New Gear Alert: Akai x Ableton, Hartke LX Series Bass Amps, State Space Plugins from PreSonus & More

Akai announces Ableton integration in latest Force & MPC updates.

Akai adds crucial Ableton support to Force & MPC.

The new Akai Force firmware 3.0.4 and MPC firmware 2.7 include the highly-anticipated Ableton Live Control. Force and MPC come pre-mapped for deep tactile control of Ableton Live clip launching, mixer panel, and of course, Ableton devices. Ableton Live Control functions wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network via Ableton Link.

This represents an unparalleled level of Ableton integration from a standalone device. Ableton Live Control mode has been carefully designed to enable you to instantly switch between standalone operation and Live Control mode without ever stopping playback from either platform.

The ingenuity of Force and MPC plugin instruments Bassline and Tube Synth, pristine sound processing FX and stellar sample manipulation algorithms, paired with Ableton and the power of clip launching, is here and ready for musical ambitions of the most adventurous kind.

Check out an introductory video for Ableton Live control for Force and MPC here.

Hartke introduces the LX Series bass amplifiers.

The Hartke LX Series bass amps offer Class A tube preamps and Hartke’s powerful Tone Stack EQ.

The new Hartke LX8500 and LX5500 Series Class D amplifiers weigh under nine pounds each, produce 800 watts and 500 watts of real continuous power, and are paired with a rich sounding, tube-driven preamp with Hartke Tone Stack EQ.

Supported by an extraordinary amount of power, the LX Series amps feature a Class A tube preamp that responds dynamically to any playing technique or instrument. The Hartke Tone Stack EQ section is tailored to the bass guitar and provides you the ability to dial in a variety of tones for any genre.

The LX series amplifiers include an all-new integrated Drive control that can be adjusted to add a touch of grit to cut through, or maxed-out for an authentic fuzz tone. A variable compressor knob can be used to smooth out transients and balance dynamics for players that employ slapping, tapping, and thumb-picking techniques. An 1/8” aux input and headphone output make the LX Series ideal for the practice room, stage, and studio.

The Hartke LX Series bass amplifiers will be unleashed at NAMM 2020. The LX8500 is priced at $599.99; the LX5500 is priced at $449.99; both will be available in Q1 2020 at major retailers.

PreSonus updates Ampire and releases State Space modeled plugins.

PreSonus implements their State Space technology into VST, AU, and AAX formats for the first time.

PreSonus has released several new State Space modeled plugins in VST, AU, and AAX formats, including the Ampire State Space modeling amplifier and effects suite. PreSonus has made its Channel Strip plugin collection and Fat Channel XT plugin available in VST, AU, and AAX format, released a free VU Meter plugin, and lowered prices on their Fat Channel Collection plugins.

These are the first State Space models ever released in VST, AU, and AAX format; previously, PreSonus has only used this meticulous modeling technology to develop Studio One Native Effects plugins.

The newly updated Ampire plugin features all-new State Space models of classic amplifiers and pedal effects. State Space modeling is a mathematical method of transferring each component of an analog circuit into the digital domain while maintaining the unique sonic characteristics of the original hardware. Ampire offers five new State Space modeled amplifiers, 13 effects pedals, and 16 impulse response-based cabinet models, plus a user model to load in custom IRs.

Ampire is available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats, priced at $59.95; the Fat Channel XT and Channel Strip Collection are priced at $59.95 each.

Blue Cat Audio updates free plugins and launches winter deals.

Blue Cat Audio offers key upgrades and improvements to their Freeware Pack plugins, along with enticing winter deals.

Blue Cat Audio has released an update for their Freeware Pack, and launched winter promotions. These new versions include many improvements and fixes, and it is a recommended update for all users as it is fully compatible with the previous version.

These plugins, consisting of Blue Cat’s Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, FreqAnalyst, Gain Suite, Triple EQ, and Free Amp, are 100% free and do not require any registration, dongle, or mailing list subscription.

At this occasion, Blue Cat has also launched winter promotions to celebrate the end of the year, with up to 50% off plugins and applications until January 10th. Existing customers are granted an extra 10% discount during the year-end promotions period, with a coupon received by email.

These plugins are available for download separately or as part of the Freeware Pack bundle, accessible here.

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