Mac and Music News

MOTU's hybrid synthesis virtual instrument MX4, is now shipping for Digital Performer (MAS), Pro Tools (RTAS), Logic Pro and other Mac OS X audio hosts (Audio Units). The release includes several additional features not previously announced, such as built-in effects, more LFOs, external audio input, a unison multiplier and parameter randomization options for creative programming.

Info on Motu web site.

As usual, IRCAM's forum workshops take place twice a year. The october session will take place from 13th to 15th october '04 at Ircam Paris. The 3-day programme si :

- 13th October : presentation of Ircam softwares (Audiosculpt, Modalys, ...).
- 14th October : day about softwares companies, with a special evening about Melodyne software, with Peter Neubäcker, Celemony founder.
- 15 October : from studio to stage.

Inscription costs 150 euros (for non-member). You can reach IRCAM for inscription by phone (0-1 44 78 49 62), by mail (admin-forum@ircam.fr) or by Ircam forum web site.

SoundHack, the famous soundfile processing program which performs many utility and esoteric sound processing functions available nowhere else, is now growing to version 0.893. This update adds support for SDIF spectral files.

Prehaps a good day to read again our Tom Erbe interview in the MacMusic articles section....

The Mac OS 10.3.5 update is now available on download via "Softwares update" utility in the Mac system prefs menu. These are some of the enhancements included with the Mac OS X 10.3.5 Update :

- Bluetooth enhancements
- Networking, Internet enhancements
- Image Capture can now import MPEG-4 movies (.MP4) from compatible digital cameras.
- Resolves a potential data loss issue after renaming a Mail mailbox file.
- Mail and image transfert utility updates;
- Corrects an issue in which analog speakers connected to a PowerBook or iBook during sleep sometimes didn't produce sound after waking the computer.
- Resolves an issue with Mac OS X 10.3.4 in which the internal microphones of some iBook (Dual USB) computers would not be available to applications or Sound preferences.
- Includes recent Security Updates.

This update is also available on the Apple web site.

Rogue Amoeba has announced two small updates , with the release of Nicecast 1.6 and Audio Hijack 2.1.4. Both of these updates allow for full compatibilitiy with the forthcoming OS X 10.3.5, along with several other improvements. Nicecast 1.6 also features the new Instant Hijack method of grabbing audio first seen in Audio Hijack Pro, making the use of Unsanity's Application Enhancers (APE) optional. It also includes a new Recent Tracks Log preference and new Archiving formats for saving your broadcasts. The update to Audio Hijack includes several key bug fixes and bulletproof AIFF recording, which protects recordings against corruption caused by crashes.

These updates are available on free download.

Numerology is combining the hardware modular sequencers with all the power and the ease of a software. This soft is a real creativity tools for sequences and complex rythmn patterns. Version 1.4.1 adds the XY-ChordRhythms example to the numer-all download.

Take more on this impassioning soft in the MacMusic softwares section.

Alien Apparatus Company, Inc. announces reduced pricing on it Solo Performer Show Controller system.A version 1.1 of the software has been released to incorporate a demo mode so that the software may be installed and evaluated before purchasing the complete system. The software manages and plays lists of backing audio, lyrics displays, and light shows. The full package also includes a USB foot pedal controller that allows the software to be controlled in a hands-free manner and enables DMX512 lighting to be connected and controlled.

The system for controlling shows for solo musicians is now priced at $395.

FracturedSoftware is pleased to announce the first public release of Rondo v.80, a new Midi player for MacOS X. Rondo has been designed from the ground up to be simple, uncluttered and easy to use. Rondo has many innovative features including a vertical piano roll with live scrolling and a pull down playhead with a piano that will play along with the music.

Rondo is alpha software and requires MacOS X 10.3 (it may work on earlier versions).

FLOW is an audio computer program running on Apple Macintosh machines. It generates an ever-changing and never repeating soundscape in real time that fills space with flooding sounds that resemble - metaphorically - the timbres of water, fire, earth, and air. Feed your own sounds into the system and listen what the algorithms are composing. The system parameters can be accessed either with your mouse or with an attached MIDI controller. And finally, the result can be recorded as a sound file.

All info about fLOW (shareware) is available on MM softwares section.

Keith's tuner is a very sophisticated instrument tuner with some features which make it easy to use: autodetection of target note (as nearest true note to the detected frequency), scrolling graph of error, showing not only momentary pitch error but error over time, equal temperament, user-controllable frequency precision, mic gain, frequency value of middle 'A' and textual data on precise frequencies both of the target note and the detected note

All info on the new carbonized version is available on MacMusic Softwares section.

M-Audio has released a new Revolution 5.1 PCI based surround sound card. The Revolution 5.1 features low CPU usage, three 1/8-inch stereo jacks provide six discrete outputs--five for main speakers and one for a subwoofer--for channel-accurate surround reproduction. All six of the Revolution 5.1's outputs simultaneously deliver high-definition audio up to 192kHz at 24-bit resolution. Revolution 5.1 also features a S/PDIF digital output providing Dolby Digital and DTS pass-through to home theater systems.

The M-Audio Revolution 5.1 PCI is now shipping and costs $100.

The URS FullTec is a five band Program Equalizer.  The FullTec Program EQ was inspired and designed for Digidesign's ICON console. The plug-in maps perfectly to the ICON D-Control Master EQ section. The URS FullTec EQ is compatible with all Pro Tools systems (HD Accel, HD, Mix, LE).

All info on MacMusic Softwares section.

Wonder Warp Software Group today has announced version 2.2 of its popular chord dictionary application SimpleChord. The update adds two new chord types, makes interface improvements, many new keyboard shortcuts, and addresses several bugs.

All info on the Wonder Warp web site.

ps Clouvel : thanks a lot to Dan for its continuing info about SimpleChord releases...