Mac and Music News

Macjams.com and Tune Media have announced the availability of a free collection of Apple loops called Tune-Up Mini for users of GarageBand, Logic, or other compatible programs. The collection is an extension of Tune Media's Tune-up for GarageBand series of loops. Tune-up Mini contains over 100 loops composed and recorded especially for this package and not available anywhere else. Anyone can download the Tune-up Mini loops for free at MacJams.com (free registration required).

Numerology by Five12 is a modular sequencing and audio plugin environment for Mac OS X. This new release includes : MIDI and Signal switcher modules, new CC control over panning and aux sends, nested menu support for AU Preset files and directories, improved clock sync, and the usual slew of fixes and minor updates

ReFX has updated Vanguard to v1.2. This release adds an "ignore MIDI-CC" option to setup-page and fixes a graphic-bug that affected a small number of Mac users. Vangard is a synthetizer equipped with 31 different types of oscillators, including rarely found digital oscillators with new modulation options.

Edirol annouces that its R-4 portable digital recorder is now shipping. The R-4 is a four channel recorder which includes support for Broadcast Wave Format file (BWF). The R-4 can record at audio resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz on all four channels, and features a built-in limiter, 5 different dynamics processors, 4 XLR/TRS combo microphone jacks with phantom power, RCA analog output, S/PDIF Coaxial Input and Output, built-in stereo microphones, built-in speakers, and a USB 2.0 connection.

Edirol R-4 costs $1,895.00.

Luxonix announces that all of Ravity S, Ravity R and Ravity 16 are ported to Macintosh completely. They feature new structure based on PCM synthesizer module, large preset browser, extremely low CPU load / 32bit sound processing, Hyper Layered MIDI assign System for real-time performance and sound editing, and more...

VST format is scheduled for release in 22 March 2005, and AU format in May 2005.

Cycling'74 has updated Max/MSP to version 4.5.4. Max is a graphical programming environment for MIDI. There are 400 objects which are the building blocks of a complete audio application. This new release fixes arround 45 bugs...

Détails and download in the MacMusic softwares section.

Digidesign announces a new EQ III DigiRack Plug-In, which provides a high-quality 7 Band, 2–4 Band, or 1 Band EQ for adjusting the frequency spectrum of audio material. EQ III supports all Pro Tools session sample rates up to 192 kHz.

EQ III is part of DigiRack and is available as a free download for all registered users.

EastWest has just released Quantum Leap Colossus and Quantum Leap RA. Colossus is a Kompakt based General MIDI compatible 32GB virtual instrument that covers all of the basic musical genres. RA is a Kompakt based "rare and ethnic" sound library plug-in.

RA and Colossus are available for MacOS X in VST, AU and RTAS plug-in formats and cost US$995 each.

Focusrite announces that its audio interface FireWire Saffire, will be available from May with a confirmed price of £349 (arround 536 euros). Previously shown at NAMM, Saffire is a DSP peripheral, with ultra low latency, 24/192 conversion, 4 ins: 2 preamps and S/PDIF, 8 balanced outs for monitoring/headphones or 7.1 surround. It will come with Cubase LE, and its own Saffire Control software which provides a flexible software mixer and allows control on every parameters of the interface.

Bitcarel announces a bugfix version 1.4b35 for iRecordMusic. This software enables you to surf and record Net audio to MP4-AAC. You can record multiple BBC radio streams, Hollywood movie trailer soundtracks and news webcasts at the same time. Recorded files are iPod compatible.

Info and download in the MacMusic softwares section.

Roland is now offering owners of the Fantom-XR synth module the ability to add Version 2-functionality to their rack with the FAN-XR-UP1 "Sample Tools Expansion Kit". This kist also includes an upgraded Fantom-X Editor Version 2, including S-700 sample-conversion software for Mac.

The FAN-XR-UP1 upgrade costs $49.

Motu announces that its sampler software MachFive is updated to v1.21b1, in both VST and Audio Units formats for Mac OS X. This is a public beta (pre-release) of MachFive 1.21 pending the final update of MachFive 1.21. The AU addresses compatibility with Logic 7's new AU validation process, and the VST adds compatibility with Ableton Live and Max/MSP.

Native Instruments announces that NI Komplete Sound is now available in stores worldwide.NI Komplete Sound is a massive collection of ensembles, sounds and samples for NI's range of software instruments, combining all eight products from the NI Soundline into one single package.

Komplete Sound is now available for $339 /289 Euro. Owners of NI Komplete Care 2005 can purchase Komplete Sound for $229 / 199 Euro.

VSamp is a software sample player. It comprises a program for creating and playing virtual instruments and a plugin for playing VSamp instruments from within a sequencer. These new 3.6, AU and VST versions feature : added option to stream samples from disk, faster and more efficient use of RAM when importing large SoundFonts and improved portability of instruments and banks.

Info and dowload in the MacMusic softwares section.

ReVibe by Digidesign is a powerful room-modeling TDM plug-in exclusively designed to take advantage of the supercharged processing capabilities of HD Accel PCI cards. The 96 kHz-optimized ReVibe provides nine reverb algorithms combined with hundreds of room reflection models.

Info and download of this 1.1cs1 version available in the MM softwares sections.