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Company background: |
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Sonic Studio has lead the way to
the ultra fidelity computer based audio of Amarra.
Since the early 1980s, SonicStudio workstations have
been adopted worldwide by motion picture and recording
studios, major record labels and high end mastering
facilities. On award–winning motion picture soundtracks
and more than two thirds of all commercially released
CD, Sonic Studio’s customers consistently win Grammy®,
Emmy® and Oscar® awards for their exceptional audio
work.
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- First CD Production System ::
The Sonic System
- First Noise Reduction System ::
NoNoise
- First audio workstation to offer
full 24 bit 96 / 192 kHz support
- First network designed for high
rate media :: MediaNet
- First DSD Production System
More company information:
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Amarra :: It just sounds better… |
The Amarra Computer Music Player
is the computer music player designed to improve the
sound of your Apple Macintosh-based music system.
With Amarra products, you can listen to your music using
the same Sonic Studio software that the world's best
studios and record labels have used and trusted for more
than 20 years. They know that nothing sounds like a
Sonic. You will learn that nothing sounds like Amarra.
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What is Amarra :: |
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The Amarra product line is as a set of Ultrafidelity™
Computer Music Players from entry-level to audiophile: |
- Amarra Junior :: 44.1 kHz, 16-
or 24-bit compatible
- Amarra MINI :: 96 kHz, 16- or
24-bit compatible
- Amarra :: 192 kHz, 16- or
24-bit compatible
- Amarra Model Four :: 192 kHz,
24-bit compatible DAC/ADC
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Amarra Computer Music player 2.0 :: |
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Reviews: |
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Amarra Reviewed :: The Absolute Sound-
http://www.avguide.com/review/sonicstudio-amarra-software-tas-202 |
“The Absolute Sound has never
reviewed a piece of computer software. That’s about to
change. Computer–based digital audio has now advanced to
where it competes sonically with traditional
media…Currently the best and easiest way for a
Mac–owning music–lover to optimize his iTunes playback
experience is with the Amarra software package…
Once you have assembled hardware that lets you hear
Amarra’s sonic ministrations making an audible
difference, I am confident that you will discover, as I
did, that Amarra is an indispensible part of any
state–of–the–art Mac–based computer–audio system. If you
want to hear how good a quality Mac–based system can
really sound, you have to use Amarra. In the end, it’s
that simple.”
— Steven Stone, The Absolute Sound, Issue 202
http://www.soundstage.com/digitaldomain/200911.html
"Enter Sonic Studio’s Amarra
computer playback system ($995 USD). Amarra is software
designed to work on an Apple computer that makes the
lack of an automatic sample-rate converter a problem of
the past. Regardless of the resolution of the track you
choose, Amarra automatically switches to the track’s
native sample rate and sends that digital datastream to
your D/A converter. The software also provides advanced
dither settings and digital volume (as set through
iTunes), plays all high-resolution PCM formats up to
192kHz, uses iTunes for compressed and rights-managed
music, integrates with Apple Remote and iTouch, and
currently supports the Snow Leopard, Leopard, and Tiger
versions of Apple’s OSX operating system" |
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Amarra is the 192 kHz/24 bit-compatible audiophile-grade
computer music player that was designed to provide you
with the best music reproduction achievable from a
computer-based system. And now with Amarra 2.0 (a free
update for registered users), the best-sounding player
on the planet now has a host of new features.
Sharing the same proprietary Sonic Studio Engine (SSE)
playback as all of our product line, Amarra provides
bit-perfect output of standard medium and hi-rez audio
files to your audio interface or DAC, supporting sample
rates up to 192 kHz.
Amarra is a critical component in a high fidelity music
system. Coupled with the convenience of iTunes, the
world's most popular music delivery system, Amarra
provides a seamless integration of multiple sample rate
and music formats. |
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Amarra 2.0 Software Features :: |
- Improved User Interface and sound quality.
- New Playlist window. Allows you to create and
save custom Playlists within Amarra. Our testing as
well as our beta testers report improved audio
quality using Playlist mode when compared to iTunes
mode.
- Support for FLAC, AAC and MP3 playback. - Note:
FLAC playback requires installing FLAC components.
Fluke required for use with iTunes.
- Improved Background Manager.
- Advanced iZotope 64-bit Sample Rate Conversion
and enhancements.
- Background FLAC conversion to AIFF.
- Enhanced Background Manager user interface.
- Improved support for non-latin character sets
and extended file names.
- Support for NoNOISE™ broadband noise removal
plug-in option.
- Play CDs through Amarra using your Mac as a
transport.
