M-Audio Unveils ProSessions Premium Instrument ReFills
 July 26, 2004
M-Audio announced ProSessions Premium Instruments for use with Reason's NN-XT sampler.
ProSessions Premium Instruments were designed in collaboration with sample library developers Sonic Reality. In addition to their sampling and editing prowess, Sonic Reality is known for their extensive collection of vintage gear, much of which has been owned by stars or used on hit recordings. Each title in the ProSessions Premium Instruments library focuses on one or two specific instruments, including meticulous sub-sampling, subtle playing variations and custom mapping using the full programming potential of Reason's NN-XT sampler. The result is a tour de force electronic replica without rival. All samples are available in 16- and 24-bit versions, allowing users a tradeoff between overhead and quality. (While Sonic Reality has their own library of 20 volumes, there is a clear delineation between the product lines: Each Sonic Reality title delivers a wide variety of instruments with fewer variations on each one. They are also delivered exclusively in 16-bit format.)
The initial release of ProSessions Premium Instruments includes 11 volumes:
Volume 1: Premium Grand C7 -- The legendary sound of the Yamaha C7 grand piano captured by Sonic Reality in 16- and 24-bit resolution for Reason's NN-XT sampler. Turn Reason's NN-XT into a dedicated virtual piano with a variety of piano patches that range from 100MB to over 200MB in size. .
Volume 2: Premium Acoustic Guitar -- An acoustic steel string guitar multi-sampled for Reason's NNXT sampler, sampled from a Larrivee acoustic 6-string guitar. This virtual guitar features automatic alternating up-and-down picked notes and automatic note-off fretboard slides that intelligently trigger upon release--plus mutes, slide ups, ghost taps, strum mutes, and harmonics that are conveniently mapped to keyboard notes and velocities for extremely dynamic performance.
Volume 3: Premium Cathedral Organ -- Experience the 16- and 24-bit sound of a quadraphonic and 5.1 full pipe organ coming out of Reason's NN-XT sampler. Sonic Reality sampled a monstrous 5,000-pipe organ specifically for this library--and there are even true cathedral reverberation samples triggering upon release of the keys.
Volume 4: Premium String Ensembles -- Experience string ensembles of violins, violas, celli and contrabasses with expressive articulation using Reason's NNXT sampler's advanced features--in both 16- and 24-bit. Play legato style with automatic alternating of up-and-down bow strokes--even play slow and light or loud and fast, all within the same loaded patch. Get inspired by performance patches with different combinations of string sections programmed with arco attack elements, detache releases and true tremolo strings that fade in with the mod wheel.
Volume 5: Premium Solo Strings -- A collection of solo violin, viola, cello and contrabass samples. Play violins with alternating up-and-down bow strokes, a marcato-style cello solo, or an all-in-one performance patch mixing together a live playable string quartet within Reason.
Volume 6: Premium Brass -- Your orchestral sound collection would not be complete without a selection of solo and ensemble classical brass sounds. Premium Brass brings French horns, tubas, trombones and trumpets to Reason's NN-XT sampler. You get sustained mellow, bright, muted, stacatto and other articulations, both as individual instruments and combined into premium brass performance patches.
Volume 7: Premium Woodwinds -- A selection of solo and ensemble classical woodwind samples for Reason's NN-XT sampler. Sampled in multiple dynamics in both 16- and 24-bit, Premium Woodwinds brings clarinets, flutes, oboe, bassoon and other orchestral winds to the hands of Reason users. This volume features sustained vibrato, non-vibrato, breathy to full, staccato and other expressive articulations--both as individual instruments and combined into premium woodwind performance patches.
Volume 8: Premium Choirs -- The powerful, moving sound of male and female classical choirs captured in 16- and 24-bit for Reason's NN-XT sampler. Play oohs, aahs and more with individual male and female vocal ensembles, or special performance patches that combine both male and female voices into a mega choir complete with moving vowel tones controlled by the mod wheel.
Volume 9: Premium Orchestral Percussion -- Round out your orchestral ReFill collection with a assortment of symphonic percussion, plucked and mallet-struck instruments and more. This collection features timpani, vibraphone, marimbas, concert harp, xylophone, triangles, crashing cymbals, congas, bongos, blocks and more--mapped chromatically. Add cymbal swells, the rumble of timpani mallets and more to your symphonic masterpiece.
Volume 10: Premium Drum Kits -- Sampled in 16- and 24-bit, this expressive collection features automatic alternating hits at a multitude of velocity layers, expressive control over 64 hits per snare from edge to center to rim, ghost notes, left and right stick rolls, brushes and more. There's also a selection of custom and vintage snares multi-sampled for the highest degree of realism possible within Reason.
Volume 11: Premium Rhodes -- This ReFill offers both Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds. The Rhodes sampled here was used on several Earth, Wind and Fire albums. The sound is reminiscent of the early '80s MK II ballads, yet has plenty of grit when you lay into it. The multi-sample layering is impeccable. Also included is an early 1953 tube "Fleckstone" model Wurlitzer, the original type used almost exclusively by The Beatles.
Premium ReFills are expected to ship in mid-August, and will carry an MSRP of $99.95.
For more information, visit their web site at www.midiman.net. | 
