WNAMM08: Timbaland Special Edition NeKo

US Open Labs introduce new special edition of the all-in-one production studio      23/01/08

WNAMM08: Timbaland Special Edition NeKo


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Open Labs have introduced a companion to the popular Timbaland Special Edition MiKo. The new Timbaland Special Edition NeKo, an all-in-one production studio powered by Windows XP, is capable of running virtually any Windows XP compatible software including a variety of DAW software, virtual instruments (VSTi), virtual effects (VST) and other music applications.
Open Labs say that, dressed in the same Arctic White Chassis color scheme, the Timbaland Special Edition NeKo is the perfect solution for the studio to road experience.
Victor Wong, Founder and Chairman of Open Labs, told us, “Timbaland wanted the ability to work on his music from home on a larger unit and still be able to travel easily with his MiKo. This was a fantastic way for Timbaland to achieve this by utilizing gear with matching specs and software. By introducing this model we are able to provide the features that most people are looking for, while reducing the price over $1,000 from the NeKo LX model.�
Open Labs tell us that the Gen4 models are now equipped with Intel Core2Quad processors providing the most processing power in any production station available today. With the edition of Translator, specially written for Open Labs by Chicken Systems, users can now easily convert and manage many different file types within the Open Labs environment.
Garth Hjelte, President of Chicken Systems, had this to say, “We have been long fans of the Open Labs concept and are excited to be included in their software bundles. We feel that an Open Labs computer production station is the ultimate solution for the gigging musician who wants to integrate their studio work into their live touring needs. Not only that, an Open Labs production station can be the primary hub of a productive studio environment. Translator fits well into that scheme, since it allows complete flexibility in providing software instruments into any configuration the Open Labs user may elect to work with.�
Open Labs believes in the “out-of-the-box� experience – meaning with a little knowledge anyone can be ready to play and record instantly. Included in the preinstalled software is Reaper from Cockos, a DAW with unlimited tracks, which records audio-midi and integrates all of the user’s Karsyn presets in an easy to use drag and drop format.
“The fantastic capabilities of Open Labs Production Stations – gazillions of instruments, outstanding hardware, and gobs of horsepower – can now be tied together by Reaper into a coherent, flexible environment for performance as well as production,� said Justin Frankel, President of Cockos.
“Open Labs is rapidly becoming the de facto standard in computer music performance and production," said Hank Coleman, CEO of Open Labs. "We are extremely pleased to have so many talented developers produce products for our platform. It really goes to show just how powerful and flexible our products are and how they have continued to evolve.�
The Timbaland Special Edition NeKo features E-MU’s new Proteus X2 Streaming Sound Module V2.5 with over 10,148 instruments, including the new Ensoniq Urban Legends Sound Library that contains the sounds from Ensoniq’s ASR/EPS/MR/ASR-X/ZR instruments. These sounds were specifically requested by Timbaland, and are only available in the Timbaland Special Edition units, an Open Labs exclusive.
  • E-MUâ„¢ Proteusâ„¢ 2000
  • E-MUâ„¢ Mo’Phattâ„¢
  • E-MUâ„¢ Modular Systemâ„¢
  • Ensoniqâ„¢ EPSâ„¢ /EPS 16+â„¢
  • Ensoniq ASR 10â„¢
  • Ensoniq ASR-Xâ„¢
  • Ensoniq ZR76â„¢
  • Ensoniq MR61â„¢
  • ARPâ„¢ 2600â„¢
  • ARPâ„¢ Axxeâ„¢
  • Rolandâ„¢ JD800â„¢
  • Rolandâ„¢ Jupiter 8â„¢
  • Rolandâ„¢ JX-8Pâ„¢
  • Rolandâ„¢ TB-303 Bass Lineâ„¢
  • Rolandâ„¢ Juno 60â„¢
  • Moogâ„¢ Memorymoogâ„¢
  • Miniâ„¢ Moogâ„¢
  • Moogâ„¢ Taurus Pedalsâ„¢
  • Sequential Circuitsâ„¢ Prophet 10â„¢
  • Sequential Circuitsâ„¢ Prophet 600â„¢
  • Elkaâ„¢ Rhapsodyâ„¢
  • Mellotronâ„¢ Mark IIâ„¢
  • Korgâ„¢ MS20â„¢
  • Solinaâ„¢
  • Oberheimâ„¢ OBâ„¢ & Xâ„¢
  • Hammondâ„¢ B3â„¢
  • Rhodesâ„¢ Electric Pianoâ„¢
  • Hohnerâ„¢ Clavinetâ„¢
  • Yamahaâ„¢ CP-70â„¢
  • Wurlitzerâ„¢ Electric Pianoâ„¢
Open Labs say that, running within the new Proteus X 2.5 environment, these keyboards are reborn inside the Timbaland Special Edition NeKo providing world-class audio quality, choice of instruments, ease of use and represents a value of over $60,000 if the actual keyboards were purchased individually.
When combined with the new Open Labs sound library V4, the Timbaland Edition NeKo contains over 35-gigabytes of premium sounds, constituting 28,074 presets. The street price for the bundled software and sound libraries is $3,564, which includes $487 worth of Open Labs Special Edition plugins, optimized by the software developers for use with the NeKo.
“We are honored that Timbaland asked us to help create his ultimate instrument,� said Ichi Nagai, E-MU’s Senior Product Manager. “We are excited to put together the exclusive Ensoniq Urban Legends Sound Library for Open Labs that contains many of Timbaland’s favorite sounds that he’s used in his work over the years.�
Timbaland himself had this to say, “Having it all right there is great. It’s like your disc cases, your turntables, it’s everything that you would need. All right there at your fingertips. I use the Neko and Miko all the time. I just use it and it comes out a masterpiece!�
Pricing and Availability:
The Timbaland Special Edition NeKo will start shipping the second quarter of 2008. The estimated street price is: $4,799. More information:


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