- Works with all Core Audio Interfaces.
- Improved high-resolution Sonic EQ: Save and
recall your favorite settings.
- Automatic hardware sample rate adjustment based
on the native sample rate of the song being played.
- • Adjustable digital volume with automated
dither processing AutoPilot - Playlist auto loading
of consecutive tracks from iTunes.
- Enhanced integration with Sonic Hardware
including: - Dim Front Panel, - Control Volume and
adjustment settings.
- New Reduced Price: $695.00 USD
NOTE: Until September 15, 2010,
receive a $75 gift certificate for you to purchase and
download the pristine high-resolution music of the
Reference Recordings catalog with your new purchase
of Amarra at $695. Jump start your high-res music
collection compliments of all of us here at Sonic
Studio.
Price $695.00
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Amarra 2.0 New Feature Focus :: |
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The New Main User Interface - |
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Amarra/iTunes Status Indicator:
This indicates Amarra’s playback status:
Blue = Amarra is playing the track
Orange = iTunes is playing the track
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Playlist
This button brings up the Playlist Window where tracks
can be loaded and played. The Playlist can be used to
assemble music lists for gapless playback.
iTunes is no longer used during Playlist playback. |
EQ
This opens (or closes) the Amarra EQ window. Option
click to enable/disable Sonic EQ.
With Sonic Studio/Amarra Hardware you can also open the
+DSP hardware based Sonic EQ. |
TRACKS
This displays the list of tracks loaded in the current
Playlist. |
Device / File Information
The upper display shows the format, sample rate, and bit
resolution of the current track.
The lower displays shows the current Audio device, Clock
Source, and Hardware Sample Rate.
Current dither status is also displayed. |
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Transport Controls
The Previous Track, Play/Pause, and Next Track buttons.
are located here.
The same controls are in iTunes and can be used too. |
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Amarra Volume Control
The volume control is found here.
The buttons are hot spots for -144 (Mute), -6 and 0 dB
(Full Volume).
NOTE: You can use the up / down arrow keys to adjust the
volume.
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The Amarra Playlist –
Amarra provides its own Playlist window that can be used
to control playback instead of iTunes. You can load
Tracks from iTunes and using the Finder. You can also
Drag and Drop files onto the Playlist to add them.
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AutoPilot
You can use AutoPilot to load
consecutive tracks from iTunes. Amarra will load 10, 20,
or 40 tracks (based on the preference setting). When the
tracks are finished playing Amarra will then loaded the
next set of tracks.
Open Via iTunes / Open
Files
Files are added from iTunes or
from the Finder using these commands. Based on the
AutoPilot setting either Selected Tracks or Consecutive
Tracks will be loaded. The Open Files will prompt you to
selected files to load.
Clear
Clears the current Playlist.
Open Playlist / Save Playlist
Playlists can be saved and opened for later use. |
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The New Sonic EQ User Interface - |
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EQ On/Off
This turns Amarra EQ On and Off.
There are also many presets that you can use. The Room
Node presets provide adjustment of bass node for present
in most room setups.
NOTE: Have a favorite EQ setting and
want to save it for future use? The new Desk menu items
allows you to save and recall your EQ settings. Set up
an EQ, go to the Desk menu and select Save Sonic EQ Set
Up... for easy recall using the Open Sonic EQ... item.
Parametric EQ
The parametric filter is a classic, three parameter
version, with Resonant Frequency, gain, Quality Factor.
The Quality Factor, or Q, is defined as the resonant
frequency, or center frequency in the case of a
symmetrical filter, divided by the bandwidth. The
bandwidth is, in turn, defined as the one or two
frequencies at which the filter response is 3 dB up or
down from unity gain.
As an example, a parametric filter with a Q of 1 has a
bandwidth of 100 Hz when its center frequency is set to
100 Hz but, it has a bandwidth of 1000 Hz when the
center frequency is set to 1000 Hz.
The family of curves shown below include a wide Q of
0.5, a medium Q of 2.0 and a narrow Q of 10. The order
or slope of this filter is 6 dB per octave.
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More Amarra Feature Details :: |
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Learn more about the Sonic EQ, Dither, and Sample Rate
Conversion. |
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Amarra MINI :: |
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Amarra MINI is your introduction to the
high-resolution 88.2/96 kHz world. Its name, MINI, is just as it
sounds: a smaller, simpler version of the Amarra Ultrafidelity™
music player. Sharing the same Sonic Studio Engine (SSE)
playback as the full version, Amarra MINI provides bit-perfect
output of standard and hi-rez audio files to your audio
interface and DAC, supporting sample rates up to 96 kHz.
