Spectrasonics has announced the release of version 1.5 of Stylus RMX. The update offers 750 new patches and several new features including an embedded “Help System” with a comprehensive Reference Guide, a Chaos Designer stutter-remix tool called “Buzz,” browsing via genres/categories, a new version of the SAGE Converter with drag and drop batch conversion of REX file libraries and conversion support for additional Groove Control libraries, new MIDI Learn and hardware control capabilities, native support for Digidesign’s Windows RTAS format, over four and a half hours of new tutorial videos and much more. The update is available to all registered Stylus RMX users either as a free download from the Spectrasonics website, or via DVD-ROM for a nominal $15US charge.

“With this 1.5 update to Stylus RMX, we’ve included numerous features that our users have requested over the past year, plus we’ve added several unique new possibilities, like the Buzz Chaos stutter function, to open up even more creative ways to work,” said Spectrasonics Founder and Creative Director, Eric Persing. “We’ve also added a completely new library of 750 killer patches that show off what RMX is truly capable of. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve made the software easier to use with the embedded help system, tons of great new video tutorials, a host of hardware templates and improved file conversion support and compatibility. We think it’s essential to provide all of this to help our users unlock the full potential of such a powerful instrument.”

New Functions in Stylus RMX Version 1.5

New Sound Design Feature: “Chaos Buzz”

The unique new Chaos Designer “Buzz” feature allows real-time stutter edits, “bouncing-ball” and unusual tonal buzzing noises to be instantly applied to any groove, sound menu and Edit Group. The user can control the time between the repeats to get different pitches of buzzing, as well as controlling the acceleration speed and direction of the repeat FX. Chaos can be applied to the probability of how often the buzz effect is heard, as well as chaotically varying the range of acceleration and the range of time and pitch change. Buzz is a wild effect that’s perfect for creative electronic music remixing in real-time.

Comprehensive Integrated Documentation

The new embedded “Help System” provides instant access to the brand new comprehensive Reference Guide for Stylus RMX, right from within the RMX plug-in. A modern way to get just the information you need, when you need it! This new manual is over 68,000 words and covers every area of the instrument – with full cross-referencing to all of the video tutorials and links to relevant chapters and to the Internet. As RMX continues to evolve, so will this new electronic Reference Guide – ensuring that the manual is always up to date with the software.

Sound Enhancement Update

The 1.5 update offers a completely new factory patch library, including 500 new Multi Grooves and 250 new Kits created by the acclaimed Spectrasonics sound design team, which take advantage of all the new features and effects that have been added since the original release of Stylus RMX. The complete patch library is now also organized by mood and genre. The expanded Groove Elements sound directory adds new “Tonal Elements” and “4×4 Kicks” suites geared for European dance club styles. The Core Library update also includes new Example Groove Menus in various genres – such as Drum ‘n Bass, Electronica, Film Action/Suspense/Chase, Urban, Percussion, etc.

Over 4.5 Hours of New Video Tutorials Included

This 1.5 update brings the total RMX video tutorials up to nearly 8 hours of included training!

In the 36 new video tutorials, the Spectrasonics team goes deep into showing how to unlock the full potential of Stylus RMX 1.5 in creative musical applications, demonstrating the new hardware controller templates in action and also teaching “host-specific” video tutorials for Apple Logic, Digidesign Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase SX, Ableton Live, Cakewalk Sonar, MOTU Digital Performer and more. All the new video tutorials are posted in the RMX Community on the Spectrasonics website for free download to registered users at: http://www.spectrasonics.net/rmxcommunity/

Windows RTAS Support

Native support for the Windows version of Digidesign’s RTAS plug-in format has been added. Stylus RMX is now available to Pro Tools users on both platforms of Windows XP and OSX.

Conversion Support added for more Groove Control CD-ROM Libraries

Four more Groove Control CD-ROM titles are now supported in the SAGE Converter:

Ethno Techno, Big Bad Beats, Stark Raving Beats, and NoizBox

Batch Conversion of REX Files and Libraries

Batch conversion of REX files and REX libraries via a single drag and drop in the SAGE Converter, greatly simplifying the process of getting audio loops into Stylus RMX.

Browse Core Library by Genre & Category

You can now browse the 7.4 gb RMX Core Library by genre and new categories including:

Epic Energy, Breakbeats, Electronic, Urban, Swing and Club

New MIDI Learn Features

A new MIDI Learn submenu has been added to the utility menu that contains many new options. “Show All” displays your current MIDI Learn settings in your web browser. MIDI Learn templates can now be saved and loaded for easy hardware setup. Assignments can now be cloned and placed in Omni mode for easier control of multi-channel systems. MIDI Learn has been added as an option to the value display that shows the “MIDI CC assignment” of a parameter when you tweak it.

Hardware Controller Templates

A selection of custom MIDI Learn templates for some of the most popular hardware controllers on the market including the Korg microKontrol, Kontrol 49, Behringer BCR/BCF-2000, M-Audio Trigger Finger, O2, Ozonic and others. Full documentation and detailed tutorials are also provided for users to create and share their own hardware controller RMX templates for any MIDI device.

16 Active Edit Groups

With the performance improvements in v1.5, Stylus RMX now has doubled the number of active Edit Groups to 16. This brings the total number of RMX parameters to over 20,000 in a single instance!

Expanded LFO Sync Capabilities

Improved LFO behavior allows all LFO waveforms to be phase locked to the bar of the song, allowing greater capability for rhythmic LFO modulation that performs consistently. When the LFO SYNC and RETRIGGER are turned on, the phase of the LFO is locked to the song beat so, for example, the sawtooth shape will always start on a beat boundary.

Enhanced Browser Display Mode

The Browser now displays the most recently played groove with a speaker icon. This is very useful in Groove Menu mode to correlate the name of the groove you are playing from a MIDI controller.

Show Author

An item has been added to the utility menu to display information about the author of the current Suite.

New Edit Group Functions in Groove Menu Mode

In Groove menu MIDI mode, choosing “Create edit group” will now create an edit group for the last groove played and put the entire groove in that edit group. This facilitates very fast real-time editing on any groove within a Groove Menu.

New Confirmation Dialogs

Confirmation Dialogs are now displayed at various points where a significant amount of work could be lost. This includes: part clear, part revert, multi clear, favorites delete, and switching to, or from, kit mode.

Also includes performance enhancements for Windows systems, various fixes and improved user interface display feedback.

The Stylus RMX version 1.5 update is available to all registered Stylus RMX users as a Free download from the Spectrasonics website. The full update can also be ordered as a DVD-ROM for $15US plus shipping from the Spectrasonics Techshop at: http://techshop.spectrasonics.net/

The US suggested retail price for Stylus RMX is $299, while the European price is 249 Euros. Upgrades from “classic” Stylus are $99US and are the same in all regions of the International market.

More information is available at the Spectrasonics site.