Korg Releases Major Audiogate™ Software Update For All MR-Series Recorders

May 29, 2009

AudioGate™Version 2.0 file format conversion software includes new file editing tools, Korg's enhanced "AQUA" dithering algorithm, plus CD/DSD disc creation capabilities Korg's MR Series recorders — the MR-1, MR-1000 and MR-2000S — introduced affordable DSD 1-bit recording and archiving. Korg includes its AudioGate™file management/conversion software free with every recorder. The newly released AudioGate Version 2.0 represents a major upgrade and includes many new features.

AudioGate 2.0's new file editing tools include "Normalize," allowing files to be exported at their highest level without clipping. The output level range has also been improved from ±24 dB to ±60 dB, and the peak level metering has been improved for better visual monitoring. When converting from one digital format to another, AudioGate 2.0 includes standard TPDF dithering, plus Korg's own enhanced "AQUA" dithering that closely follows human hearing characteristics for much more musical and natural sounding results.

AudioGate 2.0 can be used to create DSD audio discs that preserve the superior audio fidelity of 1-bit recording made on the MR-Series recorders. These enhanced discs can be played in a variety of devices - Sony PlayStation®s, VAIO® computers and certain stand-alone DSD players. Traditional audio CDs can also be made directly within AudioGate, with support for album artwork and CD-Text data. In addition to existing single-bit DSD/DSF and multi-bit BWAV formats, AudioGate 2.0 now includes the ability to import and export FLAC files. Windows Media Audio can now be imported in the Mac version (1) (2) of AudioGate 2.0. Additionally, MP3 (3) and Windows Media Audio (WMA Professional and WMA Lossless) can be exported in Windows, and AAC (1) and Apple Lossless (1) can be exported from Mac. Tracks from existing audio CDs can be loaded directly into AudioGate 2.0, with support for embedded graphic images — album artwork, session photos, etc. — also added.

(1) QuickTime 7 required.

(2) Flip4Mac WMV required.
(3) Windows Media Player 10 (or later) required.

Korg Senior Technology Product Manager Jerry Kovarsky states, "With the ability to now create superlative DSD audio discs, and use our new AQUA dithering algorithm for other delivery needs, AudioGate moves away from being a nice utility, and toward becoming a essential audio application for our owners. Many other streamlined workflow enhancements have been added as well, based on feedback from our users." Korg MR-Series owners can download AudioGate Version 2.0 free of charge at the Korg website.