IK Multimedia has released the ODS Legends Signature Collection for TONEX. The first in a new series of Signature Collections, ODS Legends offers guitarists instant access to 4 priceless Dumble Overdrive Special amplifiers. Found behind many of the world’s best players including Robben Ford, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Larry Carlton, David Lindley, John Mayer and more, the Overdrive Special easily fetches 6 figures when a rare example goes to auction. Also included as a bonus are Tone Models of 2 legendary overdrive pedals: a Silver Klon Centaur and an early ’80s Ibanez TS808.

IK had the exclusive opportunity to capture each of these incredible amps while they passed through the world-famous Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, a studio renowned for its superior recording facilities and long history of hosting legendary musicians. All amp and pedal settings were dialed in by tone experts to a variety of sweet spots from clean to overdrive and meticulously captured in between recording sessions.

This collection of 20 Tone Models recreates the very essence of these vintage treasures and makes them finally accessible to all discerning tone aficionados. Utilizing IK’s cutting-edge AI Machine Modeling Technology in conjunction with the Ocean Way’s sonically perfect environment has produced incredible results available now for purchase and download.

Showcasing an Artist’s True Talent
The all-tube Overdrive Special is Howard Dumble’s most prized model and was produced in very limited numbers, each one hand-wired and custom-built for a particular artist to suit their playing style and tone requirements. Known for its inspiring harmonic richness in the overdrive channel and transparency in the clean channel, the ODS is extremely versatile and can be used for a variety of genres including blues, rock and jazz, rewarding the player with unmatched headroom and responsiveness.

The 4 Overdrive Specials in this collection are pristine examples and were purchased from their original owners with their original tubes still mounted. They include a 1979 Dumble ODS 50-watt head, a 1983 Dumble ODS 100-watt head, a 1984 Dumble ODS 50-watt combo and a 2004 Dumble ODS 50-watt combo. Because the circuitry was tailored to suit a specific player, each amp offers a distinct and exciting tone that TONEX fully captured with multiple settings, letting users find the Tone Models that sound best for each situation.

Two Legendary Pedals
The ODS Legends collection includes an original Tube Screamer TS808 from 1981, a brilliant distortion and overdrive box from Ibanez. Still highly in demand today, vintage units easily trade above $1,000. Also included and fetching high prices is the legendary Silver Klon Centaur overdrive, which holds a mystique for its unique overdriven tones and boosting capabilities. Both pedals add a new dimension to the organic and fantastic tones in this collection.

State-of-the-art Captures
All Tone Models in the ODS Legends Signature Collection were captured by Audio Engineer and Operations Manager, Austin Atwood at Ocean Way Studios, a world-renowned recording studio located in Nashville, Tennessee. Housed in a 100-year-old Gothic revival grey stone church, Ocean Way Nashville provides an exceptional acoustical space and has recorded some of the biggest names in music including Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Steve Martin and Paul Simon.

Living the Legend
The ODS Legends Signature Collection offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the exact tones revered by countless guitar legends live on stage and comes bundled for a limited time with new purchases of TONEX Pedal. Whether seeking the creamy overdrive of a Dumble amplifier, the harmonically rich overdrive of a Klon or that timeless Tube Screamer tone, this collection gives users exclusive access to record and perform with these celebrated tones at any time.

Instant Access
Signature Collections can be browsed and purchased via ToneNET, IK’s online tone-sharing and social platform, or within any version of TONEX Mac/PC including the free TONEX CS. After purchase, Signature Collections become activated inside TONEX software by selecting “Restore Purchases” in the Account panel, which instantly downloads all collection Tone Models to the user’s local library ready to play.

For AmpliTube Too
Signature Collection Tone Models work seamlessly inside AmpliTube 5. The TONEX amplifier and pedal gear models function just like other AmpliTube amps and pedals. They can be used together to build custom signal chains and save as presets for easy recall. The combination of TONEX ODS Legends and AmpliTube 5 lets users experiment with mid-stacking several ODS Tone Models together to create their own signature dream tones.

IK Multimedia releases Pianoverse, combining the world’s finest concert-grade pianos with inspiring, cinematic effects to create an incredibly versatile virtual piano instrument that excels wherever a world-class piano sound is needed, from classical concerts to blockbuster movie soundtracks to live jazz performances.

Pianoverse lets users explore a breathtaking sonic range, from the most true-to-life acoustic piano experience to the wildest atmospheric and interactive creative textures, all in a single plug-in — and all with ease of use and an inspiring workflow.

