By Daniel Fisher, Chief Soundware Engineer
As we mentioned last issue, the Sweetwater Soundware Development Facility has been burning some serious midnight oil on a variety of projects. Let me get you caught up on some of them (at least the ones I can talk about right now).
- Requests for our free Stratus/RSI Audio Demo CD and
K2000/K2500 Support Products and Peripherals
Catalog have exceeded our wildest expectations. We are now close to depleting our second mass
duplication of the CDs, as well as our second printing of the catalog. If you still haven't requested
your free personal copy of either, please call your Sweetwater sales engineer today.
- Recently, I was given the exciting opportunity to create new Programs for the Korg
Trinity and
Korg Prophecy keyboards. After completing
these projects I was so pumped up on these two new Korg
products that I had to tell everyone how great they were. This resulted in our exclusive Korg Trinity
Audio Demo CD. This free CD has over 64 minutes of revealing examples and specs which include 45 minutes
of uninterrupted, fully produced demo sequences that will make this CD worth keeping in your permanent
collection. To get your free copy, along with some full color brochures simply call or e-mail your
Sweet-water sales engineer and put in your request. You will soon see why we believe that every serious
musician should have a Kurzweil K2500 and a Korg Trinity side-by-side.
- And speaking of Kurzweil, I'm now putting the finishing touches on our most requested
Power Translator
Series disk yet: The Power Translator String Sections. This product, which will be nearing completion as
you read this, supercharges your K2000/K2500 with a multitude of lush violins, violas, cellos, basses,
orchestral and symphonic string sections, each having stereo and mono versions of arco, marcato, pizzicato,
muted, ponticello, tremolo, bright, warm and attack playing styles. Many of these are sampled at several
dynamic levels for realistic crossfading.
For those of you who are new to our Power Translator concept, here's a quick mini-lesson: Power Translator disks are specially-designed floppies that merge the huge sample libraries from the Roland Project Series CD-ROMs with the incredible power of Kurzweil's VAST synthesis engine and internal ROM Samples, resulting in the most expressive instruments ever played from samples. Those of you who own any of our Power Transl ator Brass Sections, Power Solo Strings or Power Winds already know just how controllable and musical these String Sections are going to be.
- If you're into Techno, Ambient or Dance music and want to pump up your K2000/K2500, you've GOT to have our
new Techno/Ambient Programs disk. It has 100 Programs that'll really wake up your sequences, including many
that pulse to the MIDI Song Clock's Tempo, as well as deep-house 303 and SH-101 Basses, throbbing effects
sounds, industrial clangs and zings, radical Sample & Hold effects, resonant stacks and other digital confusion.
Pick any three sounds and start your next album. And the best part is that these Programs don't require any
Options, ROM Blocks, P-RAM, or particular engine version. They just work great on any K2000/K2500/K2vx. And with
a price of $39.95, these whack Programs deserve a place in every Kurzweil owner's library. Before your next project,
call your Sweetwater sales engineer and get with the Techno/Ambient Programs!
- Are you a "Retro-Keyboardist"? If your definition of a heavy keyboard is one that weighs more than 100 pounds,
then listen up. Sonic Arts has teamed up with Sweetwater Sound to develop the ultimate vintage Motown, Funk and
R&B samples for the K2000/K2500. It's called "The Sounds Of The 70s" and it contains over 800 megs of pianos,
Clavs, Rhodes EPs, Wurlitzers, B3s, Farfisas and Vox organs, bass guitars, nylon guitars and huge drum kits, all
recorded in real Motown studios. This two CD-ROM set is a steal at just $250! If you're old enough to know why
these instruments were better than electronics, you owe it to yourself and your music to bring that sonic power
back to your studio.
- Well, if you're still reading this Soundware Scene article, it means that you're really into Soundware. Perhaps
one of you is the person I'm looking for. As you know, Sweetwater Sound is the world's only music retail store
that has its own full-time Soundware Development Facility. Over the years it has proven to be an important part
of our Sweetwater "value-added" legacy of service, support and the best hands-on knowledge in the industry.
Due to the rapid growth in retail and soundware products, we are once again looking to add another member to our
Soundware Development Team. We need someone who lives to program synths and who would rather sample than eat.
Simply put: "We want the best!" We are especially interested in someone who has programming and sampling experience
with E-mu, Akai and Roland technology. If you're the person we're looking for, please contact me via mail, e-mail
or fax at the numbers below. Include your name, phone number, e-mail or ground address and a short bio explaining
why you'd be perfect for the job. I'll answer all responses, but please, no phone calls. Thanks!
You may also use our Online Resume Center to send in your resume.
Daniel Fisher, Chief Soundware Engineer, Sweetwater Soundware Development Facility 5335 Bass Road, Ft.Wayne, IN 46808 daniel_fisher@sweetwater.com fax# (219) 432-1758 (att. Daniel Fisher)