Welcome to the Time+Space Blog

This blog is a resource for music producers supplying interviews, tutorials and information on the latest developments in the music and audio software industry.

iZotope BreakTweaker – The press give their verdict…

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

BreakTweaker press verdictBack in January, at the annual Winter NAMM show, iZotope revealed the fruits of their second collaboration with producer BT (the first being Stutter Edit) in the form of BreakTweaker.

Dubbed a ‘futuristic beat machine’, BreakTweaker is a wildly creative rhythmic instrument that is powered by three distinct modules – the Sequencer, the Generator and the MicroEdit engine – which make it possible to create beats you’ve never heard before, or even imagined!

We sent copies of BreakTweaker to the UK press and waited with interest to hear what they thought of it. Here’s a summary of their thoughts and verdicts… Continue reading →

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24th July 2014: This week’s new sample library releases

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

ZERO-G ELECTRO CINEMATICZero-G Electro Cinematic

Mangled beats, morphing basslines, pulsing sequences, ethereal pads, plucks, keys and arps, eerie drones, synthetic textures and action-packed electronic percussion are all covered in this collection. Perfect for futuristic and sci-fi cinematic projects but also for dance producers looking for that unique edge.

Formats: Acid wav, Apple Loops, Rex2, Kontakt, EXS24, Halion, NNXT

RRP: £59.95 / €74.95

BIG FISH AUDIO TENSIONBig Fish Audio Tension Orchestral FX and Elements

A large collection of short ensemble and section phrases and percussion one-shots composed, orchestrated and conducted by Kostas Varotsis. Recorded with a large 76-piece orchestra, Tension is jam-packed with orchestral gems like runs, stabs, rips, bends, flutters, risers, clusters, and a whole lot more.

Formats: NNXT, EXS24, Kontakt 5, MachFive 3

RRP: £89.95 / €107.95

PRODUCER LOOPS SS8_MEDIEVAL_CRUSADEProducer Loops  – Symphonic Series 8: Medieval Crusades

Infuse your orchestral productions with a sense of trial, tribulation and the spirit of noble adventure. This collection is a musical adaptation of the story of the Crusade King “Sigur” of Norway, and includes 5 original compositions each displaying an extensive range of orchestral and symphonic orchestration.

Formats: Acid, Wav, MIDI, OMF

RRP: £49.95 / €58.95

BIG FISH AUDIO PURE-ROCK-HITS-2Big Fish Audio – Pure Rock Hits 2

Driving guitars, punchy drums and hit-making melodies covering the musical styles of Coldplay, U2, The Fray, Train and others. There are guitars to fit almost every situation – soaring leads, ambient strums and FX laden sounds, as well as clean and distorted rhythm and picking guitars. You’ll also find a folder of Drum Tracks allowing for custom drum mixes tailored to your music.

Formats: Apple Loops, Rex, Wav, RMX, Acid. Also available formatted for Kontakt 4.2 or higher

RRP: £58.95 / €71.95

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE LATEST RELEASES AT TIMESPACE.COM

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Using sounds from the great outdoors with iZotope BreakTweaker

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

iZotope BreakTweaker - Future Beat MachineiZotope’s BreakTweaker, in the simplest of terms, is described as a beat making software, although anyone that knows iZotope, who’s other products include Stutter Edit, Iris, Ozone 5, RX3 and more, will be well aware of the extent of possibilities that this plug-in will offer.

Fusing sound design, sequencing and effects processing, BreakTweaker has been developed in conjunction with renowned producer BT, and is capable of some rather mind-bending feats of sonic wizardry.

iZotope-BreakTweaker-Future-Beat-Machine-MicroEditThis week, iZotope has explored its potential even further by looking at how field recordings for example sirens, birds, and a car engine, can be combined and treated within BreakTweaker to make them musical.

Watch the video and then why not try it out for yourself with the free BreakTweaker 10-day demo?

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Rob Papen Blue II – The UK reviewers give their verdict…

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

Rob Papen Blue 2Back in March, nine years after the original was bestowed upon us, Rob Papen released the second version of his famous crossfusion virtual synth – Blue.

Combining FM and subtractive synthesis, Phase Distortion and wave shaping synthesis, Blue II delivers numerous new features including the innovative and creatively inspiring XY pad, a new range of filter types, FX, sample waveforms and much more, including a whole new choice of presets that tops the total number to over 3000!

