Mac and Music News

What would you need to bring company to your Vermona synths full of separated outs? In need of more channels on your mixer? Here comes the Regent, not a lot of information at present but there is a 3 band EQ on each channel, Jack plugs I/Os (combo Neutrik on the PA version so maybe a preamp there…), Power from mains is internal, wood sides to be classy.

Apple rounded out today's NAMM announcements with a peek into what's next from Apple's music software. The "next generation" of Logic so far sounds a lot like this version of Logic, but with enhanced support for Apple Loops, the looping technology built into Apple's Garage Band and Soundtrack software which the company is pushing as a "powerful open-standard file format for real-time matching of audio loops and sound effects." Let's hope Apple promotes this "open-standard" approach; it'd be great to see Apple Loops in MOTU Digital Performer or even Ableton Live.

Most of what Apple's revealing about the next Logic is in the form of new software synths and effects: Sculpture, a new component-modeling based synth for physical modeling of instruments with extensive modeling and resonant bod ...

The latest release of Apple's loop-based video scoring software adds MTC/MIDI beat clock sync, user customizable effect presets, improved support for large audio files, document compression, and enhancements to media manager and timeline. (It's unclear, incidentally, whether any of those options are available in Apple's latest, Garage Band.) A serial number is required to download the update (below).

The new HHB Portadrive by is now available, coinciding with the Winter NAMM 2004 show. The Portadrive records over four hours of uncompressed eight-channel 24-bit/96kHz or over twenty hours of four-channel 24-bit/48khz audio onto a resilient and removable 40GB hard disk. The recorder includes eight line inputs, four line outputs, eight channels of digital I/O and six high gain, very low noise XLR microphone inputs. All mic inputs feature individual phantom powering

The HBB Portadrive is being shipped by distributor Sennheiser Electronics Corporation.

Ergonis software announces that his MIDI sequencer software easy beat will become available for Mac OS X. Easy Beat features up to 16 tracks plus a metronome track, 128 instruments plus 9 drum kits,multiple views, score printing and export of QuickTime movies and AIFF files.

The public beta version of Easy Beat 2.0 for Mac OS X can be downloaded here :

This is a smaller update that enhances operation within Digital Performer (problems with controlling knobs and sliders in BATTERY are solved). Plus it includes some smaller optimizations for all Mac OS X users.

Known issues:
- Loading a kit in RTAS/OSX: After choosing a new kit in the open dialog the kit cannot be openend by means of the open button, without prior selection of a sample folder. Opening kits using double click works, though.
- No manual value entry: Under RTAS OSX it is not possible to enter values for controls manually.
- Crash while load: BATTERY is likely to crash if you close the plugin battery window while BATTERY is loading a kit.
- No "umlauts" supported: The OSX version of BATTERY will not support the loading of kits that contain umlauts or special charact ...

Prosoniq announces at NAMM '04 the availability of Rayverb, an inverse retraycing reverb VST plugin. Raytracing is a technique used in the generation of computer generated imagery (CGI) to create reflective surfaces, so Rayverb allows you to change the position of your sound source within the room, change the material of the walls, apply material from a different ambience or even alter the proportions of the room, all in realtime.

More information and a demo will be available shortly after the NAMM show.

PSP Nitro is a multimode filter VST, RTAS and AudioUnit plug-in. It offers many filter types derived from analog prototypes, featuring 4 sound processing operators , a wide variety of filters and other effects, two LFOs with advanced sync possibilities, envelope detector with adaptive mode and ADSR generator, virtual cables and MIDI control.

The demo version of PSP Nitro should be available to download in the beginning of January 2004.

The ads and second hand gear section has been updated to better serve internationnal members. All ads are sorted by country (see the scrolling menu). From now on, in each country you can propose your ad and then members from your own country will automatically open up the ads for the right country. We hope this new service will develop exchanges between MacMusic members.

MacMusic is not exclusively dedicated to synthesizer freaks. So a new section called "instrument" has been created to promote the sales of your guitar, French Horn or any other instruments. It will be easier to empty your loft!

Yours truly, MacMusic's own English editor-in-chief, was a live guest on the internationally syndicated Inside Mac Radio show on Saturday. I talked to hosts Scott Shepard and Macworld Magazine's Andrew Shalat about Apple's new Garage Band software. Download the show as an MP3 and listen on your Mac or iPod (or iPod mini). Update: File now available. Link was broken early in the day as the radio show edit wasn't done, but it's now available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Go grab it now! -PK

Digital Doctor has released ShowControlPro v2 software for Mac OS X, which allows control of live audio mixes via MIDI. Mix parameters and outboard FX are controlled using MIDI program changes to recall snapshots and patches in digital desks (Yamaha 02R, Digico D5) and FX (Yamaha SPX 990, TC D-2) that are capable of receiving MIDI program change data. This frees up the sound engineer to concentrate on the mix, rather than worrying about changing FX patches manually.

ShowControlPro requires MacOSX (10.2 or later), a MIDI interface and compatible Mac drivers for OSX. ShowControlPro costs £95 + VAT

Unique Recording Software has realised a digital emulation of Solid State Logic's SSL 4000e Console Equalizer, a six band equalizer (4 bands plus HP/LP Filters) TDM and RTAS plugin. Available for both Mac OS 9 and OS X, URS S 1.0 costs 399 euros and is iLok protected.

JK Audio Software has announced that three audio plugins for Pro Tools users are available as a free download for Mac OS X. These plugins are Luppo1 (a RTAS looper plugin), Peakme (a peak meter) and Limo (a limiter plugin). These plugins are in RTAS for Mac OS X.

Jean Piché from the Montreal University annouces a new version of Cecilia, a graphic user interface for the sound synthesis and sound processing package Csound. This new version 2.5 is now fully compatible with Mac OS X.

To run this version of Cecilia, you need to install the Batterie-Included tcl/tk package, drag your Cecilia application into your applications folder and set your preferences on the first Cecilia launch.

Hi folks, here for you, a brand new translation from Barpi's french article.
You'll browse with him the differents stereo recordings techniques as well as a couple of tricks and good advices. A really good article.

WormHole by Apulsoft is an Audio Unit plugin for Mac OS X which can transmit audio via TCP/IP and between applications or even transmitting audio inside an application. It uses little CPU power and has a low (adjustable) latency, and works with any Network Interface (Ethernet, Firewire, Airport). WormHole costs 25 euros.