Mac and Music News

Edirol has released Version 2.0.1 of Mac OS X drivers for 10 audio interfaces. These new drivers offer improved performance under high CPU loads as well as a further reduction in the already-minimal latency factors. In addition, Edirol has also added an uninstaller for easy removal.

Edirol audio devices with version 2.0.1 OS X drivers include the M-100FX 10 Channel Mixer with Integrated USB Audio Interface; PCR-1 S.L.I.M. 25-key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller and Audio Interface; PCR-A30 32-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller and Audio Interface; SD-90 USB Sound Module, FX Processor, and Audio Interface; UA-20 USB-Powered Audio & MIDI Interface; UA-25 USB-Powered Audio & MIDI Interface with Phantom Power and a built-in limiter; UA-3FX USB Audio Interface with Effects; UA-5 USB Audio Interface with Phantom Power; UA-700 USB Audio & MIDI Interface with Microphone & Guitar Amp Modeling; and the UR-80 USB Control Surface and Audio & MIDI Interface.

Steinberg has announced Virtual Bassist, an addition to its virtual player range of virtual musicians. Utilizing a huge array of samples and phrases in 25 styles, Virtual Bassist covers any possible music genres, giving lots of samples of rock, pop, reggae, metal and hip hop among others.

Available from 1st quarter 2005 as VST and Audio Units formats, Virtual Bassist also runs as a standalone mode and will cost $250.

Panic announced that the company has decided to officially retire Audion, its popular Mac MP3 player/encoder. The good news is that Audion is now free of charge but is no longer being actively developed, and is provided as-is without support.

Audion X 3.0.2 is available in MM softwares section.

Make Music just updated its music notation software Finale to version 2005a. This latest update now features a new System Spacing Options, repeat "Show On" settings in Document Options, human Playback improvements include enhanced Incorporate MIDI Data, batch processing FPA files is now possible with FinaleScript and many bugs fixed.

As usual this free update is available in MacMusic softwares section.

Digidesign just posted an update to version 6.7 for its Core Audio manager. This new driver features : fix for large TDM systems where the driver would timeout waiting for the Manager app to auto-launch and fixed a problem where older versions of Avid Xpress DV and Avid Xpress Pro would produce noise out of outputs 5-8.

Native Instruments announced that a demo version of Battery 2 is now available. Battery 2 takes drum sampling to the next level with a powerful new sampling engine, enhanced sound shaping and modulation capabilities, sophisticated
sample control and a revised user interface. The Battery 2 demo version comes with a selection of five drum kits, and is available now as a free download on the NI website.

Both demo and full versions are now available. For more information, please see www.ni-battery.com.

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$. The donwload version costs 67$.