Our friends at The Looploft have announced an amazing promotion. They are introducing The Master Collection. EVERY loop ever released in EVERY format. Plus, you'll receive 60% off of all future Loop Loft releases.

Below are some of the new releases we have encountered this week on the Loops and Samples front. Just like the quality of the audio software we use these days the quality of the content we use (loops and samples) equally matches the high standards of this software. Below is this weeks selection.

These past weeks there has been a lot of attention to the latest album by Daft Punk, 'Random Access Memories'. If you have a presence on the internet, then you couldn't dodge tweets, messages, comments or whatever that had this new album as a subject. Thoughts on the new album range from brilliant and genius, to 'meh' and 'not bad'. Anyway, for this edition of "Something for the weekend" we turn to the band Pigeon for a medley of older Daft Punk tunes we all love.

With the recently introduced version 7 of the Propellerhead Reason DAW users get to use their externat MIDI instruments. So now Reason 7 comes with MIDI out support to bring the sound of your favorite hardware synths and beat machines to the Reason rack. MIDI is handled by the new External MIDI Instrument device, fully integrated into the Reason environment. Automating MIDI equipment from Reason’s sequencer or even from control voltages in the Reason rack is a breeze to set up.

Well there's a surprise out of Asheville! Moog have developed an Animoog version for the new Blackberry Z10. It is the first creative tool for the BlackBerry platform from Moog Music, the legendary electronic musical instrument company founded by Bob Moog.

Present mastering/mixing engineer extraordinaire Dave McNair. With a list full of credits ranging from Iggy Pop and Rod Stewart to Los Lobos, Tina Turner and most recently David Bowie, his expertise and trusted ears represent the last step in the record making process. Dave recently, sat down with Sonnox to share his experience using the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec.

Arturia is proud to announce availability of Oberheim SEM V 1.1.6 and Wurlitzer-V 1.0.5, the latest updates to its software recreations of the classic Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module and Wurlitzer EP 200A electric piano.

The XILS V+ combines a Vintage 10 band Vocoder, Supreme Top Octave Divider based Strings and Human Voices, or any sophisticated layering of these three elements. After more than one year of intense modelling deep in the basement of the Xils Laboratories, they offer you this complete recreation of a legend. Its unique vintage vibe and beauty that can only be brought back to life by precisely emulating different ancient and forgotten techniques.

Nektar, the California based company behind the Panorama range of USB controllers, have started shipping the Panorama P1. The P1 is a compact control surface with 66 real-time controls, a color high-resolution TFT display and deep integration for Cubase, Nuendo and Reason.

Denon DJ is pleased to announce new feature loaded and optimised legacy functions to its music management system Engine. Listening intently to user feedback, and maintaining a finger on the pulse of today's DJ software and hardware demands, V 1.1.0 is now available. Running on PC/Mac or with the iOS iPad version, Engine’s new features make the live or studio DJ interaction experience even more fluid and precise.

Blue Cat Audio has released an update for five of its most recent plug-ins: Blue Cat's DP Meter Pro (audio levels meter), FreqAnalyst Multi (multiple tracks spectrum analyzer), Oscilloscope Multi (multiple tracks waveform visualizer), StereoScope Multi (multiple tracks stereo field analyzer) and Blue Cat's Protector (zero latency brickwall limiter).

Steinberg today announced the release of Vintage Classics that brings the beauty of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s synthesizer sounds to Steinberg’s widely acclaimed Retrologue virtual analog synthesizer.

PluginBoutique present this overview of Sugar Bytes WOW filter box VST plugin, with producer Marc Adamo. This brand new Sugar Bytes WOW filter box is a super-sounding state-of-theart filter plugin featuring a mad modulation system, super juicy filters and offering a range of vowel sounds previously unheard of!

High-quality synthesizer developer Waldorf is proud to announce availability of Rocket Control, a free iOS assistant app for iPad that boosts the capabilities of its Rocket hardware synthesizer.

Native Instruments today launched a special 'Cloud 9' offer on their MASCHINE Expansion series. Nine of the hugely popular sound packs for use with MASCHINE and MASCHINE MIKRO are being offered for $ 99 / 99 EUR – but only for a limited period of 99 hours. The offer runs until 3 pm CET on Friday, May 17 and is available only at the NI Online Shop. 

Arturia is proud to announce availability of Hollywood Essentials, the latest Expansion Pack for its highly-creative SPARK Creative Drum Machine and SparkLE hybrid hardware/software beat production centres.

Below are some of the new releases we have encountered this week on the Loops and Samples front. Just like the quality of the audio software we use these days the quality of the content we use (loops and samples) equally matches the high standards of this software. Below is this weeks selection.

It was a tour whose initial dates sold out in just ten minutes. A tour which nobody thought could ever happen. But March 2013 saw the impossible become reality… and Yamaha digital mixing consoles played their full part in reuniting the classic line up of Status Quo - otherwise known as the ‘Frantic Four’ - on stage for the first time in over 30 years.

