The NAMM show in ANAHEIM saw MOTU debut the MOTU Ethno Instrument, a cross-platform virtual instrument that gives users quick and easy access to an 8GB library of world/ethnic instruments, loops and phrases.

With 4GB of expressive ethnic instrument sounds combined with another 4GB of authentic world music loops and phrases, Ethno Instrument delivers all of the exotic textures needed to take recordings to the four corners of the globe. Ethno's multi-column preset browser clearly organizes both instruments and loops by regions of the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Celtic, Eastern Europe, India, Middle East, Mediterranean, West Indies, Occidental and others.

Instrument sounds may also be browsed by instrument categories, including Woodwind, Stringed, Bell/Metal/Gong, Key, Voice, Percussion and others. When the user loads a sound, a map displays the area of the world that the instrument comes from. If the user then clicks the map, a picture of the instrument appears so that the user can see what it looks like.

Ethno Instrument can be used on the Mac or PC as a plug-in with any compatible host application (VST, DXi, MAS, Audio Units and RTAS) or as a stand-alone application (included), where users can load up to 64 different instruments per instance (triggered independently via 64 MIDI channels) to create ensembles of any size and scope, sub-mixed to as many as 17 independent stereo outputs (under stand-alone operation or under hosts that support multiple outputs).

The MOTU Ethno Instrument will ship during the first quarter of this year, 2006 for a list price of £249.

Click here to buy Ethno Instrument