"Total Workstation" audio

IK Multimedia and Muse Research have joined forces to create what they claim is one of the most powerful music sound modules ever made. The Total WorkStation Rack uses Muse Research’s Receptor hardware plug-in player with IK’s SampleTank 2.5, Sonik Synth 2, Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleMoog and Sampleton virtual instruments. The product also ships with more than 10,000 sample-based sounds from every instrument category.

The two companies say the Total Workstation Rack includes grand and electric pianos, strings, brass, wind instruments, vocals, organs, percussion, drums, basses, guitars, syths, loops, ethnic samples, orchestral sound sets and a collection of rare vintage synthesizers and keyboards. The instrument plug-ins are pre-installed in the Muse Receptor player, ready for immediate use.

Calling it a “next generation hybrid” of software plug-ins and specialized hardware, IK and Muse say the device behaves like a conventional hardware synthesizer on stage. But in the studio, the Total Workstation Rack works with most digital audio workstations as an instrument plug-in, placing minimal strain on the host computer’s CPU.



The Total Workstation Rack requires an 866MHz PPC Mac running OS X 10.3 or higher, a 1.5GHz Intel Mac with OS X 10.4.4 or higher and also supports many machines running Windows XP or Vista. The product is available worldwide for $2000.

by MacNN Staff