Mac and Music News

Propellerhead Software today announced the availability of version 3.0 of their music software system, Reason, at music and computer stores worldwide. The brand new sound bank, the Combinator device, the new inspiration-boosting sound browser and the new Remote technology turn Reason into a powerful workstation for both music production and live performance. Reason 3.0 now features :

- combinator : a sophisticated device that allows you to build elaborate chains of Reason units - instruments, effects, pattern sequencers, you name it - and save as Combi patches.
- MClass Mastering Suite : four separate pro level mastering units designed to add power, presence and an overall professional feel to your Reason mixes.
- new sound library
- enhanced browser
- new Remote protocol
- Line Mixer 6:2 : 6-channel stereo line mixer.
- Record automation on multiple tracks.
- Copy automation between lanes and tracks in the sequencer.
- New and improved Mute and Solo features in sequencer.
- Faster loading of samples. Sample playing devices now load five times faster.
- Improved sample playback timing and quality.

Reason 3 is now available for 449€ or $499.

Steinberg announces that its virtual sampler HALion is updated to version 3.1. HALion can load up to 128 instruments at once, 16 of which are simultaneously playable. That lets you assign sounds to 4 stereo, 4 mono and 5.1 surround outputs, giving you a total of 18 outputs.

Details and download of this update available in the MacMusic softwares section.

MacMusic is very proud to present you, in its article section, Dominique Bassal's study on "The Practice of Mastering in Electroacoustic Music". Today we propose you the first chapter of this article, that includes three in total, and that traces a history of mastering, from the vinyle record to the dvd.

Enjoy your reading !

Source Elements has announced the release of Source-Connect, the first Pro Tools plug-in capable of streaming audio directly from one Pro Tools system to another. Source-Connect enables audio connections between Pro Tools systems anywhere in the world, allowing direct-to-timeline recording with real-time, broadcast-quality audio using only T1, Cable, or DSL internet connections.

Source-Connect is available for download and is priced at $1,495. A demo version is also available.

Ableton have just released a bug fix update for Live 4.1.1. Beside several bug fixes and improvements Live 4.1.1 allows you to hide the Operator instrument from the instrument browser list. This new release also features : improved performance when often switched between Live and any VST/AU plug window and workaround for missing certain information in MOTU Mach5 Audio Unit Version 1.2, so it should work now.

Info and donwload in the MM softwares section.

Amazing Slow Downer is a real-time time-stretching & pitch utility. You can slow down the speed of the music - between -50% and 400% time-stretching without changing the pitch. This new release displays ID3 meta data in the track list, and is available in the MacMusic softwares section.

Due to an unforeseen technical problem with the installers GMedia announces that they are unable to release the Minimonsta today as previously announced. GMedia have rescheduled the release for 15th March 2005.

MidiSwing by Pascal Naidon is a MIDI file reader and editor. it shows the content of a midi file as a piano roll which you can edit. You can edit any existing midi file, or compose your own music from scratch.

This 0.2 beta version is available in the MM softwares section.

SoundOfAnImage 1.0 by Tim Omernick is a freeware which converts images into music. Sometimes the "music" even sounds like music, especially if you play images with a lot of structure and/or symmetry to them.

Download in the MacMusic softwares section.

Post Musical Instruments announces iPiano05, a huge collection of grand pianos for Apple Garageband 2. This pack contains following models : PMI Bosendorfer 290, Yamaha C7, Steinway D and the EMPEROR (Bos290 SE) and the OLD LADY (model 1923 Steinway D).

iPiano05 costs $55.

Do you like your Oberheim Matrix 6 or 1000 synths? I've got some great news for you, an OS X editor is in beta right now. It's a work in progress right now allowing already basic patching, final release is expected in a few months…

M1000X is freeware :) but OS X 10.3 and up only. "Because this beta version is not fully tested, it is highly recommended that you make a backup of your synth's current patches (such as by dumping the patch data to a computer, or using the Matirx-6/6R's cassette interface), prior to using M1000X to edit patches."