New Gear Alert: iZotope’s Nectar 3, Prophet XL Synth by Sequential, Softube’s Harmonics & More

iZotope releases Nectar 3, announces the Vocal Chain Bundle & Music Production Suite 2.

iZotope releases Nectar 3, announces the entirely-new Vocal Chain Bundle, and updates Music Production Suite 2.

Nectar 3, available as of today, has undergone a complete redesign, adding 5 brand new modules and new assistive audio features, such as RX 7 Breath Control—along with partner product Celemony Melodyne 4 essential. This update also includes improvements to 12 existing modules, giving you the most sophisticated set of tools designed for vocal production.

The all-new Vocal Chain Bundle is designed to address all aspects of vocal production, and offers a collection of 6 plugins including Nectar 3, Vocal Synth 2, and RX Elements. With Nectar 3 comes Celemony’s Melodyne 4 essential, as well as RX 7 Breath Control and iZotope Relay.

Music Production Suite 2 provides you with over 30 industry standard plugins that interact across sessions and provide machine learning based assistive audio features, innovative new workflows, and cutting-edge visual analysis tools. Included in Music Production Suite 2 is Nectar 3, Celemony Melodyne 4 essential, RX 7 Breath Control, RX 7 Standard, VocalSynth 2, Insight 2, Ozone 8 Advanced, Neutron 2 Advanced, Tonal Balance Control, and iZotope Relay.

Nectar 3 is available now, at a special introductory price of $199 (reg. $249); the Vocal Chain Bundle and Music Production Suite 2 will be available later this month. Vocal Chain Bundle will have a special introductory price of $399 (reg. $499); Music Production Suite 2 will have a special introductory price of $599 (reg. $999).

Sequential announces the Prophet XL synthesizer.

Sequential’s Prophet XL offers the same key features as the X, plus semi-weighted action and other new additions.

The Prophet XL is a 76-key version of Sequential’s flagship Prophet X samples-plus-synthesis hybrid synth. The new instrument provides the same powerful combination of high-fidelity samples from 8Dio and full synthesis capabilities that has earned the Prophet X critical acclaim—but adds a semi-weighted-action, 76-key, premium-quality Fatar keybed and a new performance mode that allows 32-voice polyphony when using a single sampled instrument and a single oscillator.

At the heart of both the Prophet XL and the Prophet X is a sound engine that powers two simultaneous 16-bit, 48kHz sample-based instruments, plus two high-resolution digital oscillators with waveshape modulation—all processed through analog filters. In standard performance mode, the instrument provides bi-timbral, 8-voice-stereo, or 16-voice mono operation.

The Prophet XL will be available this month, priced at $4,399.

Softube releases the Harmonics plugin.

Dial in the perfect distortion with Harmonics by Softube, offering 5 distinct flavors and tons of flexibility.

The new Harmonics plugin by Softube offers 5 component-modeled analog distortion styles with all-new Dynamic Transient Control technology to give you all the power with none of the drawbacks.

Key features of Harmonics include (but are not limited to) a “Character” control for tone and color, high and low cut filters that can be placed before or after distortion, a wet/dry blend knob for parallel processing, and a THD meter for fine control of subtle saturation.

Check out an introductory video to Harmonics here.

Harmonics is available now for a special introductory price of $99 (reg. $149).

Acustica Audio announces the El Rey signature Greg Wells compressor plugin.

Acustica Audio and Greg Wells join forces to create the El Rey compressor plugin—coming soon.

The El Ray compressor was born from the collaboration between Studio DMI and multiple GRAMMY nominated musician, songwriter, and record producer Greg Wells. Wells is known for crafting hits for artists such as Adele, Dua Lipa, the music from The Greatest Showman film, Keith Urban, Deftones, and Katy Perry.

Wells notes: “I have been working on it for the last several months and it sounds like I have my RCA compressor on an analog insert. I have never heard software sound like this.”

The El Rey compressor will be available as an AU/VST/AAX plugin for use with any major DAW. The official release date and price of El Ray are yet to be announced.

Novation announces major Bass Station II firmware update.

Novation’s Bass Station II receives key updates in firmware version 2.5.

The Bass Station II v2.5 firmware update adds some of the most requested features from Novation’s user base, including filter tracking, paraphonic mode, microtuning, and new preset Soundpacks.

Bass Station II is now a paraphonic monosynth, because you can control the pitches of each of the two oscillators separately in its single-voice architecture. Play two notes at a time rather than just one and get interesting interactions through the Ring and Filter Mod.

Bass Station II’s secret sound design weapon is envelope retriggering. It’s now possible to configure your envelopes to retrigger once the decay stage has ended, opening up a whole range of new possibilities.

Oscillator error introduces a small and adjustable random detune on each note-on event. This can be used to generate some very beautiful, subtle (or not) musical dissonance, very much in the same way that vintage synths do (because of the looser tolerance of their electronic components). Paraphonic mode makes it as dramatic as possible.

Two new Soundpacks are in Components: Silver and Sinevibes. Silver’s presets explore the v2.5 features and inspire new tracks and sound design. Sinevibes, designed by Sinevibes’ founder Artemij Pavlov, gives 101 classic Bass Station II presets.

To install the v2.5 firmware update, head to the Novation Components content manager.

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