SmartSound Launches Sonicfire Pro 4 with Mood Mapping
April 10, 2006
Northridge, CA - SmartSound Software launched SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4 ($249) , the new version of its flagship software. Version 4 introduces a new capability called Mood Mapping, representing the company's biggest advancement in music scoring technology since the launch of SmartSound’s first software more than a decade ago.
Through a single Mood Map track and a collection of preset mood mixes, users can precisely match the feel of their music to the changing mood of their productions, without having to perform any advanced audio or music editing or mixing.
“Sonicfire Pro 4 with Mood Mapping marks a major breakthrough in how film and video professionals score their productions,” said Kevin Klingler, president and CEO of SmartSound Software, Inc. “It allows users to completely change the feel of their music scores without getting bogged down in a complicated process. This is the first time that this level of control over individual instrument layers has been available in a way that any film and video professional can quickly grasp and use.”
In Sonicfire Pro 4, each music selection has a Mood Map track, where users can identify points in their production where changes in mood occur. They can change the mix of the score to fit each mood by selecting from one of a wide range of preset mixes. Each mix has the individual instrument layers set to different levels, depending on the feel desired. Examples of preset mixes include “Heavy,” “Sparse,” “Dialog” and “Acoustic.”
In addition to the preset mixes, each layer can be manually adjusted by moving a slider to match the desired level, offering users unlimited possibilities in mixing their music. If a user needs to duck the horns of a particular piece of music down for dialog, or bring up the strings to add to the suspense, such changes are immediately at their fingertips.
The addition of Mood Mapping makes Sonicfire Pro 4 gives users total control over the feel and mix of their scores as well as the timing. Sonicfire Pro 4 presents users with multiple arrangements of music from SmartSound’s library at any length needed to score their production. Selecting different variations changes the mood of the overall production. Mood Mapping lets the user adjust the mix of the variation to have almost limitless creative possibilities when scoring their production.
“Sonicfire Pro 4 is the ideal solution for any media professional looking to solve the unique problem of acquiring and fitting music to their productions,” said Klingler. “While the popular audio tools that are bundled with video editing suites are great for sweetening dialog or cleaning up background noise, most video editors don’t find them effective for real world music scoring. SmartSound’s sole focus has been on music scoring technology for more than 10 years, and with the introduction of Mood Mapping we continue our tradition of leadership and innovation in this space.”
SmartSound’s technology is used by film and video editors through standalone products such as Sonicfire Pro as well as through the leading names in the video editing industry. SmartSound technology has been bundled with or integrated into editing programs from companies such as Avid, Pinnacle, Adobe, Ulead and Cyberlink.
Coinciding with the launch of Sonicfire Pro 4 is the release of the first ten volumes of the Strata™ Series of Multi-Layer music. All music in the Strata Series is designed to work with the Mood Mapping capabilities in Sonicfire Pro 4. The first volumes in the Strata Series run the gamut of styles, giving professionals access to a wide range of music to fit their artistic vision. Special care was taken in the production of this music to achieve the highest quality. This is highly specialized music not available from any other music library.
Pricing and Availability
Packages including the software and a total of 20 multi-layer tracks have an MSRP of $249; dealer and Web pricing is expected to be $199. Additional Strata Series discs are $99.95 each. Sonicfire Pro 4 and the new Strata Series discs will also be available for purchase from SmartSound’s booth at NAB 2006 in Las Vegas from April 24-27 (booth location SL2955) as well as from select resellers. Sonicfire Pro 4 is available for Windows XP or Macintosh OSX 10.4 and higher operating systems.
For more information or to order go to:
SmarSound Sonicfire Pro4
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