The major new product introduction at Musikmesse from German virtual instrument developer Native Instruments is the first major update of their semi-modular software synthesizer Absynth. It’s due to ship in May 2003, at a suggested price of $299 (US).

Absynth 2.0 is now a sampler as well as a synthesizer. The combination provides rich new creative possibilities via an intuitive patch window that makes it easy to mix sampling, granular sampling, subtractive, wavetable, FM, AM, ring modulation, and wave-shaping synthesis.

Each Absynth voice has six synth oscillators or three sampling oscillators, four filters, three ring modulators, and a wave shaping distortion function. Waveforms can be drawn by hand or created by sketching harmonics. A built-in library of waveforms, envelopes, and even entire oscillator channels enables the quick construction of complex, evolving sounds with just a few clicks.

According to Native Instruments: “The combination of multiple synthesis techniques, granular sampling, and flexible envelope control generates everything from organic textures to rhythmic loops, from time-evolving soundscapes to vintage sounds.”

The new version of Absynth allows you to control an envelope (or a group of envelopes) dynamically with a MIDI controller, to morph and twist the sound with a single gesture. Each envelope can be modulated with its own graphically-displayed variable speed LFO for creating sounds with movement and vitality. A new Link mode allows multiple envelopes to be chained together, with adjustable time, amplitude, and slope scaling – perfect for detuned chords, phasingfilters, or for mirroring the sample playback position with filter resonance, for instance.

The update also delivers a revised DSP core that has been extensively optimized for greater CPU efficiency. Anti-aliasing can be switched on or off per oscillator, to choose between smooth analog highs, or cool digital jitter. The system runs completely in stereo, and each oscillator can be dynamically panned by its powerful envelopes. Several new filter models are available, including an exceptional two and four pole lowpass and a multi-pole allpass filter for phasing and resonant effects.

Plug-in operation of has also been improved in Absynth version 2.0. Each Plug-in can open its own bank, and the Absynth Engine is no longer needed to play sounds.

The updated package includes more than 800 evocative, expressive, and musical presets covering a wide range of sonic territory. Absynth 2.0 will be released in May 2003, at a suggested retail price of $299 (US).

Native Instruments U.S. Web Site

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German microphone maker beyerdynamic has introduced two new professional mics designed specifically for work with bass instruments and drums, at Musikmesse in Frankfurt.

Opus 99 Dynamic Mic for Bass

The new Opus 99 is a dynamic microphone “in best studio quality,” featuring extremely high SPL capability, and a special frequency equalization that will make it an ideal microphone for picking up instruments such as double-bass, tuba and the bass drum. The strong neodymium magnet system and a mass-reduced diaphragm achieve powerful reproduction and excellent impulse response.

In live applications the hypercardioid polar pattern minimizes feedback. As an option the Opus 99, can be supplied with a special stand (ST 99) to place the microphone in front of, or inside, a kick drum.

Opus 88 Condenser Mic for Drums

The Opus 88 condenser is a modification of beyerdynamic’s reliable Opus 87. This cardioid microphone is designed specifically for use with toms and snare drums. It features an extremely-high gain before feedback, and a very wide frequency response.

Opus 88 comes with a patented mounting clamp, with integrated pre-amp and 3-pin XLR plug. This provides for quick and easy set up. A short gooseneck and the horizontal swivel joint on the clamp ensure optimum placement in close proximity to the sound source. The rugged construction and the rubber shock-mounted microphone capsule are well protected against stray drum sticks.

beyerdynamic U.S.A. Web Site

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When you search for audio or video content using the popular RealOne media player from RealNetworks, or through Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, the results are provided by a search service called Singingfish.

Singingfish is a Seattle-based firm that presents itself as the world’s leading audio and video search engine.

The Singingfish database already includes “tens of millions” of content items in streaming, live and on-demand audio and video media formats. Now the company plans to expand and enhance it index by offering content owners (and advertisers) a paid inclusion program.

Paid inclusion is a somewhat controversial practice in the Web search field. It allows advertisers to pay a fee to ensure that their content is listed in search engine results, rather than trusting to the technology of the search engine to find their material through the normal process of traversing and polling the Web by following links.

In spite of controversy, which has led to consumer protests and even a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation in the past, paid inclusion has become an accepted way of doing business for nearly every significant search site, including leading portals such as Yahoo, Lycos and MSN.

There are various models of inclusion, ranging from straight-forward advertising on a “pay-per-click” basis (Google, Overture and others), where the paid results are generally segregated from regular search results and given extra prominence (listed first, or in a separate highlighted area); to a simpler fee-for-service, where the content owners’ payment merely ensures that the content is present in the search engine database, but placement in the results depends on the normal relevance-ranking process of the search site (Yahoo, Lycos, AltaVista, Teoma).

The controversy over the practice has to do with the relevance and credibility of search results. If advertisers are paying to get their content listed at the top of the page, is the search engine still doing its job of finding the best results for each search?

The benefits of paid inclusion for both publisher and end user are clearest in the case of content that is difficult to index through typical search engine technology. For example, a large online store such as Amazon or Musicians’ Friend, or a news provider such as New York Times or CNET News, may have many thousands or even millions of pages of content that would never be found by a search engine – because the pages are generated ‘on the fly’ in response to specific visitor requests and browsing at the site.

Audio and video media content falls into this category of difficult-to-index material, so there is a compelling case for Singingfish to offer paid inclusion.

Just like an Amazon or New York Times, a streaming media service may have many thousands of items available on demand, but a search engine will never locate and index them. This is even more the case with audio and video, as opposed to text-based content, because it is difficult or impossible for a search engine to obtain key information such as title, artist or author from an audio or video file or stream.

Singingfish says its research shows that over 20 percent of all Web search queries are best satisfied with audio and/or video results. With paid inclusion, the company says it will be able to direct end-users’ search queries instantly to their specific content in a relevant and meaningful way. Singingfish already indexes tens of millions of streaming media files in categories that include music, sports, news, TV, radio and business.

“We’ve discovered that rare three-way win where the consumer, advertiser and portal all benefit,” comments Karen Howe, CEO of Singingfish. “The advertiser has a powerful new medium for driving key messages, the consumer wins by getting access to the streaming content they were looking for plus relevant information from the advertiser; and finally the portal benefits from offering a useful service to consumers who don’t have to leave their portal to find audio and video content.”

Paid inclusion allows an advertiser to pay for streaming media files they select to be indexed by the Singingfish search engine. While this does not guarantee placement, it does allow their content to appear in the search engine’s results for relevant queries.

Singingfish Paid Inclusion also gives the advertiser added promotional value by providing two links – the stream itself, as usual, and also an associated “landing page.” This gives the content owner total control over the landing page, which can (for example) expose the visitor to a related product or service. If a customer decides to go further than the initial audio/video stream they clicked on – the result can mean significant and immediate return on investment to the advertiser.

The Singingfish Paid Inclusion program is sold and managed through Marketleap, a firm that has deep experience with similar programs, including the Inktomi paid inclusion program (recently taken over by Yahoo) that is used by numerous major search portals such as Hotbot and MSN Search.

Listings submitted through the paid inclusion program can include data on bitrate, format (MP3, Real, WMA, Quicktime), language, category (from among many hundreds), duration, release date, performer, and medium (audio, video), in addition to the obvious search info such as title, author, description and keywords.

If you want your content listed by Singingfish, but you don’t want to pay for the service, Singingfish also offers a free submission process.

Singingfish Web Site

Singingfish Paid Inclusion