Amarra MINI 2.0 Software Features ::
- Advanced digital volume control
- Plays 44.1-96 kHz MP3, AAC,WAV, AIFF and FLAC
formats
- Uses iTunes for rights managed music
- Support for Apple Lossless & FLAC
- FLAC to AIFF conversion
- Sonic EQ presets
- Price: $295.00 USD
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Amarra MINI 1.2 Software Features :: |
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- Automatic Hardware Sample Rate Management.
- Advanced digital volume
- Plays all high resolution PCM formats up to
96kHz
- Uses iTunes for compressed and rights managed
music
- Native Support for Apple Lossless up to 96kHz
- Natively plays Compact Discs - no ripping
- Playlist Mode sidelines iTunes for gapless
playback
- Advanced iZotope 64-bit Sample Rate Conversion
- Use your Apple Remote or iTouch with rowmote
software
- Support for Snow Leopard, Leopard and Tiger
versions of OS X
- Optional NoNOISE II noise reduction
- Uses iLok Smart Key or License File for
authorization
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When used with a Model Four the following features
are enabled: |
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- Amarra controlled Analog Volume Control
- Integration with DSP based Sonic EQ for room
adjustment (Q4 2010)
- Routing for external components (CD, Phone, DVD,
etc) (Q3 2010)
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Download the
Amarra MINI Overview PDF |
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Price $295.00 |
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Sonic Studio
History |
Under the auspices of Sonic
Solutions, the Sonic Studio audio workstation has driven
the professional production and delivery of commercial
Compact Discs. The original “Sonic System” pioneered the
desktop delivery of Red Book masters on recordable CD
and DDP. To this day, two of every three commercially
released CD titles were mastered on a SonicStudio
workstation.
Sonic Studio’s NoNOISE™ noise reduction tools for sound
production and restoration for television and film
garnered Dr. James Andrew Moorer both an Emmy™ and an
Oscar™ for technological achievement.
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The Early Years |
The Sonic System began life as a
research into real–time, computer–based audio production, called
the ASP (Audio Signal Processor) and was designed by James A.
Moorer, our advisor. The ASP’s design started life in 1980 and
was called the SoundDroid, an in–house project of Lucasfilm’s
Ltd.’s subsidary The Droid Works, The development team went on
to start Sonic Solutions and create the NoNOISE restoration
system in 1987, hosted on a Motorola–powered SUN 1. Our current
system is the 10th generation of this original design.
At just about that time a small company called Apple
Computer’s released the Macintosh II. This became the platform
for the first version of the Sonic Station. By 1988, the Sonic
Station was in service at EMI Abbey Road and Finesplice in
London, and MCA in California, performing “miraculous” feats of
restoration and starting a trend of mining back catalogue that
continues to this day.
Demand grew for a turnkey Compact Disc preparation
system and, in 1990 with support for Sony the Sonic System was
born.
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Many firsts followed: |
- First CD Production System ::
The Sonic System
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First Noise Reduction System :: NoNoise
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First audio workstation to offer full 24 bit 96 /
192 kHz support
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First network designed for high rate media ::
MediaNet
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First DSD Production System
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The Present Day: |
In 2002,
Sonic Solutions started a joint venture with Sonic
Studio, LLC to carry on the development, sales, and
support of Sonic Solutions’ audio workstation products.
In 2004, Sonic Studio released its first Native OS X
application SonicStudio•DDP. This was followed in 2006
by PreMaster CD, and in 2007 soundBlade was released as
the replacement for the Sonic Studio HD workstation of
the '90s.
Today, Sonic Studio, LLC continues to lead the industry
in fidelity, value and ease of use. Our product lines
address the needs of the world’s most discriminating
listners. The Sonic Studio range remains the standard
for professional audio production and computer music
players.
Into the future, Sonic Studio is poised to lead the way
for high resolution audio playback for the home.
For additional information on Sonic Studio, please
contact our Marketing Communications Manager at
415-460-1201
Select Papers of Interest
48-Bit Integer Processing Beats 32-Bit Floating Point —
James A. Moorer. Presented at the 107th AES Convention,
September 1999, Preprint 5038 (L-3)
Breaking the Sound Barrier: Mastering at 96 kHz and
Beyond — James A. Moorer. Presented at the 101st AES
Convention, November 1996, Preprint 4357 (I-2)
Soundworks: An
Object-Oriented Distributed System for Digital Sound —
Jonathan Reichbach, Author. First network based system
for Audio Editing and Playback. Readings in
Computer-Generated Music, IEEE Computer Society Press
1992 |
