry case.

It will hold Twitch, a 17" laptop, cabling and more. The case also includes a separate padded sleeve to protect Twitch's fader and knob-caps. It is constructed from high quality Nylon with a small front pocket and extra panel to stow additional gear like hard drives or hinged headphones. The case also comes with a comfortable shoulder strap which can be adjusted to the perfect fit and a tough handle with rubber grips.

The case is now available at all UDG dealers or from this link:
http://www.udggear.com/shop/product.asp?s=747AEE10755E4FC698874A88AC0E51E6&pid=1423

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Oxford-based producer, Orlando Higginbottom (known professionally as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, sometimes shortened to TEED), is part of the new-breed of young British artists who have successfully combined traditional song-writing and recording with contemporary electronic composition.

After an early involvement in classical music, he developed an obsession with jungle and began to develop his electronic production skills at his home studio. He first released a series of EPs on the Greco-Roman label, which led towards him signing to Polydor in 2011. His debut album is set to be released later in 2012.

Orlando has been a Novation user for many years, and we caught up with him to find out about what he's using at the moment:

On the Bass Station "my big brother had one at his studio and I remember being young and playing with the filters on it. From then I always wanted one. I finally got one a couple of years ago and, despite its light build, it's got a massive sound. Its functionality is also limited (in a good way!) so that there's not an overwhelming amount of options like with a lot of synths. Its great for live too."

On the UltraNova "I thought it was designed specifically for Dubstep, but then I had a play on it in the shop for an hour and ended up buying one. I use it in all my live shows and love it. I use it as a standalone synth and I really like the presets, but I've barely tapped into it - it's comprehensive.

You can check TEED out here:

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Photography by Stephanie Sian Smith.

Musikmesse 2012

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Novation will be at the annual Musikmesse tradeshow in Frankfurt from 21st - 24th of March. The latest soundpack for UltraNova will be on demo along with Automap 4.3 and Serato Video is now available for Novation TWITCH. Our sister company Focusrite will also be launching a brand new member of their legendary ISA range of microphone preamplifiers.

The Daniel Fisher Vol.2 soundpack is now available to download free. This is a collection of 30 sounds for Novation UltraNova and is the latest of four free soundpacks. Download the pack and audition the sounds here.

Automap is the software that powers Novation controllers, enabling them to communicate with your DAW and plug-ins. Version 4.3 brings significant improvements, including new integration with Studio One, Reaper, Logic Studio and Digital Performer. Automap now also works seamlessly with Ableton Live as well as Logic, ProTools, Reason and Cubase.
Watch this video for more information.

Ableton and Automap: Watch the video

If you are planning on coming to Musikmesse, please com and visit us at B68 Hall 5.1

A Twitch of a Night

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The place: a vibey bar/restaurant in deepest Brooklyn. The event: New York City's first ever Novation Twitch mixer event. The crowd: old school hip hoppers like Stretch Armstrong, Operator Emz and Neal Armstong, new cats like Jasmine Solano and Nick Hook, plus radio DJs including Enuff from the Hot 97: NYC's premier hip hop station. All present to witness the next big thing in DJ performance: The Novation Twitch.

To understand what Twitch is, we need to go back a few decades… First there were turntables, then CDJs brought the platter paradigm to the digital generation. More recently, DJ controllers enabled laptop DJs to mimic the practice of spinning records and blending tracks. Twitch, the new generation of performance controller, goes one step further into the future. It frees you from the concept of a slowly spinning spiral of music and opens your eyes to a wholly new world: true musical performance. With performance modes like Slicer, Cue Point and Loop Roll; unique Fader Effects and one-to-one control of Serato ITCH, it's the only controller that really lets you remix on the fly.

The event was held at Dee & Ricky’s Home Cooking, a concept restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn run by twin brothers that are fashion entrepreneurs. They are not just trendsetters, they're trend starters, and Twitch was right up their street.

Novation teamed up with Revolve to put the event together, and it had a great energy to it. Twitch brought out some of the hottest DJs in NYC: the who’s who of various industries were in the building to witness Twitch in action, with DJs ChrisUK, Dan Wender (Rinsed) and Nick Hook (Cubic Zirconia/Fools Gold) stepping up to the As and Bs instead of the ones and twos. Topping the night off was the legendary Operator Emz playing a blend of classic NY hiphop as if he was in command of a pair of 1200s: scratching included. See how much technology has changed? In the words of DJ Enuff "this is gonna change the game!"

www.deeandricky.com

http://thatsenuff.com

@OperatorEMZ

Automap 4.3 has landed

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The latest version of Automap brings some major updates to Novation controllers. 4.3 support for Logic Express, Studio One, Digital Performer and Reaper, adding to the list of other supported DAWs including Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Reason and Ableton Live. It also improves plug-in performance with Ableton Live and re-introduces the popular Follow Focus feature, which enables you to automatically focus on the plug-in you are currently using.

