We've recently announced a few surprises related to the re-think of the site, which is free again. Here is the very first surprise...and it is a big one ! We have great pleasure to present you version 1.0 of MacMusically, the audio and midi sequencer entirely devised and produced by the MacMusic team! Under the leadership of Soif and after more than 8 months of strenuous work and all kinds of programming we can now propose - access limited to our members - a download of our ultimate tool developed by a team of specialists entirely devoted to the success of this project. Each team member has contributed to the project using his own experience in the use of digital softs. Wfplb devised the 5.1 Mixing engine, Miss Kiki a modular synthetizer called "TNG plus", Heral a score editor worthy of the name, Clouvel and Lepetitmartien a series of plugs simulating noiseshaft and rings modulators from Airbus technology. As for Soif, he has devised the ergonomics, as he is proposing a new principle of
opening/close for each window, which is quite revolutionary.

MacMusically features :
- 32 audio tracks, unlimited MIDI tracks
- VST compatible
- 4 inserts, 8 simultaneous plugins
- 5 VST instruments, including the new "TNG plus" (FIPUS award '05)
- Needs G4 800MHz minimum with Ram 512 Mb
- unlimited undos..and much more

Enjoy the download, and we're looking forward to your first impressions...

MacMusically 1.0

Altiverb version 5 is now available ! The famous convolution reverb plug-in is available in RTAS, MAS, Audio Units and VST formats. Altiverb uses top quality samples of real spaces to create reverb, ranging from Sydney Opera House to the cabin of a fire truck and offers an extensive set of parameters. Altiverb v5 now features :

- iLok authorization, or challenge/response
- New Stage Positioning control allows you to place your source sound anywhere on stage.
- four band EQ, taylored for reverb.
- Internal level meters
- I/O controlls for front, rear, center bleed and lfe channels.
- Separate Gains and Delays for Direct, Early Ref and Tail
- Extensive CPU load control
- Room Size shifts room modes and resonances.
- Reverse reverb mode.
- Internal test samples can be triggered from the Mac's keyboard.
- VR movies, pictures, statistics, mic layouts etc, in the info screen.
- Automatable preset switching.
- Built in presets, user presets.
- Impulse Responses in unlimited levels.
- Three band damping.

Altiverb v5 for Pro Tools HTDM costs $895. Altiverb v5 (MAS-VST-RTAS-Audio Units) costs $595. Update from Altiverb v2/v3 to v5 costs $269, and upgrade from Altiverb v4 to v5 costs $169. You can also upgrade your MAS-VST-RTAS to the HTDM RTAS VST MAS bundle for $300. Note that a demo version is also available.

Muse Research announces the Version 1.2 software upgrade for Receptor, the hardware VST plug-in player. This software update for Receptor allows you to route each Receptor channel to a specific output - route any of Receptor's 19 channels (16 instrument channels, 2 effects busses, and the master output) to any Receptor output (Analog, S/PDIF, or ADAT pairs). Also new in version 1.2 is Z-Load which dramatically reduces the amount of time required to load a plug-in, as well as new MIDI mapping features with full support for keyboard zones and layers, improving Receptor's functionality as a synth, sampler, and sound module.

Receptor software 1.2 is available as a VST beta version.

Wizoo will soon be releasing Wizooverb W2, a new reverb plug-in, available in VST, AU, RTAS and Standalone versions. Wizzo will also announce Wizooverb W5, another new reverb plugin, which features 5.1 Surround.

Wizzo will unveil these two plugins at Musikmesse in Frankfurt next week.

We were expecting it for ages, the cauldron was on the fire for a long time, it'll be alive and kicking at the Frankfurt Musikmesse next week: Macbeth Systems unveils the final, production stage of the M5. The M5 is a massive (steel chassis, ooch!) analogue modular, 3 VCO, 2 LFO, 2 VCF, 2 ADSR, 4 VCA, a ring modulator, a noise generator, a spring reverb, VC panning, not one but two S&H, 2 lag processors, glide, audio mixer, CV mixer. It's big, it's heavy, it's modular, it's analogue, it's 1995£ excluding VAT and we know for a year now that it's MEAN.

And I forgot, it's packed with 70 mm/2,75" slider pots!
It'll be a limited run, so enjoy the introductory price before it's too late.

M-Audio has announced its first two virtual instruments. Key Rig is a virtual keyboard rack with stage piano, MS-2 polyphonic synthesizer, MB-3 electromagnetic organ, and a GM-4 General MIDI Module. Drum & Bass Rig is a virtual bass and drums rack which contains real drums, electric bass, LC-5 loop creator, and BL 6 bass synthesizer and step sequencer.

Key Rig and Drum & Bass Rig are available as stand-alone, VST, Audio Units and RTAS version for $129,95 each.

Cycling'74 announces an update to version 3.5.1 for Pluggo (Audio Units, VST, RTAS) which adds a new "latency" message to plugconfig, and fixes several bugs. Plugins bundle Mode grows to version 1.2.1 (Audio Units, VST, RTAS) in order to change the preset format of mode.poly (saved presets in songs may be affected).

MusikMesse 2005 will take place at Frankfurt am Main (Germany) from 6 to 9 april 2005. The International Musikmesse Frankfurt offers with the presentation of the complete spectrum of musical instruments, computer software & hardware, sheet music and accessories a high-grade platform for experts from the international music industry. We note that Apple will be present at MusikMesse in Hall 5, booth 71, and that contemporary music composer György Ligeti will receive the Frankfurt Music Prize 2005 for his lifetime achievements.

DiskDriver mini has just been updated to version 3.3, which now features : auto start shuffle mode, help dialogue, new interface design and unlimited songs and albums for registered users. DiskDriver mini is a light and free version of DiskDriver, and allows you to stream mp3 files from your website or your computer.

Smartelectronix announces the availability of NyquistEq in VST version for Mac OS X. NyquistEq is a parametric graphic equalizer with excellent response all the way up to Nyquist (the Nyquist frequency is the highest representable frequency for a given sample rate).

This freeware is available in the MacMusic softwares section.