Capturing Treasured Pianos

IK’s team spent years sourcing treasured pianos from the most prestigious manufacturers. Each instrument is hand-tuned and prepared by a master tuner and then sampled using multiple microphone setups and IK’s custom-built robotic system.

Using a mix of hardware technology, software and the right dose of craftsmanship in-between, IK designed a sampling robot comprised of an extremely precise and silent linear motor with an elastic actuator on top made to perform exactly like a human finger. All is connected to a control room computer where proprietary recording software handles the whole process achieving the degree of velocity measurement, sampling precision and repeatability necessary to capture each piano’s true sonic DNA.

The result is unprecedented realism across the entire dynamics of each Pianoverse piano without flattening it or simplifying it too much, which regularly happens with traditional sampling.

A Powerful New Engine

The IK sound design team then used subtle techniques perfected over 2 decades of virtual instrument programming to bring these thousands of samples to life. Pianoverse’s groundbreaking new engine uses completely redesigned round robin, voice management and other techniques to deliver a seamlessly authentic experience.

Beyond Accuracy & Sound

Pianoverse also shines with a unique combination of performance controls for both stage and studio work. To customise each piano’s sound, Pianoverse offers adjustable lid position, harp resonance, pedal noise or even the noise of the piano mallets, all things that are usually only available in modelled instruments.

For live use, all three pedals offer continuous control, including half- and catch-pedalling and una corda, to deliver an unmatched performance experience. Whether for classical, jazz, pop, Latin or any other genre, Pianoverse always offers truly superior piano sound and feel.

Must-have Studio Processing

Pianoverse provides two sets of microphones per piano so the user can choose if they prefer a more modern and in-the-face sound or a more classical sound. On top of that, for traditional sound-shaping and mixing, the Pianoverse engine also offers a comprehensive suite of must-have effects tools.

There’s selectable EQ and compression, each with multiple modes, for both instrument and room stereo microphone pairs. A dedicated master channel offers EQ and a VCA-style limiter for final mastering polish, while a Stereo Width control quickly sets the width of the image – and even reverses it from the player’s to the audience’s perspective.

Generative Spaces to Explore

Where most piano instruments end, Pianoverse is only getting started. Using a new generative reverberation engine, Pianoverse transports any of its concert-grade pianos to 30 sonic destinations. These go from traditional concert halls and studio spaces to less traditional ones like a warehouse or vault, and otherworldly cinematic environments like an iceberg, desert or even Mars.

Each space uses different sound generative techniques to create incredibly evocative soundscapes, inspiring creativity at each step. Plus each space includes flexible controls to further shape and create never-heard-before cinematic sounds and textures. These immersive, inspiring sound design options deliver the most complete ambient sound-sculpting piano instrument ever.

Unique Creative Effects

In addition to custom-created Spaces, Pianoverse also offers 12 new creative effects to design sounds. These effects range from new cinematic spatial effects to must-have studio effects and can be inserted on 3 simultaneous slots: the first slot being a parallel send effect, while slots 2 and 3 are insert effects.

Then, unique to Pianoverse, users will find four modulation sources — two envelopes and two LFOs — that may be assigned to various parameters in these three effects slots to further animate and move the sound and create extreme effects when desired. Together these effects offer an arsenal of sound-sculpting tools that cannot be found in any other piano instrument.

A Series of 8 Pianos

Pianoverse offers the widest sonic palette available in a single virtual instrument with an initial series of 8 remarkable instruments slated for release. The first pianos available now are based on a Yamaha CFIII Concert Grand, a Yamaha U5 Professional Upright, a Bösendorfer 280 Vienna Concert and a Steinway & Sons New York D-274. With more coming soon on a recurring release schedule, featuring models based on a Bösendorfer 200, a Steinway & Sons Hamburg D-274, a Fazioli F278 and a Koch & Korselt Upright, users can discover new inspiration as they need it.

Options, Pricing & Availability

Pianoverse is available now as individual pianos from the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorised dealers worldwide at a special introductory price (excluding taxes) of US$€99.99 (instead of US$129.99) per piano. All-access monthly and yearly plans are also available starting at US$14.99/month or US$149.99/year giving access to current and newly released pianos without limitation.

