Mac and Music News

Lucifer VST is a repeat/scratch effect plugin for Mac OS X. Lucifer VST is designed for use effects in realtime and for live performance, for manipulating audio tracks in realtime. A new version 1.1 is available and features 4 Sets of the 6 FX graphs, new spread functionality, WAIT mode also quantizes on note off and new GUI.

This update is free and the demo has also been updated to v1.1.

As we guessed 3 weeks ago, Apple today introduced Logic Pro 7 ($999 / £699) and Logic Express 7 ($299 / £199). Logic Pro 7 includes breakthrough new software instruments such as Sculpture, a component-modeling based synthesizer; UltraBeat, an innovative and powerful drum machine; and new plug-ins including Guitar Amp Pro, a full-featured guitar amplifier simulator. Along with over 100 workflow enhancements, new mastering plug-ins and support for Apple Loops, Logic Pro 7 debuts distributed audio processing, a revolutionary technology which allows audio pros to tap into a virtually unlimited number of Macs to expand available Digital Signal Processing (DSP) power.

Logic Pro 7 is available now through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Registered users of Logic Pro 6 as well as Logic Platinum, Logic Gold 5 or Logic Gold 6 can upgrade to Logic Pro 7 for $299 (£199). Logic Express 7 will be available in October.

The virtual synth Albino by LinPlug comes with a cutting-edge selection of presets designed by sound designer Rob Papen. Albino is a VST and AU plug-in synthesizer for Mac and features a modular, extensible design with three oscillator modules, two filter modules, two envelope modules and eight effect modules. The synth is 32-note polyphonic (CPU-dependent) with up to four oscillators per voice. This new version 2.1 features a new Gator Effect, MIDI Bank Select, many new presets and bugfixes.

Info and download from the MM Softs section.

Developpers : Have you created a compliant audio unit or audio unit hosting application for Mac OS X? Tell the world by using the Audio Units logo. This update provides enhancements for more complete verification of compliance with the specification.

MacMusic is seven years old! The oldest members (Celmo, Sophia...) remember it as if it was just yesterday: on Sept 29th 1997, a discussion mailing list called MacMusic appeared on the internet! One year later, a web page was redirecting this list, and during 1999, MacMusic was making its first steps as a website. No bugs were seen in early 2000, but the mailing list disappeared, and classified ads together with the links directory were born.  2001 was a great year, as it witnessed the birth of the forum and, at the end of the same year, MacMusic became fully bilingual, looking quite the same as the site you know today.

Let's pay tribute to its founder, Soif, and to the various section staff: June Bug (Software), Miss Kiki (Articles), Babaille (Classifieds), LePetitMartien and the moder ...

Digidesign have posted an update 1.0.2. for its plugin Smack because Smack and Smack LE version 1.0 for Mac OS X were inadvertently set to expire on October 9th, 2004. Smack is a new professional compressor/limiter plug-in designed specifically for music applications. Smack features three compression modes, unique compression ratios, and harmonic distortion ideally suited for achieving a wide range of sonic variations and colorations. Additionally, the plug-in supports side-chain processing, multi-channel track types, and the full range of ProTools sample rates and plug-in formats.

Version 1.0.2 has no expiration date for the fully licensed version

Cycling '74 announced an update to version 4.5.2 of Max-MSP, its graphical programming environment. This update features : minor changes and many bugs fixed.

Info on Cycling '74 web site.

MicroTonic or "µTonic" by Sonic Charge is a VST plug-in featuring a unique drum and percussion synthesizer combined with a pattern based drum-machine engine. it now comes for Mac OS X (10.2 or later) and needs a Mac 500MHz G3. It costs $69.

Because registration is cross-platform, you do not need to purchase an additional registration for the Mac version if you own the µTonic for Windows

Edirol announced the R-1, a portable 24-bit Wave and mp3 recorder and player. The R-1 features two electret mics, external line and mic inputs, a 24-bit internal effects processor (noise reducer, 10-band EQ, reverb and more). it also features a metronome, a tuner, half-speed playback, and A-B repeat to loop one section of an audio file. The R-1 stores files to Compact Flash (up to 2Gb) and comes with a 64MB card which allows a maximum record time of 130 minutes (mp3, 64 kbps mode). it also features an USB port and a phones/optical output.

The R-1 will cost $550 and will be available in late November.

RealGuitar is available as a VSTi version for OS X. In RealGuitar, new features are : added special 'RnC' mode providing the direct access for Rhythm'n'Chords Pro 2.5 MFX plug-in to RealGuitar multi-sample architecture. RealGuitar is now Mac compatible (OSX VSTi only).

A demo version is also available from the MusicLab web site.

SoundField has announced the new Surround Zone plug-in for Digidesign's Pro Tools software. The Surround Zone brings all the control of SoundField's surround and stereo processing to the digital domain. It combines the hardware features of both the SP451 surround processor and the MKV System.

Surround Zone for Pro Tools costs $1,062.50.

IDrum by Bitshift Audio is a drum machine for Mac OS X. This update adds support in Japanese, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. It also fixes bugs.

Info and download from the MM softs section.

Obsession by E-Lab is a RNB & Hip-hop Loop Player. It now comes to version 1.1 and features 3000 Loops, 5000 drumsamples with possibility to import external Rex2 files and 8 tracks of simultaneous loop playback with millions of loop combinations.

Obession is now available on RTAS, VST and AudioUnit formats.

MOTU has just posted on its support page 2 updates for Reverse and Phase plugins for Digital Perfomer on Mac OS X. These versions of the Reverse and Invert Phase are v.1.0.1 and works on DP 4.12.

More info on MOTU web site.

Five Line Skink 1.2a3 by Toronto Celtic Music Page is an abc music editor, score display and player. The abc notation is a compact, human and machine readable notation that can be used to produce scores, and has more than 20K tunes available. Five Line Skink is a Java application that runs on Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows and can be used to edit, play and display abc file.

Info on this freeware available from the MM Softs section.

Bitcartel announces an update to RadioLover, the MP3 radio song recorder, bringing it to version 1.3, build 63. The update brings improved iTunes integration, options for re-connection, improved multi-threading in the application and many bug fixes.

Registered users can upgrade for free.

Kreativ Sounds releases Analog BASStard Refill for Reason 2.5. Analog BASStard is a complete collection of dirty, fat, warm and vintage analog basses. Analog BASStard features: 51 analog bass multisamples recorded from Minimoog, Juno 106, TB303, Pro One and Prophet 5, 128 NNXT Advanced Sampler Patches, 150 NN19 Sampler Patches, 158 Analog Bass Loops and 5 ReDrum analog kits.

The full version of Analog BASStard has 142 Mb. It's available to purchase online via the website for the introductory price 23.5 EU / 29.50$.

The AudioUnit versions of MHC's Studio Setup plugins have been updated to version 2.0.3. The plugins reported falsely that they had two output busses. They have one stereo output and not two. The Studio Setup contains the Space Synth, Fatsondo, Voxynth, Vox FX, Space Effect and Flex FX plugins.

Info and download from the MHC website.