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February 2004
DACS distribute Ursa Major SST-206 reverb, Cycling ’74 release Jitter for Win XP, and Ms.Pinky’s I.W.S. hits UK.
Sounds Expo provoked a brilliant response to our new products and distribution lines, giving the UK it’s first glimpse of the Ursa Major SST-206 Space Station reverb. Brought out in 1978, it’s been re-launched sporting a new 24 Bit “room” reverb and AES/EBU connections, whilst still maintaining it’s original “garage-grunge” reverb and echo settings.
Ms.Pinky’s I.W.S. set, an affordable vinyl control for .wav, .mp3 and .aif files, is now available from DACS. The timecoded vinyl and software works as a way of playing your digital audio files using normal analogue turntables, as well as acting as a control for Max/MSP. And talking of Cycling ’74, Jitter for Windows XP has been released and is now shipping. Contact us for more details.
January 2004
DACS exhibiting at Sounds Expo 2004 and Cycling ’74 release Pluggo 3.1
Happy New Year to all our customers and web visitors, 2003 was a busy year for us at DACS, and 2004 looks set to top that. DACS will be exhibiting at Sounds Expo 2004, taking place at Wembley Exhibition Centre from the 10th – 12th of February. We will be at stand S24, demonstrating our whole distribution range, with a little help from a Magix product specialist. If you’re a guitarist, why don’t you bring your guitar along and have it tuned to perfection by a Peterson Virtual Strobe tuner?
Entry is free, so please feel free to do come and see us.
Cycling ’74 have now released Pluggo 3.1, the OSX update, and it is available free to registered Pluggo 3 users, or to purchase. Contact us for more information.
November 2003
DACS to distribute Pyramid monitors, Cycling ’74 announce release of RadiaL 1.1
We are pleased to announce that we are now distributing Pyramid monitors, from Triple P Designs in the US. Created by Paul Perret, an experienced post-production audio engineer, the Pyramids give an accurate reference of what a mix will sound like away from the studio on a low fidelity consumer system. Their distinctive acrylic enclosure and oval shape speaker mimic similar found on most televisions, car radios, etc.
Cycling ’74 have announced the release of RadiaL 1.1, which brings OSX compatibility as well as numerous bug fixes. It will be shipping at the end of November.
October 2003
DACS to unveil new ‘Clear Blue Pre’ at AES, New York
DACS will be at the AES exhibition in New York this year, sharing a stand with our U.S. distributors, Independent Audio. We will be unveiling our new product the ‘Clear Blue Pre’. Featuring eight channels of high quality mic preamps, each with separate phantom and non-power inputs, two high impedance inputs on the front, and headphone output switchable to balanced stereo outs, the Clear Blue Pre provides the DAW and small studio owner with a complete preamplification and monitoring solution. Watch this site for official U.K. launch information and exclusive images!
August 2003
Cycling ’74 release Max/MSP for windows.
Max/MSP, the object based graphic sound programming environment, used the world over to create installations, process performances, and build electronic instruments, has now been released for the Windows XP platform. Cycling ’74 software has always been exclusively Macintosh orientated, but following this release is planned to be the Pluggo compatibility, which will allow users to build VST plugins and instruments. A 30 day demo of Max/MSP for windows is available from http://www.cycling74.com/products/dlmaxmspwin.html
July 2003
Release of the Samplitude 7.12 update, Cuibono soft’s EDL Convert Pro, and new impulse responses available for Samplitude and Sequoia
Magix have been busy turning the samplitude.com website into a bit of a treasure chest. Samplitude 7.12 update has been posted, featuring bug fixes of all the known issues with 7.11. Also, 30MB of new impulse responses for Samplitude and Sequoia’s Room Simulator are now available for download, along with a test version of the multi format conversion program EDL Convert Pro, which allows transfer of projects between Samplitude/Sequoia and a plethora of other formats (including AES31, OMF and OpenTL) and programs such as Sadie, Sonic Studio and Vegas. All of the above are available to registered users from www.samplitude.com
May/June 2003
Magix release the latest Samplitude update, Samplitude in the shops, and the new audio restoration plug-in for Sequoia.
Magix have released the latest patch for Samplitude, 7.11. Although a small update, it has numerous bug fixes. Registered users go to www.samplitude.com to download the update. Samplitude is also now available from selected retailers, and a full list can be found HERE.
Magix have also released the new DeScratcher Plug-In for Sequoia. DeScratcher is a very powerful audio restoration plug-in used primarily to remove clicks and pops from audio such as music recorded from old vinyl, or to eliminate overload distortion. Full details can again be found at www.samplitude.com.
Keep visiting this page for any more news from DACS!
April 2003
Cycling ’74 Release Max/MSP and Jitter for Mac OSX, and Samplitude 7.1 released.
Cycling ’74 have announced the release of Max/MSP and Jitter for Mac OSX. Max/MSP is the worlds most powerful audio and MIDI programming software, combining the object oriented graphical Max controller environment with the power of MSP audio processing. Max/MSP takes advantage of Mac OSX’s Core Audio and Core MIDI, which makes the use of multiple I/O audio interfaces straightforward and renders OMS and ASIO unnecessary. Jitter is a video, matrix, and 3D graphical extension package for use with Max/MSP programming environment, providing an unprecedented level of modularity in graphics processing applications. The upgrade for current Max/MSP and Jitter users to OSX is free for registered owners.
Samplitude 7.1, the latest update from Magix to Samplitude 7, now features full VST automation, better hardware support and a new mixer. It also features a freeze function, strip silence and variable track and mixer size. The upgrade from 7.0 to 7.1 is free to registered users of Samplitude 7, available from their website at www.samplitude.com.
