Motu - Ethno 2

To help users navigate this 21GB library, Ethno 2 allows users to browse by geographic region or instrument category, or by using a new search function. The user enters an instrument name or phrase, and all presets with that text in their name instantly appear in the browser list. Simply click on them to listen to the sounds, without having to close the browser, which allows a quick preview of the sounds before loading them into separate parts. Version 2 of Ethno now allows for an unlimited number of Parts, allowing users to quickly build sets of instrument sounds, loops and phrases, without imposing any limits on the size of these sets.

Ethno 2 opens up a rich and exotic world of non-Western chords and scales. The user can browse through dozens of untempered tuning presets from around the world, categorized by region or scale type, and then play microtonal scales of any range (5 to 24 tones) from any standard MIDI controller. The microtonal presets were developed by a world expert in the field of microchords and are compliant with the open Scala file standard (.scl) for microchords. Ethno users can therefore go to the Scala website, http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/, browse through thousands of microchord files, download them for free, and add them to Ethno 2 as user presets by simple drag and drop. These microtonal scales can be applied at will to any instrument preset, allowing users to try and apply microtonal scales from all over the world to instrument sounds from all over the world: for example, playing a scale from Thailand to a Celtic harp sound from Ireland…

Since its launch, Ethno has been recognized and appreciated for its powerful tempo adaptation functions. When used as a plug-in, loops are always played in time with each other and at the tempo in effect in the host application. Version 2 extends these time-stretching capabilities by applying very high-quality audio processing technology, developed by IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique-Musique, in Paris) and used under license. The user can therefore speed up, slow down, and harmonize the tempos of loops and phrases with unprecedented sound quality, even when imposing extreme tempo changes in one direction or the other. Time stretching presets are available for various types of sounds (vocals, percussion, etc.) to optimize processing and maintain excellent audio quality, regardless of the tempo.

Other highlights of Ethno Version 2 include:

Improved effects and processing — the software includes new modeled analog EQs, a CPU-optimized convolution reverb, and 8 new modeled analog filters (with resonance, comb filter, analog feel, etc.).

Keyswitch Presets — dozens of new keyswitch (KS) presets, with rich layered textures, in all categories, for even greater expressiveness.

Version 1 Compatibility – The sound library included with Ethno 2 is compatible with the version 1 library, so you can load songs programmed with version 2 presets with version 2.

Latest generation UVI Engine audio engine – provides excellent performance for virtual instruments, with native 64-bit operation and proven compatibility with the latest versions of Mac OS X and Windows operating systems and host audio + MIDI workstation software.

Version 2 of Ethno Instrument will be available in the first quarter of 2010. Registered users of Ethno version 1 will be offered a special upgrade offer.