Automap is the original and most powerful control software available. It comes free with all Novation controllers and gives you instant access to your DAW's transport, mixer and plug-in instruments and effects, as well as third-party plug-ins, such as those from UAD and Native Instruments. Automap also gives you a full visual feedback of whatever you are controlling via its software edit window.

Check out the video below for an overview of Automap v4.3's key features.

You can download Automap 4.3 here now!

Impulse x Raisa K

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Raisa Khan leads a busy life - she's a member of the critically acclaimed band Micachu and the Shapes, she plays keyboards for hip hop act Dels, and is a recent graduate of the Red Bull Music Academy - a programme renowned for its nurturing of talent at an early stage (its alumni include the likes of Katy B, Hudson Mohawke, Jamie Woon and Aloe Blacc).

Her keyboard/controller plays a vital role in each of her ventures, and she's recently begun to integrate an Impulse 49 into her live and production set-up:

"This is my first MIDI controller with faders/knobs. I put off getting one of these for a long time because I thought it would take too long to figure out how to link up all the faders, but it's actually quite straightforward. At the moment I'm using it mainly with Mainstage for live gigs but soon I'll be writing music with it on Logic . I like that the screen is large enough to read full words rather than abbreviations and also that the keys feel more real to play than most MIDI keyboards."

Raisa is currently working on a new record with Micachu and the Shapes and is debuting her own live material in shows in Europe as well as finishing off a solo E.P.

Raisa K http://www.soundcloud.com/raisakay
Micachu and the Shapes http://www.micachu.biz
Dels http://ninjatune.net/artist/dels
Red Bull Music Academy http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/

UltraNova 1.1.2

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ultranova 1.1.2

Updated Ultranova firmware to version 1.1.6
Updated Mac driver to version 2.4

Bugfixes since version 1.1:
- Fixed erratic touch sense behaviour
- Fixed Mac 'Grey screen' crash when waking up from sleep mode while a device is connected

Automap 4.3

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Automap 4.3 Release notes

- Added Reaper, Studio One, Digital Performer, Pro Tools LE and Logic Express 9 in Setup Wizard

- Revised Plug-In focus follow on screen option

- Further integrated Automap into Ableton Live for Impulse users: there are now 2 modes for the PlugIn button, one for Live devices and one for Automap

Changes and fixes:

- Added HUI support for Reaper, Studio One, Digital Performer and Pro Tools LE in Setup Wizard

- Added support for Logic Express 9 in Setup Wizard

- Added 'Ignore HUI heartbeat messages' in HUI setting (only tick this box if you are a Reaper user)

- Added Automap mode to Impulse's Plugin button when using with Ableton Live

- Updaded Impulse Firmware to version 663, now the Plugin button has two modes when use with Ableton Live. Mode 1 (constant light): to control Live device, Mode 2 (flashing light) to control Automap enabled plug-ins

- updated SL Mkii firmware to version 1.3.12

- updated Zero SL Mkii firmware to version 1.3.14

- Fixed Automap asking for password when launching on DAW on OSX

- Fixed VST3 not working when 'Follow on screen Plug-In where possible' is ticked (in the expense of Steinberg's VST3 plug-ins on screen rotaries not working, Windows only)

- Fixed VST plug-ins not auto focusing when using Sonar.

- Fixed track name not appearing after load a session with HUI in Digital Performer

- Fixed automap enabled VST3 plug-ins crashing or not loading in Studio One.

- Fixed bug when plugging and unplugging hardware continuously on OSX Lion

- Fixed crash when tracking up and down with Impulse 25 using Reason.

- Improved Logic setup guide

- Reduced Mac and Win installer download size

- Removed Mac PPC support

- Fixed Impulse Preview button not working on Mac

- Updated Studio One setup guide to include additional keyboard setup information

Known issues:

- Windows only, Steinberg's VST3 plug-ins on screen rotaries not working when wrapped, untick 'Follow on screen Plug-In where possible' option in Preferences.

- when using HUI with Digital Performer, moving fader 1 will also move fader 8 in the Automap GUI. This will not affect session in most case. This is caused by DP sending CC7 on channel 1 back to Automap everytime the first slider is being move

- AU plug-ins name will appear strangely in Studio One when wrapped. This does not affect the performance of the plug-ins.

- Fabfilter VST3 not recognised on windows systems when wrapped

- Waves 8 plug-in will not auto focus when wrapped or not wrapped

Additional notes:

- VST2 and VST3 plug-ins require a re-wrap for the new fixes to work (untick and retick in software setup window)

- If you have more than one DAW installed that uses HUI (Pro Tools, Reaper, Studio One and Digital Performer) the green light next to all of them will light up in the software setup window even if only one is setup with Automap.

Supported systems:
-Mac OSX (Snow Leopard) 10.6.8
-Mac OSX (Lion) 10.7.3 or later
-Windows XP SP3 32-bit
-Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED RTF DOCUMENT FOR FULL RELEASE NOTES

Novation At The Heart Of Gotye Rig

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Like many musical sensations, Gotye (aka. Wally De Backer), got his big break with a little help from YouTube. It was the imaginative music video for his single 'Somebody That I Used To Know' featuring Kiwi singer Kimbra that first boosted his profile to near-astronomical levels. At the time of writing, it had been viewed 72 million times and, on the 12th February, 'Somebody That I Used To Know' was the No.1 record in the UK, with massive chart success all around the world.

