Phrazer by BitHeadz Now ShippingDigital audio loop sequencer brings new functionality to Mac-based music production
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November 28, 2000
BitHeadz, Inc. has released Phrazer, a
digital audio loop sequencer for the Macintosh. Phrazer is designed for
multitrack loop arranging, and features the ability to simultaneously
adjust the tempo and pitch of multiple loops in real time.
"The time is long overdue for a product like Phrazer," says BitHeadz
Marketing Director Andre Rocke. "Macintosh users have been left out in
the cold when it comes to professional loop-based production tools," says
Rocke. "Now that we have created Phrazer, the Mac-based digital music
community can finally enjoy a product specifically designed to easily
match the tempo and pitch of different audio loops."
Phrazer provides powerful tools for working with loops. A built-in
sample editor is included for fine tuning audio files, loop points, and
sample split points. Samples can be individually transposed, and/or
processed with EQ, Normalize, Gain, Reverse, or other destructive DSP
functions. Multiple time-stretching algorithms allow users to select the
best method for processing each sample.
Phrazer ships with hundreds of loops and will also import .AIFF, .WAV,
and Sound Designer II files at 16- or 24-bit resolution. Phrazer also
imports CD-Audio, Sonic Foundry's popular ACID(tm) file format, and
samples contained within the BitHeadz Unity DS-1 Digital Sampler file
format. Users can also record audio into Phrazer from an external source.
Unlimited tracks are available in Phrazer, depending on system RAM and
CPU. Users with slower computers can conserve track count by sequencing
different loops together on the same track. Each track in Phrazer
includes controls for volume, pan, effects, and MIDI trigger. Volume and
panning can be automated in the Tracks window, or adjusted from Phrazer's
optional Mix window. Two send effects are available per track including
Phase, Flange, Chorus, Degrade, Distortion, Filter, Dynamic filter,
Compressor, Shelf/Parametric EQ, Delay with MIDI sync, and Reverb.
Phrazer also includes one insert effect per track and two global effects
for the main stereo output. Once a mix has been perfected, Phrazer can
high-speed render it's audio output to a disk file.
Many of the features in Phrazer were designed to facilitate the creative
process and simplify music production. Loops can be previewed from the
built-in File Browser with a single mouse click, or added to a new track
with a double click. A snap-to-grid preference allows the user to
quantize loop placement according to bars and beats. Phrazer is also
designed to integrate into music production setups. The program will sync
to MIDI beat clock and is capable of streaming it's audio output to other
digital audio applications and plug-in standards such as MOTU Digital
Performer and MAS 2.0, Digidesign Pro Tools and DirectConnect, and
Propellerhead's ReWire for Steinberg Cubase VST and the Emagic Logic
Audio series.
Phrazer ships with over 500 MB of royalty-free loops designed by BitHeadz
and many 3rd-party sound developers such as BigFish Audio, Digital Davey,
MassMedia, mH20, Q-Up Arts, Sonomic, and SoundWerx. Additional loop
libraries are planned for the future.
Phrazer ($399 MSRP) requires a 200MHz or faster PowerPC processor, G3 or
higher recommended. The software is optimized for Apple's G4 processor
and supports OMS, FreeMIDI, ASIO, Direct I/O, DirectConnect, MAS 2.0,
ReWire, and Sound Manager. A demo version is available for download from the BitHeadz web site. For more information, visit their web site at www.bitheadz.com. |