With the incredible success of their computer based versions of Neo-Soul Keys, Gospel-Musicians.com felt it an obvious decision to bring the incredible electric piano libraries to the iOS. Despite the eagerness, they did not want to produce a sub-par app just for sake of making an electric piano library, so they worked directly with Apple's engineers to bring to you, for the first time ever: SAMPLE STREAMING USING APPLE LOSSLESS CAF FORMAT. No other app that we know of offers real-time zone switching sample streaming with lossless compression.

PPG WaveGenerator is the latest development from the inventor of wavetable synthesis, Wolfgang Palm. It is a next generation synthesizer, building on the heritage of the PPG Wave keyboards.

With the iMPC you can turn your iPad into an MPC. With more than 1,200 samples, 50 editable programs, 80 editable sequences, and iconic MPC workflow, iMPC is the first app to bring the look and feel of the classic Akai Pro MPC to your iPad. iMPC includes everything you need to create a beat quickly and easily, including built-in effects, plus the ability to create new sequences and record and overdub beats. Developed in partnership with Retronyms, the 1.2. update is now availbale at the appstore.

Last year Arturia surprised us with the announcement and release of the MiniBrute, an analogue hardware synth. Arturia is mainly known for their software products, however they are not complete strangers to hardware gear as they released the Origin synth in 2009. Recently we got a MiniBrute to play with and one of the first things you'll notice is that this synth isn't light weighted, even though it looks mini, with just a 25-keys keyboard. 

Sinevibes are extremely happy to announce the release of two all-new (AudioUnit) plugins: Inertia envelope sequencer and Cluster animated filter.

Native Instruments launched a new range of iMASCHINE Expansions with the release of KAOZ THEORY - created by the much-lauded DJ and producer Kerri 'Kaoz' Chandler. These new iMASCHINE Expansions will be created in collaboration with internationally renowned artists from different genres, and will be available for iMASCHINE only. Users can however export their iMaschine projects to the MASCHINE software for further editing and arranging. Native Instruments will continue to release compact iMASCHINE versions of their acclaimed iMASCHINE Expansions.

Pioneer has changed the DJ software bundled with the "DDJ-S1" to "Serato DJ" is set to launch the "DDJ-S1 Serato DJ Edition" with buttons and knobs assigned to functions included in "Serato DJ".

Mixvibes have announced that a 2.4 update for the Cross DJ software is available now. Cross provides DJs with the relevant and professional tools which are needed in the modern age of Digital DJing, coupled with the best timecode Vinyl and CD emulation. Thanks to the perfect automated beat matching and new remix features, DJs can now focus on sampling, looping, audio FX and enjoy more creativity during their performances.

The Scarlett range of Focusrite USB audio interfaces gets extended with two new models, the 18i8 (18 in, 8 out) and the 6i6 (6-in, 6-out). Both are aimed at recording artists, producers and bands and differ primarily in their I/O configuration. Both feature award-winning Focusrite mic pres, designed specifically for Focusrite's computer music interfaces, and Focusrite's renowned precision 24bit/96KHz conversion for maximum transparency. In addition to Mac® or Windows® operation, both interfaces are compatible with iOS® devices like the iPad® (via an Apple iPad camera connection kit.

One of products, at the past MusikMesse in Frankfurt, that took a lot of interest with the public and press was Softube's Console 1. Which is an integrated hardware/software music mixing solution which includes a rugged hardware controller and a modeled analog console channel with some unique additions.

Next to the SPL Twintube and Sonnox Oxford Inflator Plug-Ins Universal Audio is also pleased to announce the release of the groundbreaking Ocean Way Studios Plug-In for the UAD Powered Plug-Ins platform. Developed over a three-year period by UA and Allen Sides, Ocean Way Studios is an audio processing breakthrough — combining elements of room, microphone, and source modeling so tracks sound as if they were recorded in the legendary studios of Ocean Way Recording.

Universal Audio (UA), a leading manufacturer of professional audio recording hardware and software, is pleased to announce the release of UAD Software v7.0, featuring two new Direct Developer plug-ins — SPL TwinTube and Sonnox Oxford Inflator.

Mostly known for their DJ gear, Reloop is now venturing into the market of Pro Audio and Studio gear. First off is the SHP-1, an indispensible tool that enables you to cope with your everyday studio work with perfection.

It's nt a real secret that Vince Clarke is one of our heroes. So the video below is a plaesure to watch as Arturia went to Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, The Assembly) to talk to this synth legend at his studio in New-York, talking about MiniBrute, his relation to synths and his up-coming projects.

MOTU have announced that Digital Performer 8 is now available, for windows (and mac). Left brain, right brain. Digital Performer 8 is designed equally for both, with insiprational features devised to ignite your creative muse, combined with state-of-the-art studio production technologies engineered for the most demanding, world-class recording and production environments. Make no mistake: beneath Digital Performer’s inspired user interface lies a refined audio recording and mixing engine with uncompromising devotion to the absolute highest standards in audio quality, down to the very last sample.

The new Fostex PM0.4d has been launched. The compact new Fostex PM0.4d is a successor of the to the popular PM0.4n which has been one of the best selling Fostex monitor speakers since it was launched in 2006.