March 2003
DACS Ltd Supplies Sanctuary Records With A Peterson VS-1 Virtual Strobe
DACS Ltd, distributor of Peterson Strobe Tuners, have supplied Sanctuary Records with a Peterson VS-1 Virtual Strobe tuner for use on the forthcoming Alison Moyet tour, due to start on Monday 31st of March.
Returning from the Sophie Ellis Bexter tour, guitar tech and stage manager Doug Sibley felt he needed a Peterson VS-1; and quickly! After an initial enquiry to Peterson in Chicago on Wednesday, the VS-1 arrived on his doorstep from DACS Ltd on Friday morning. Mr Sibley praised DACS’ “nice and prompt” service to get the tuner to him before the start of the Alison Moyet tour.
Already an owner of a Peterson AutoStrobe 490 strobe tuner, Mr Sibley said the VS-1 is more “user friendly and less bulky” and “a great compact idea!”. His interest in the VS-1 came about after seeing a colleague using one backstage at the V2001 festival, where he was stage manager on Stage Three of the event. When looking for a more portable tuner for tour use, he recalled seeing the VS-1, and decided to stay with Peterson Tuners, due to them being “very reliable, renowned for their accuracy, and very useful for setting up guitars and intonation”.
DACS would like to wish Mr Sibley and his colleagues the best of luck on the tour, and with the Peterson VS-1 on his equipment list, it should make his job that much easier!
February 2003
Cycling ’74, the V-SAM and the DACS PPA
DACS are pleased to announce that we are the exclusive UK distributors of Cycling ’74 products. Cycling ’74 produce a wide variety of music technology software, primarily for the Mac, but we are told that Windows versions of certain titles are currently being worked on, and should be available soon.
Cycling ’74’s most renowned product has to be Max/MSP, a modular audio and MIDI control software, combining the Max graphical programming environment with the audio processing and synthesis power of MSP. Also worth a look is radiaL, a loop based live sequencing tool. Other Cycling ’74 products include Jitter (graphics objects for Max), iSynth, M, Cyclops, Pluggo with more on the way.
Also, this month has seen the release of the new Peterson V-SAM, similar to the excellent VS-1 Virtual Strobe tuner, but with new features such as a metronome. This should be available in the UK next month (March). See the Peterson page for more information.
Finally, DACS has launched the PPA this month, PPA standing for Phantom Power Adapter, and is designed to be used as an interface between the Soundman OKM mics, and a mixer / pre-amp with 48V phantom power. Similar in concept to the A3, the PPA gives an extremely good signal to noise ratio, and is a must for any OKM owner who wants to use the mics in a studio environment. See the main OKM page for more information.
December 2002
DACS is continuing to do various installations, including Teeside Tertiary College, Pennywell School in Sunderland, Sheffield University, the Demolition Records mobile recording unit (to be used to record the forthcoming ‘Monsters of Rock’ tour), Montpelier’s Bar renovation in Edinburgh, as well as continuing work at 02 Studios in Middlesborough, Fish Tank Bar, Iguana, Tonic, Halo and Opal Lounge in Edinburgh. DACS was also present at the AES show in Los Angeles recently.
We are now also distributing Peterson, SEK’d and Magix products in the UK, as well as the excellent Soundman OKM range of binaural microphones. See the various pages on this site for more information. Our new offices are now almost complete, however the new demonstration studio at DACS is still under construction and hopefully should be up and running soon. Watch this space!
July 2002, DACS is moving on up…
We are pleased to announce that we are moving to new custom built premises: still based at Stonehills, these will consist of two floors and include a recording studio (for demonstrations, seminars and workshops) and a manufacturing workshop downstairs, with open plan office, meeting and sales space up stairs.
The new building is designed by DACS and Kerr Blyth Associates. It is a showcase for DACS’ studio design expertise, and uses colour, space and lighting, in particular fibre optics, to produce an adaptable and stimulating working environment. Customers will be able to audition a wide range of equipment and computer based audio systems in the comfort of the 5.1 control room.
January 2002, FREQue II
Editors Choice Award 2002, Electronic Musician – Click for more information
The FwS series of processors from DACS are the result of many years R&D on the wildest side of sonic art, making this classic effect available with modern professional studio performance. A radical treatment based on a process ignored by many in the analogue domain (Successful modulation presents certain technical difficulties, most particularly that of input breakthrough – DACS use a four stage hand trimmed balanced system to cut this to a minimum), and emulated by some in the digital domain but with results that are far too nice yet not so subtle, and limited in frequency response. The FREQue II can produce a colossal range of sounds, from subtle modulation effects to phenomenally freaky transformations.
The new FREQue II – order your demo CD
January 2002, Sound at Opal Lounge
Opal Lounge sound installation by DACS
Edinburgh’s George Street has long been the hub of stylish retailing in the Scottish Capital – a mixture of grandiose watering holes and designer fashion outlets. Slipping snugly into this setting is a brand new venue which looks set to add a new dimension to the city’s late night, as well as daytime, drinking, dining and dancing scene.
Click here to view the article on the Genelec website
Bedson Building at Newcastle University
DACS design acoustics for large lecture theatre – click for more info
The large lecture theatre had a very high ceiling and posed problems to the acoustics of the room. DACS designed a range of reflectors and absorbers to direct the sound to the seating positions without being visually overpowering. The absorbers were covered with specially commissioned art work digitally printed onto the panel material, to give the room a modern feel. For more info, see the recent work page in the services section.
Soundman OKM II
DACS the UK distributor of Soundman OKM binaural microphones
The Soundman binaural microphones. Low cost – out perform stereo microphones four times the price. Easy to use: Capsules in ears, plug in to mini disc, press record, what you hear is what you get. Record gigs and rehearsals (bands, choirs, orchestras ready for CD), plays, video, interviews, ambience…