Mac and Music News

ChucK is a new audio programming language for real-time synthesis, composition, and performance, which runs on commodity operating systems. ChucK presents a new time-based concurrent programming model, which supports multiple, simultaneous, dynamic control rates, and the ability to add, remove, and modify code, on-the-fly, while the program is running, without stopping or restarting.

The 1.1.5.3 version is available in our softs section.

Open Tuning is a MIDI utility for Mac OS X offering to MIDI and MIDI-fied polyphonic instrument players the ability to play and explore an unlimited number of virtual tunings without needing to retune the instrument each time. In this new version, the internal Mac OS X Audio-Unit DLS Soft-Synth can now be chosen as MIDI destination to be played from Open Tuning through a user-friendly interface.

More info and dowload in the MacMusic softwares section.

Project Sam announced that true Strike 1 will be available in January. True Strike 1 is an orchestral percussion sample library which features sampled percussion instruments and will be available in 2 versions. The 51 instrument is a 18 Gb featuring a wide range of percussion instruments, effects and the versatility of three microphone sets. The Sarter Edition features a collection of 41 out of 51 percussion instruments in one microphone set.

The Professional Edition will cost 399$ and the Starter Edition 199$.

Digidesign has updated Pro Tools TDM to version 6.7 cs 1. This update fixes following items : option-Clicking on the Tempo Slider Would Cause a Crash (Item #55496), an Audible Pop Would Result when Stopping Playback (Item #54509), an Audio Glitch Could Be Recorded when Using Pre-Roll (Item #54843)and it Was Possible to Assign a Multiple-Output Instrument Plug-In's Output to Its Own Input (Item #55546).

This 20 Mb update is available in MM softs section.

Bias Inc. announced an update to version 4.13 for its audio editing softwares Peak X, Peak LE and Peak DV. These new versions features : Adds the "Delete" process to the list of processed in the batch file processor, Problems with SMDI transfers have been fixed, Compatibility with WAVES mono/mono AudioUnit plug-ins has been fixed, Fixed a problem when using a mono file with stereo WAVES plug-ins, Fixes a problem with the repair click function, Fixes a problem where hitting the fade out button rapidly would cause a crash, Fixes a problem with 32-bit WAVE files, Fixes a problem with some plug-in GUIs when playback stops and Fixes a problem with -39 errors in JAM when saving or bouncing to a JAM image.

These updates are available as free download.

AudioFinder by Iced Audio is updated to v3.41. This sample library manager now features : redesigned the Scanner and added a new Scans Sidebar, column sizes in the Scanner are now remembered, changed the file extensions that are added to split stereo files to be simply 'L' & 'R', added "Change Gain" to the Signal menu, cleaned up the Signal Menu, sundry minor tweaks and changes, and bug fixes.

AudioFinder 3.41 is available in MM softs section.

AudioWarrior introduced Acoustic Dreadnought, a Reason Refill designed to let you use a strumming action on a MIDI keyboard to play guitar chords. This library features more than 500 megs of 24 bit/44.1 unprocessed natural acoustic samples and all open strings and fretted notes have been sampled individually.

Acoustic Dreadnought ReFill is available Now at a retail price of $129 US or 99 Euro.

At AES, Eventide previewed the H3000 Factory plug-in for Digidesign TDM ProTools. The H3000 Factory plug-in is based on the Factory algorithms used in the H3000. The plugin combines up to 18 effect modules together, with a combination of effects blocks, including delays, amplitude modulators, envelope followers, pitch shifters, filters, and low frequency oscillators.

SoundFont Synth by Andy Drabble is updated to v1.2.4, and now handles bank changes correctly. SoundFont Synth is an Audio Unit component plug-in designed to make the synthesis of natural instruments using Sound Fonts, available to GarageBand and other Audio Unit hosts.

Info and download on MM Softs section.

Precisionsound announced Nordic Upright Piano for HALion & Kontakt. The goal behind this sample library is to capture the ring and dynamics of a good essential Swedish piano (the Futura II, made by Nordiska Pianofabriken at Vetlanda, Sweden, in 1974).

The complete CD-ROM contains 713 individual 24 bit Mono WAV samples and costs 77$. The donwload version costs 67$.

SEQ451 by Robert W. Rosees is a MIDI pattern sequencer for OS X. The program is extremely flexible, all it requires is that you have an external MIDI device generating a clock and it will output notes in time to a pattern sequence you specify.

Seq541 is now freeware and available in our softs section.

The Public Beta 1 of Renoise v1.5 has been released for Mac OS X. Renoise is the next generation of music tracker software, combining studio quality sound and virtually infinite expandability with a "clear and concise interface putting every parameter and option literally at your fingertips".

Info and download on renoise web site.

The Audio-MIDI Sequencer Intuem is updated to vRW 3.0 and now features : full support for ReWire, added the option to change the playback speed of a composition from 1/4x to 3 times normal speed, two new appearance styles, controller tracks for AudioUnit instruments can be viewed and edited like the Tempo track, audio play-through now lets you hear what you're recording before you record it to check levels, and while recording to know you're getting it down, and much more !

Info and download on MM softwares section.

Native Instruments has updated Spectral Delay Mac OS X to v1.5.7. This release fixes the LFO reset bug, and adds compatibility with Logic 7 and Digital Performer. Spektral Delay is a Delay effect plugin which uses real-time FFT (Fast Fourier Transformation) to split each channel of a stereo signal into as many as 160 separately modifiable frequency bands.

This update is available in our softwares section.

DrumCore provides a complete set of tools for creating great drum tracks. It is the only product that combines name-brand drummer content (in both audio and MIDI formats), with a unified search engine, letting you search, select and export files into your audio workstation in nothing flat. DrumCore even helps you manage your own loop libraries.

Info and download on MM Softs section.

Access has announced its new range of Virus Total Integration hardware synths, complete with a VIRUSControl VST and AU compatible plug-in for Mac OS 10.3 or higher. it includes increased polyphony, 2 new oscillator types, a programmable arpeggiator, 16x2 delay/reverb fx and more. The new TI products link via USB to your computer with VIRUSControl software.

The new Virus TI Line (TI Desktop 1,800 euros, TI Keyboard 2,350 euros and TI Polar 2,350 euros) will ship December 2004.

ApulSoft has ported two new more free VST plug-ins to OS X in VST and Audio Units formats. Big Tick's Cheeze Machine and Slim Slow Slider's Linear Phase Graphical Equalizer are now available as free downloads on ApulSoft web site.

Matriosity 1.2 by Kenneth Hoffmann is a serial matrix creation tool. It allows users to enter in a prime row, either as numbers (1-11, and either 0 or 12 for C) or letters (C, C#, etc.). It then generates a serial matrix, displaying the data as per the users' preference as numbers or letters, and displaying the prime form of the matrix's dyads, trichords, tetrachords, and hexachords.

Info and download on MM Softs section.

Metacorder 1.0 by Gallery Software enables users of CoreAudio hardware running with Mac OS X to create a full function audio field recorder on a Powerbook. Metacorder replaces complex DAW software, rich with functions not relevant to field recording, and instead offers vital location-sound specific functionality such as 30 second pre-record, mirroring and iXML metadata entry, all in a very intuitive and easy to use package.

Info and download on the MM softwares section.

Sonic Studio announced the version 1.9.1 of Sonic Studio HD, their digital audio workstation software. SonicStudio HD has set many precedents for the industry, with such firsts as support for the AES-EBU standard for 24 bit word length and the DVD-Video–mandated standard for 96 and 192 KHz sample rates, as well as multitasking DSP and double precision data paths.