A key part to the Gotye live show is Novation’s Launchpad, three of which take their place among a host of other gear on stage. The band travels with five Launchpads in total, with Wally and band member Tim Shiel using them to control Ableton Live. Wally describes the setup, "Tim and I play a Launchpad each in the show, triggering various samples in each song. Tim makes his display lots of coloured lights in User mode, receiving MIDI feedback information from Ableton." Novation's classic Bass Station synth also features prominently in the live setup, played by bass player Lucas Taranto, who says, simply, “the Bass Station rocks!”

Launchpad was co-designed by Novation and Ableton to provide completely flexible control of Ableton Live. Gotye’s show, plus dozens of other shows that feature virtual instrumentation, is indicative of just how adaptable Launchpad is to different situations. Whether in the studio or live — triggering clips or playing virtual instruments — Launchpad is the perfect fit. The Bass Station, though no longer manufactured, form, is still available as a virtual instrument. To find out more, head to novationmusic.com.

DELS: A Focusrite & Novation Sound Session

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ninja Tune artist DELS caught our eye with his outstanding music videos for Trumpalump and Shapeshift — both singles from his debut album GOB, released in 2011.

His UK grime and hip hop-influenced vocal delivery, and neck-jerking beats — created with a little help from producer superstars in the making Kwes, Micachu (of The Shapes) and Hot Chip's Joe Goddard — cuts its path through modern urban music, referencing luminaries Roots Manuva to Jay-Z along the way.

We worked with DELS on the video for his single Moonshining, in which his keys players used Novation 61SL MkII and Impulse 49 controller keyboards.

Check out the video here:

Continued support for In Tune For Life - helping HIV, TB & malaria-affected communities

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In Tune For Life helps HIV, TB & malaria-affected communities

Focusrite and Novation proudly announce their continued support for In Tune For Life (ITFL), an organisation dedicated to the struggle against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the related stigma and social problems. Since 2007, ITFL have been using Focusrite, Novation and KRK equipment to record music with local communities in four countries, to help engage and educate local people, especially the young, about healthcare issues.

Since the birth of ITFL in 2007, Focusrite, Novation and KRK — alongside other notable companies from the MI and Pro Audio industry — have provided compact and powerful equipment, which has enabled them to record music on the road, often under extremely challenging conditions. ITFL’s chief audio engineer Joe Herrmann explains, “The Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP was a great help for us out in the field. The VRM [Virtual Reference Monitoring] feature is a really welcome help when we’re recording in the field. Your ears don't get as tired as when you work with headphones normally, and we can cross-check different setups. I think it's a brilliant idea.”

Portability and non-reliance on external power were huge determining factors for Joe and the team, who would often record in remote locations with less than reliable electricity supplies. “We could run vocal sessions while there were power cuts, and there were plenty of those! Powering the Saffire with the laptop, we had about a two-hour session with a condenser mic.”

Focusrite and Novation Marketing Director Giles Orford comments, “It’s great that we can support In Tune For Life’s fantastic work. The support they provide on the ground is amazingly important, and they give so much to the communities they touch. It’s very rewarding to hear that Focusrite, Novation and KRK equipment is enabling local music makers to educate their own communities. And to learn that it stands up to the rigours of the Malawian environment goes to show how robust and versatile it is.”

In 2010, Focusrite expanded their support for ITFL, playing a key role in developing and piloting the Record For Life project. Record For Life aimed to provide communities with everything required to continue recording music after ITFL’s field work was finished, such as training local sound engineers to use and maintain the equipment. A new studio was established in Lilongwe, Malawi, early in 2011, where it is hosted by ITFL’s partner organisation and functions under the watchful eye of ITFL’s Malawi-based Trustee Qabaniso ‘Q’ Malewezi.

ITFL hope that this studio will provide the platform for local artists to build on the anti-HIV work of the three albums and two animated videos ITFL have already produced in Malawi, where around 12% of adults have HIV. Women are disproportionately affected here; around 60% of Malawian adults with HIV are female, and the epidemic has also affected Malawian children. In 2010, 120,000 children in Malawi were living with HIV, and around 700,000 had been orphaned by AIDS.

“In Tune for Life is about using music to engage a community, and especially young people, on issues of HIV, TB and malaria,” says Q. “We are grateful for the support we’ve received and we hope it continues. We still have a long way to go to tackle issues of stigma and discrimination, and it’s really important to engage all communities: Christians, Muslims, everyone. And we’re open for that. Because everyone has a message.”

In Tune For Life’s new website, explains and showcases their work: www.intuneforlife.org.

Launchpad Promo Live Set

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ableton Live set for the Novation Launchpad - Official Video.

UltraNova User Guide

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

NB : Contains English, French and German user guides.