IK Multimedia has announced the iLoud Precision series, representing another breakthrough in nearfield monitoring from the company that revolutionised compact monitors with iLoud Micro Monitor and iLoud MTM. They are available in a choice of 3 configurations; 2-way 5—inch, 2-way 6.5-inch, and 2 x 5-inch MTM. These handmade works of sonic art reflect IK’s 25+ years of expertise in loudspeaker design and digital signal processing. The result is a delivery of a level of sonic detail that rivals — and even surpasses — speakers valued at three times the price, with unique DSP-based features and software workflow enhancements that can’t be found anywhere else.

BEST-IN-CLASS RESPONSE AND CLARITY

iLoud Precision offers a stunning frequency response from 36Hz to 30kHz, with a superior ±1 dB tolerance from 45Hz up, for precise, uncoloured audio throughout the whole listening spectrum. This is guaranteed to be accurate within ±0.5 dB for a unit-to-unit consistency that is simply unmatched, thanks to the monitors’ calibration during the last stage of the manufacturing process.

The iLoud Precision also leverages its unique 96kHz internal DSP processing, digital crossover and custom-designed Class D amplifier to deliver true linear phase response above 150Hz for precise stereo imaging, crisp transients, and incredible detail. The result is a stunningly clear, revealing sound quality that’s absolutely true to life; a feature that simply cannot be found in any other studio monitors with such a degree of precision.

iLoud Precision also sets a new standard for time coherence, or the precise response alignment between woofer and tweeter drivers, reaching nearly the theoretical ideal step response performance. This offers the highest level of time accuracy, without sacrificing frequency response, thus eliminating the ear fatigue that can develop over longer listening sessions on other studio monitors lacking a time coherent response. Only IK’s powerful DSP and advanced digital control lets the iLoud Precision achieve such a great combination of phase linearity, time coherence and flat, uncoloured frequency response for unmatched clarity and sound.

At the top of the range the iLoud Precision MTM use the midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer configuration to deliver not only the highest SPL, but also an ultra-precise, point source sound with incredible stereo imaging. This means users will experience an even more natural, life-like sound — where the speaker cabinets ‘disappear’ and attention can be focused entirely on hearing the music in its truest form — without the coloration that other studio monitors can impart on the source material.

BUILT-IN ACOUSTIC CALIBRATION

With iLoud Precision, there’s less worry about treating the listening environment. Each speaker features built-in calibration based on the acclaimed ARC System technology. Just connect the included MEMS measurement microphone and in a few seconds, the iLoud Precisions will tune themselves to any setting, from mixing room to living room.

EXTENDED CONTROLS AND VOICING EMULATION

The iLoud Precision series introduces X-MONITOR, a unique and advanced control application for Mac and Windows, that assists with ARC calibration and enables extended acoustic and voicing selection and adjustments. It also offers convenient access to the settings on the Precision’s back panel. The software is plug-and-play via a simple USB connection with no special setup needed.

Even more exciting, X-MONITOR allows iLoud Precision to emulate the frequency and phase response of the most revered studio monitors on the market and classic hi-fi speakers. Over 20 monitor profiles are included, and more will be released in the future, so users can A/B test mixes on a wide variety of reference systems quickly, without ever leaving the sweet spot or needing any other speakers.

DEEP BASS, IMMERSIVE-READY

With bass extension reaching down as low as 30Hz with ARC calibration enabled, iLoud Precision delivers deep, powerful bass that’s still controlled and balanced. The adjustable bass roll-off lets iLoud Precision monitors emulate other playback systems and allows integration with a sub for unparalleled low-end performance in any setup.

In addition to self-calibrating to the listening environment, iLoud Precision features a range of low and high frequency management options, including a switchable Full/35/50/65/80Hz high-pass filter to optimise their performance with Atmos and other immersive setups.

ISOLATION PODS AND REMOTE CONTROL

Each iLoud Precision not only includes an ARC measurement microphone, but also a kit of 4 iLoud Isolation Pods that dramatically reduce the propagation of vibrations between the speaker and supporting surface. An optional iLoud Precision Remote Control is also available to quickly switch between X-MONITOR speaker emulations and/or functions like ARC On/Off, Mute, or Dim. The remote also works with ARC to control the measurement/room calibration process, while providing visual feedback on the calibration status and monitor settings.

IK Multimedia has announced AmpliTube TONEX, a complete software ecosystem based on the powerful new AI Machine Modelling technology that lets users model their own rig and play, practice, and record with thousands of already available ultra-realistic Tone Models of amps and pedals.