Since its release, reviewers all over the world have been testing, tweaking and twiddling with the virtual synth to deliver a feast of first rate write-ups. Here’s a quick roundup of verdicts from the UK contingent… Continue reading →

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We talk to the people behind Zero-G’s latest Kontakt instrument ‘Impact Designer’

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

Zero-G Impact DesignerThis week, Zero-G and Xfonic have released ‘Impact Designer’ – a new Kontakt 5 instrument dubbed as a “futuristic mega-slam SFX creation machine”.

Produced by Dan Graham, who was also responsible for Zero-G’s Animato, Spiritoso, Luminoso and Perpetuo collections, the live environmental sounds that were recorded for this collection were processed by Italian Professor of Sound Design Alessandro Camnasio whose trailer credits include THOR, Transformers: Age of Extinction and many more.

We got in touch with both Dan and Alessandro to find out more… Continue reading →

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Toontrack EZdrummer 2 – the press give their verdict

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

EZdrummer 2 boxLast month, on the Time+Space blog, we shared some of the many reviews we had received from customers who have been using Toontrack‘s latest drum plug-in – EZdrummer 2 and it’s safe to say the verdict was extremely positive all round (read the reviews here).

This time, we take a look at whether the press agree with Toontrack’s claim that EZdrummer 2 is indeed the “best sounding, most intuitive and creatively gratifying software environment for drum production on the market“. Here’s a summary of their verdicts… Continue reading →

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Virtual Piano Software – A Buyer’s Guide

Posted on June 25, 2014 by martincranfield

Anyone who has ever set out to purchase a virtual piano will know all too well that there are umpteen products to choose from covering everything from electric to acoustic instruments. So how do you know which is right for you?

Here at Time+Space, three of our major brands – Garritan/Make Music, Synthogy and Toontrack – all offer virtual pianos, each with their own individual user interfaces, and in some cases, types of pianos. However, when choosing a piano, it’s worth bearing in mind that two products used together may work better than a single plugin.

For example, Toontrack’s EZkeys product line offers numerous features that are specifically designed to make writing a piano track an extremely easy task – perfect if your piano skills leave a lot to be desired or you’re simply running short on inspiration. However, you might actually prefer the sound of Synthogy’s Ivory II American Concert D piano, in which case why not use EZkeys to create your song then bring in Ivory II to produce your final track? Continue reading →

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20th June 2014: This week’s sample library releases

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Melanie Doidge

Big Fish Audio SwitchBig Fish Audio – Switch

This collection of Pop, Nu-Funk, Dance Pop and R&B Songwriting Styles is a celebration of groups like Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke and many more. 20 massive kits feature Electric Guitars, Electric Bass, Synths, Rhodes, Wurly, Keys, Pads, Drums and many more.

RRP: £79.95 / €95.95

Formats: Apple Loops, Acid, Wav, Rex, RMX. Also available formatted for Kontakt.

Loopmasters Brazilian GuitarsLoopmasters – Brazilian Guitars

Looking to drop a twist of Latin American spirit into your productions? Loopmasters present Brazilian Guitars – a collection of 35 beautifully recorded Brazilian guitar ensembles consisting of Bass, Lead and Rhythm Guitar parts with syncopated rhythms, exquisite finger work, passionate strumming and delicate picking.

RRP: £19.95 / €23.95

Formats: Wav, Rex

Big Fish Audio Cinematic_MotionBig Fish Audio – Cinematic Motion

Create instant cinematic moods, atmospheres and dramatic textures with this collection which is inspired by soundtracks from The Dark Knight, Inception, Traffic and more. Capture the right emotion with Soundscapes, Rhythmic Pulses, Sequenced Synths, Cinematic Percussion, SFX, Brass Synth, Strings and Orchestral Layers, Ambiences, Drones, Pianos and more.

RRP: £43.95 / €52.95

Formats: Apple Loops, Acid, Wav, RMX, Rex. Also available formatted for Kontakt

Organic Loops World Percussion CarnivalOrganic Loops – World Percussion Carnival

World Percussion Carnival is a collection of loops and one shot samples from Africa, India, Latin America and even the fridge(!) arranged into 52 different instrumental ensembles. This collection has been recorded live in the Drum Drops studio using high end ribbon microphones straight into the vintage analogue desk and processed through Prince Fattys cherished outboard for added warmth.

RRP: £19.95 / €23.95

Formats: Wav, Rex2, Kontakt, Halion, ESX24, NNXT, SFZ

 

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