As the world continues to swelter, we counter the heat with this month’s coolest new music technology releases and innovations.

Future Audio Workshop XL themselves

As enthusiastic fans of Future Audio Workshop’s awesome bass-focused SubLab synth, we were both surprised and delighted by the sudden July release of an enhanced new version.

The original SubLab is based on the winning combination of a simple analogue synthesiser, a sampler (for kick drum layering), and the transformative X-Sub ‘psychoacoustic sub bass oscillator’. SubLab XL beefs up the first of those sources with the addition of the new Super Oscillator mode, facilitating the stacking of up to 24 unison triangle, saw or square waves for detuning and stereo spreading. It also adds a modulation LFO; more effects (Tape, Bitcrusher and Waveshaper) and the ability to freely reorder them; and the new Macro Page, which flips the entire interface over to a rather beautiful spherical visualiser, with two sliders each assignable to up to ten parameters – great for quick and meaningful tweaking of the factory presets, of which there are over 100.

The original SubLab is still available to buy, but while this isn’t exactly SubLab 2, the difference in price between the two versions is just $10, so we’d argue that going for the full enchilada is a no-brainer for newcomers, as is upgrading ($20) for existing SubLab users. A must-hear for anyone working in bass-heavy genres.

Neumann resurrect another mic you can’t afford

Although not exactly hot on the heels of their 2018 U67 reissue, the news that Neumann are planning to do the same for the extraordinarily rare M49 multi-pattern valve condenser mic will come as music to the ears of well-heeled microphone collectors everywhere. However, with only an “extremely limited” run of the M49V – the ‘V’ is for ‘variant’ –planned (Neumann point out that there are only three people in the world skilled in its construction), and the price sure to be eye-watering, the tempering of expectations in terms of actually getting hold of one is advised.

Extreme exclusivity aside, the new old mic will replicate the design of the 1949 original, with an as-yet unspecified valve in place. So, that’ll be a dial-adjusted polar pattern, no variation in output level between patterns, and – if the U67 reissue is anything to go by – a sound that will more than justify the outlay. 

IK Multimedia start the Machine

Taking on the likes of Kemper and Fractal Audio, IK Multimedia have announced the next generation of amp modelling technology due for deployment in their AmpliTube line of amp sim software. Dubbed AI Machine Modelling, the new system is said to enable the flawless virtual simulation of “any amp, cabinet or combo, plus pedals” with a degree of accuracy “virtually indistinguishable from the real thing”, using nothing more than a Mac or PC, and a regular audio interface.

The workflow seems gloriously straightforward: record the sound of the rig you want to model onto the guitar/bass capture track along with the DI to have the AI Machine Modelling software generate “an exact algorithm of the modelled rig in minutes” via its neural network. The resulting ‘Tone Model’, say IK, boasts “every nuance of the amp and pedal in vivid detail with technology so advanced that you can even model an amp and cabinet together, then virtually separate the two to try other cabinets”.

It’s hugely exciting stuff, for sure, and while we await a release date and pricing, you can check out various impressive comparisons to real amps, cabs, pedals and rigs on the IK website.

Dolby Assemble!

Another month, another new release in the increasingly busy Atmos space. Dolby Labs’ Atmos Album Assembler constitutes the final piece in the surround delivery puzzle, providing mastering engineers with an intuitive solution for processing and pulling Atmos-mixed projects together into final album format.

Built directly into the Dolby Atmos Renderer application as an add-on purchase, Atmos Album Assembler features timeline sequencing of imported Dolby Atmos ADM BWF files, with adjustment of song levels, durations and fades, as well as EQ and limiting (“built from the ground up for Dolby Atmos”), loudness measurement, track referencing and more, prior to ADM BWF export. As a glance at the GUI reveals, the emphasis here is on ease of use and approachability, both of which are only improved by the integration with Dolby Atmos Renderer. The price is a thoroughly reasonably £79, too, although you need to already own DAR, of course.

Universal Audio Spark up

Universal Audio’s Spark range of native versions of their DSP-powered plugins for UAD-2 and Apollo systems (phew!) is proving wonderfully liberating for owners of said hardware looking to work away from the studio, as well as those who fancy bringing a bit of that fabulous faux-analogue UAD mojo to their mixes but aren’t up for buying a dedicated audio interface just to be able to do it. However, it would be fair to say that the Spark line-up doesn’t yet come anywhere near close to matching the sheer breadth of the vast UAD catalogue.

Hurrah, then, for the addition, in July, of the superb Pultec Passive EQ Collection to the roster, adding greatly to Spark’s overall sonic capabilities, and taking the number of plugins included up to 20 (16 effects and four instruments). As well as the classic EQP-1A Program EQ, Pultec Passive EQ Collection also includes modelled emulations of the MEQ-5 mid-range EQ and HLF-3C high/low-pass filter, and all of them sound as warm and musical as the vintage boxes they replicate. Log in to your Spark account (free for UAD owners; $19.99/month for everyone else) to get ’em.

And there are more good tidings from Scotts Valley… As welcome as new Spark plugins are, perhaps the bigger story for many UA heads is that the latest version of UAD Software finally adds native Apple Silicon support for UAD-2 plugins and the Apollo Console, as well as Spark! Honestly, we were starting to wonder…

What new releases floated your music production or recording boat in the month just gone? Let us know in the comments.