AmpliTube TONEX ecosystem consists of 4 products:

TONEX for Mac/PC
A revolutionary concept in rig modelling, and the core of the TONEX ecosystem, TONEX for Mac/PC uses breakthrough AI Machine Modelling technology to let users model the sound of any amp, cabinet, combo or pedal (like fuzz, distortion, overdrive, EQ, booster) and turn it into a plug-in, all with ease and a sonic accuracy that’s virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

Users can not only share their user-generated Tone Models with the TONEX community, but they can also instantly play through more than 1,000 Premium Tone Models available in TONEX. These have been painstakingly created by IK, using its massive collection of the most sought-after amps and pedals in the world. TONEX for Mac/PC works as a stand-alone, as a plug-in for all major DAWs, and also runs seamlessly inside AmpliTube 5 — with Tone Models appearing just like regular AmpliTube gear. 

TONEX has two main sections: the Machine Modeller, where the AI Machine Modelling Tone Models are captured and generated, and the Player, where the Tone Models can be searched, browsed, played, and customised. The Player’s extensive sound-editing section comes with full EQ, noise-gate, pre and post compressor, as well as depth and presence controls, a high-quality reverb, and VIR — IK’s Volumetric Impulse Response technology with multi-IRs per cabinet. 

Thanks to AI Machine Modelling, amps and cabinets captured as Tone Models can also be separated so users can experiment with their own IRs, or use IK’s VIR technology to access hundreds of authentic virtual cabs and IRs to complete their tone. All of this customisation can then be saved into a Tone Model preset.

Consistent with all major software from IK, TONEX for Mac/PC will be available in 3 versions — all with identical features, but a different number of Premium Tone Models included. TONEX SE (200 Tone Models), TONEX (400 Tone Models), TONEX MAX (1,000 Tone Models). A free version will also be available for everyone to experience the power of AI Machine Modelling for creating Tone Models.

TONEX App
TONEX for iPhone and iPad lets users experience the power of AI Machine Modelling Tone Models on their mobile devices. It is available both as a stand-alone app, or as an AU plug-in for all major mobile DAWs. This includes the same exact Player section as the TONEX Mac/PC software allowing users to play, practice, and record anywhere. The TONEX App and Mac/PC software Tone Model library work in sync, so the user’s collection of Tone Models can be played on any device, in the studio, at home, or on the go.

TONEX in ToneNET
TONEX Tone Models will also be available in a new dedicated section of ToneNET, IK’s online tone-sharing and social platform for browsing, demoing, downloading, and sharing. Over 1,000 TONEX Premium Tone Models will be available in ToneNET for instant demo or download within the TONEX software or app, depending on the version owned. New Tone Models from IK — and free user models from the TONEX community — will be continuously posted and available in real time, for an expanding repository of tones.

TONEX standalone, plug-in and app, connect instantly to ToneNET from directly inside the software or app, allowing users to explore the latest Tone Models without breaking their creative workflow. TONEX Tone Models can also be experienced in ToneNET using a regular online browser and selected for subsequent downloads in the computer software or mobile device app.

TONEX Capture
Tone Models can be created in TONEX using a computer, an audio interface, and minimal additional equipment. An interface such as AXE I/O is ideal for tone modelling with its dedicated Amp Out.

To make it easy for everyone to create Tone Models, IK’s new all-in-one TONEX Capture is an accessory that connects to the output of an audio interface to feed into an amp at just the right level. The return stage sits passively between the amp and cab, sending a perfect copy back to the interface at a safe volume without affecting the amp/cab interaction. The result is a pristine copy of the amp’s real tone, ready for TONEX modelling without the need for microphones or perfect room acoustics. TONEX Capture also doubles as a great re-amping device, and includes TONEX SE with 200 Tone Models.

Pricing and Availability
TONEX for Mac/PC and TONEX Capture will be shipping in September. They are available for pre-order now at a special introductory price from the IK Multimedia online store, and from IK authorised dealers worldwide.

TONEX App will be released at the same time in the Apple Store.

TONEX SE: US$/EU99.99 (US$149.99 regular)
TONEX: US$/EU149.99 (US$249.99 regular)
TONEX MAX: US$/EU249.99($399.99 regular)
AmpliTube 5 MAX users will receive a further US$/EU50 discount coupon on TONEX MAX.
TONEX Capture: US$/EU199.99 (US$249.99 regular)