Leading manufacturers Bitwig and Arturia have combined their considerable resources to create the Producer Packs.
Comprising of a full version of Bitwig Studio, an Arturia Keylab keyboard, Arturia’s Analog Lab software, and a full copy of the Arturia Mini V synth (the new, improved and rebranded MiniMoog recreation), this promises to be a combination that covers all bases in production and sound design scenarios.
Taking full advantage of Bitwig’s welcoming attitude towards controller integration, Arturia have managed to embed the Keylab into Bitwig Studio at a very deep level which allows for direct hands on control of the Bitwig software as well as the devices within Bitwig. You can navigate between tracks, control your transports, have direct access to device parameters, mix your audio, you can control pretty much anything you might want to straight from Keylabs physical interface! Couple this strong integration with the 5000 sounds in the Analog Lab and the sound design possibilities with the Mini V and you have everything you need to make music in a very small and well rounded package.
The Producer Packs are available in 3 different flavours, corresponding to which size Keylab you want, with 25, 49 and 61 keys available. This also affects the price of the packs which, by the way, are incredibly low. At €/$349, €/$399, and €/$499 (for the 25, 49 and 61 key versions, respectively) you’ll be saving upwards of 40% on each package!
Only available until stocks run out, watch the promo video above to get a flavour of the package, the tutorial video below to see just how easily it is to get things moving, and then head on over to the Producer Pack page to get involved. If you’re still unsure then make sure to pay a visit to the Bitwig and Arturia sites to get full details. Honestly, if you’ve not tried Bitwig yet you really need to. It’s pretty amazing.
Arturia, a company well known for their soft emulations of classic synthesizers but fresh off the heels of their Wurlitzer V, have stuck with the early electrical keyboard theme and reworked the classic VOX Continental into the imaginatively titled VOX Continental V.
Heard on countless hits from the 60s, the VOX Continental has a very distinct sound and getting this sound exactly right has been the driving force for Arturia. But in true Arturia fashion they didn’t stop there, so on top of getting that sound you also get treated to upper manual, lower manual, and bass pedal sections with independent channels per manual, multiple output effects processors with several popular effects including Leslie and guitar amp simulator outputs, individual pitch tuning, alterable key contact timing, and authentic noise bleed control, to name but a few highlights. However, to our minds the most exciting addition is the inclusion of the J70 mode. The now ultra rare Jennings J70 was VOX creator’s Tom Jennings’ VOX organ forerunner and has been included in the VOX Continental V as a switchable extra.
While some hardware manufacturers can maintain their distance on emulations it’s pleasing to see that the VOX Continental V has been blessed by the present day owners of the VOX brand:
“At VOX, we are happy that Arturia is bringing back to life the VOX Continental, one of the great instruments of the Sixties. Arturia’s software instruments are known for their sound quality and attention to detail — which is exactly what the VOX Continental deserves.”
Although most famous for its sound in the 60s, the VOX Continental has endured throughout the subsequent decades and now enjoys the position of being one of the sounds of rock’n’roll and anybody remotely interested in making this music deserved to give this a look.
Available now for Mac (OS X 10.7.5 or higher) and PC (Windows 7 and 8) as AAX, AU, VST, and VST3 plugins and also in standalone versions. Downloads cost $/€99 while boxed version cost $129 and €119. Check the rather cool video up top and then click here for the Arturia VOX Continental V product page to get full details.
