Mac and Music News

Bias Inc. unveiled Peak 4, a major new version of the leading stereo waveform editing application for Macintosh. Peak 4 offers a wealth of new features and enhancements, including support for Audio Unit plug-ins - Apple's new audio plug-in standard for Mac OS X, Multi-processor support, Redbook CD burning from directly within the Peak application, a host of new DSP tools, and many other enhancements. In addition, Peak 4's graphic user interface has been streamlined, and sports a new elegant brushed metal look that Macintosh enthusiasts will surely feel at home with. Finally, Peak 4 is now a Mac OS X-only application, enabling it to take full advantage of the OS X-only services within OS X.

FXpansion announced the VST to AudioUnit Adapter. It's a simple wrapper for VST plug-ins so they can be used in AudioUnits software (like Logic or the announced update of DP that will support AudioUnits).

The plug-ins tested successfully with it by FXpansion are coming from: Steinberg, Waves, TC-Works, Prosoniq, LinPlug, MDA, reFX, Ohm Force, Synapse Audio, DSound, PSP, Waldorf, INA-GRM, Elemental Audio, Arturia, AAS, Bitshift Audio, Bitheadz, DMI, GMedia, Green Oak, Rumpelrausch Taips, Spectrasonics, Swar Systems, Yellow Tools, Silverspike, Destroyfx, Antares, DigitalFishPhones.

Release date TBA but preordering possible, price $75

Yamaha has released the latest USB drivers for the 02R96, and DM2000 consoles and posted them for immediate download. The drivers are available for OS9 and OSX.

ECHO the digital audio company, just announce the final touch on their new driver, making all their products fully compatible with OSX (Core Audio and Core Midi).

The souncards Gina, Layla 24, Mona, Mia and Mia Midi are now ready to run under OSX.

Native Instruments announces that all new NI products as well as the existing catalogue will be outfitted with the RTAS interface.

NI is currently working intensely on equipping the entire product line with RTAS support. All new products coming out in 2003 will support the RTAS interface (Windows, Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X), while support for the existing products will be implemented in future updates of the products.

RTAS will soon be the new standard for integration of NI products into ProTools and completely replace DirectConnect. With RTAS support the integration of NI software synthesizers, samplers and effects into ProTools systems reaches a new level of quality. Soon all NI products will offer ProTools users complete automation, total recall, and remote control of all plug-in control elements via Digidesign hardware controllers.

A schedule for upcoming RTAS support, as well as further information, can be found on:

The Digidesign Core Audio driver allows your third-party applications supporting the Apple Core Audio standard to utilize your Pro Tools system for audio input and output.
This initial version of the Core Audio driver requires some embedded Pro Tools components. As such, it is a requirement that Pro Tools 6.0.1 must be installed for correct Core Audio driver operation. A stand-alone version is annonced for the coming weeks. Beware, the Digidesign Core Audio driver can only work with one application at a time, and is not able to support playback of system sounds.

Cycling'74, the editor of Pluggo jitter and Max-msp has just released RadiaL, a software for realtime loops' treatment, optimized for playing live, composing, designing...
RadiaL is based on loop channels represented by circular displays, each with its own performable multi-filter and pitch shifting/time scaling. Almost every aspect of the system can be configured for live performance, studio recording, or sound exploration, controlled from a variety of sources (control surfaces, MIDI, keyboard or mouse). RadiaL features complete multi-channel audio I/O support, audio and effects routing, and support for VST plug-ins.