Mac and Music News

Breakbeat scientist bitshift has created 40 MB of exclusive Apple Loops, available for free download, perfect for GarageBand and Soundtrack. And since Apple Loops are plain AIFFs, of course, you can load them into non-Apple Loops software like Ableton Live and loop them there, too. Best news: if you saw this item a few days ago, just tried the download and thanks to a new server it's downloading nice and fast! Opt-in for their mailing list and you'll get free software instruments, too. Enjoy!

Drums on Demand has released its Vol. 1 loop CD in Apple Loops format for use with GarageBand and Soundtrack. The collection includes nearly 900 live, acoustic drum loops organized into 41 "Song Sets" -- the song-based organization is includes as many as 33 verse, chorus, fill, bridge, break, intro, ending, and other loops, so that you can use the samples to easily build a song structure. Royalty free, with rock, pop, and country styles, 72-170 bmp, 24-bit 44.1Khz; list US$49.95.

In February 2004 the Traktor Final Scratch 1.1 software by Native Instruments will receive an update to version 1.5. This update includes important optimizations for Mac OS X , brings new drivers that have been specially optimized for Mac OS 10.3 "Panther" and Traktor FS 1.5 now offers the high-quality timestretching functionality of TRAKTOR DJ Studio 2.5.

This update will be available in February. For a limited time, it will be offered as a free download to all customers who purchased FS 1.1 after January 1st, 2004. All other customers can get the update as a 49 Euro direct download or an update CD for 79 Euro.

IK Multimedia has announced an update to 2.0.3 version of Sampletank. This update fixes bugs on Mac OS X (authorization window, search function), improves the stretch function and the SampleCell and Akai import process.

Updates for Mac OS 9 (5.3 Mb) and Mac OS X (4.9 Mb) are available on download on the IK Multimedia web site.

We're proud to introduce a MacMusic exclusive -- a music-themed comic from talented Mac animator William "Macboy" Levin, created just for us. Talk to the creator by hitting the comment link. Tune in for the next comic next Monday, same MacMusic time, same MacMusic channel. -PK

Ed: We don't normally post press releases verbatim, but this one is interesting -- an online mastering service. -PK XARC Mastering, the world's first Internet specific mastering service, has added a slew of new innovations to its website and reports a rush of new projects from all over the world.

Since launching just two months ago, XARC Mastering's success has exceeded all expectations with more than 30 projects now complete from clients based in 20 different countries.

We had announced that Amplitube would soon be available under VST and AudioUnits formats for Mac OS X. IK multimedia has announced that a AudioUnit beta version of its guitar FX is now downloadable for registered users.

The update, originally scheduled to be released end of January will be priced 79 Euros. The complete package Amplitude VST and AudioUnits will cost 399 Euros

Apple has announced an iBook logic board repair extension program covering repair or replacement of the logic board in specific iBook G3 models manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003. These iBooks have one or more of the following symptoms: distorted video, computer starts up to blank screen, video freeze, etc.

If your iBook has a serial number in the following range(s): UV220xxxxxx to UV318xxxxxx, you can call an AppleCare Contact Center for the country in which you are located, or your Authorized Apple Dealer.