Steinberg is happy to announce the availability of WaveLab 8 and WaveLab Elements 8, the new generation of its popular audio editing and mastering solution.

Camel Audio is proud to announce availability of Alchemy Mobile v2, a major update to its free iOS synthesiser for iPad/iPhone. Perfect for developing song ideas on the go or in the studio, Alchemy Mobile is the mobile version of Camel Audio’s award-winning Alchemy soft synth, which can be heard on thousands of records and films by world-class artists.

Allen & Heath has released an interim firmware update for its iLive range of digital mixing systems, v1.91, containing a series of presets created by renowned sound engineer and regular iLive user, Ben Booker.

Below are some of the new releases we have encountered this week on the Loops and Samples front. Just like the quality of the audio software we use these days the quality of the content we use (loops and samples) equally matches the high standards of this software. Below is this weeks selection.

This weekend we have a cool video of Valentin Prados using two Novation Launchpads with the recent new version of FL Studio (11). Under his artist namen Pra2 he performs his own track Argentina with these two controllers and FL Studio 11. With this latest version the software supports amongst others APC20/40, Lemur, Block, Maschine/Mikro, padKONTROL, Traktor Kontrol and of course the Novation Launchpad.

Turnado is a revolutionary multi-effect tool, crafted especially for massive real-time audio manipulation. It combines unique and dynamic effects with the most intuitive and immediate control you can imagine. Just turn it on and crank it up.

In today's über-connected world, it's easy to become inured by the nearly endless procession of cookie-cutter bands on the Web. But when a breath of fresh air like Alt-J comes along, it's proof positive that great music stands out on its own merits. In almost no time at all, the Leeds, UK-based quartet has captured the ears of millions of music lovers, with each gig playing to ever-larger sold-out crowds.

Native Instruments today released the TRAKTOR DJ for iPhone App, available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. Following the release of the unique, hands-on DJ app for iPad, TRAKTOR DJ for iPhone delivers the same intuitive workflow and advanced feature set as the iPad version, with an optimized interface to fit the screen real estate of iPhone and iPod touch. The TRAKTOR DJ for iPhone App is aimed at DJs of all levels from novices to touring professionals. Users of TRAKTOR PRO, Native Instruments' flagship DJ software for Mac and PC, can also complement their setups with bidirectional content synchronization with TRAKTOR DJ for iPhone.

Urs Heckmann and his team have been very busy recently (Musikmesse), but they already have something new for you: Free updates for ACE, Diva, Zebra2, Uhbik, MFM2, Filterscape, Podolski, Triple Cheese and The Dark Zebra.

Yesterday Serato announced their latest update for Serato DJ, 1.2.0, with support for the Numark NS7, Vestax VCI-380, Pioneer DDJ-S1 and the Numark Mixdeck and Mixdeck Express. This is also the first major feature update for Serato DJ with the addition of Multi FX mode for all. In the video below they explain more details of this new MultiFX Mode.

ATC is pleased to announce that Yellow Box Studios, Singapore’s largest and most highly-awarded audio post-production facility, has installed a top-of-the-range pair of SCM300ASL PRO three-way active series loudspeakers in its new no-expense-spared music production and recording facility.

The Arpeggiator expansion library for Tone2's Saurus is filled to the rim with inspirational sounds, running in perfect sync to the tempo of your track and ready to breathe life into any club track. Featuring Trance arps, pulsating basses, evolving sequences, phat rhythms and groove laden textures, Arpeggiator takes it all to the next level.

Serato is proud to announce the latest update for Serato DJ, 1.2.0, with support for the Numark NS7, Vestax VCI-380, Pioneer DDJ-S1 and the Numark Mixdeck and Mixdeck Express. This is also the first major feature update for Serato DJ with the addition of Multi FX mode for all. For Serato DJ Intro users looking to upgrade to Serato DJ, we are also very excited to announce a Free 14 Day Trial mode.

Ableton masterclass at 4 pm CET (wednesday april 24th) - Scarlett will be working through the techniques she uses to produce playlists and mixes for catwalk shows. In the world of fashion, DJs are often employed to supply the soundtrack to catwalk shows - of course, having the ability to create a musical narrative is the key to being a great DJ, which undoubtedly facilitates their collaborations with fashion designers.

Propellerhead released for sale today Reason 7 and Reason Essentials 2, major updates to its award-winning music software line. The latest versions inspire musicians to create more and better music with deep, streamlined mixing and a complete rack for all types of instruments.

Elektron Music Machines have just uploaded product presentation videos for the Analog Four, the Octatrack, the Machinedrum UW and the Monomachine. The videos demonstrate basic functionality and sound design possibilites and every video is rounded off with a live demo, featuring an all Elektron set up.

123 Creative, known for their Veldwerk synth, have released BigQ. It is a envelope follower/multifilter plugin. Cutoff (frequency) of the filter is controlled by the amplitude of the input signal. The louder you play, the more intensive the cutoff frequency of filter is modulated. Perfect for BASS guitar, Electric guitar and Drums.