Digidesign announces two new plugin bundles, the Producer Factory and the Producer Factory Pro. These two bundles are available for both Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered systems and feature :

Producer Factory Bundle (retail price of $99)

- moogerfooger Analog Delay
- JOEMEEK Meequalizer VC-5
- JOEMEEK SC-2 Photo Optical Compressor
- Cosmonaut Voice
- Digidesign Maxim

Producer Factory Bundle Pro (retail price of $399)

- moogerfooger Analog Delay
- JOEMEEK Meequalizer VC-5
- JOEMEEK SC-2 Photo Optical Compressor
- Cosmonaut Voice
- Digidesign Maxim
- Bomb Factory BF-3A Classic Compressor
- Digidesign D-Fi
- Tel-Ray Variable Delay
- SansAmp PSA-1
- moogerfooger Ring Modulator
- Voce Spin
- Voce Chorus/Vibrato

SonicBirth is now available as Preview version 5, which adds : resonant lowpass and highpass, gui bug fix for the XY pad element, new low cpu usage sine generator, now uses the first MIDI device by default, horizontal and vertical sliders, bug fix regarding input/output types, new and smaller element icons, and more...

SonicBirth is a plugins designing application which allows you to build your own AudioUnit plug-in.

Digidesign announces SoundFuel SOLID, a synthesizer plug-in for Pro Tools|HD systems, developed by SoundFuel in collaboration with Digidesign. This plug-in recreates the warm and analog sounds of '70s and '80s synthesizers while also offering modern patches that are perfect for dance or electronica. Solid is currently supported by Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems running Pro Tools 6.7.

SoundFuel Solid costs $495.

Nomad Factory (with Tascam) has released Essential Studio Suite plugin bundle, which features processing using a double floating point, with up to 192kHz sample rates supported. The bundle includes Multiband Compressor, Essential Channel, Essential Graphic EQ, Essential Compressor, Essential Noise Gate, Multiband Loudness Maximizer, Loudness Maximizer, Tube/Tape Warmer, and Retro-Vox.

Essential Studio Suite (Audio Units, VST, RTAS, HTDM) costs $399.

Just checked for a version for a friend, tried the update preferences and… bingo, a small security update of 1.1 MB. Right now I don't have details on what it does exactly.

EDIT: it's for iSync.

At NAB, Apple's senior director of audio and video marketing Frank Casanova presented the new iChat AV version 3. Wiredmetro reports that "Casanova called up a producer at one location, and a video editor at another. The middle "guest" wasn't a person at all. It was the output of Final Cut Pro 5. In this manner, the post house can now be seen anywhere - in fact, in more than one place at the same time. What this means is that the material being edited can be reviewed and commented on by people nowhere near the editing facility."

AudioEase updated (again...) its convolution reverb Altiverb to version 5.0.3, which features : error 5505 on install fixed, gain correction info in SDII and AV IR files now works, improved speaker placer mono/stereo configurationn, and CPU meter error fixed (in Audio Units version).

Native Instruments announces that Kontakt is updated to version 2.0.1. This release features convolution and database improvements, adds support for Giga 3, Kurzweil K2x00, and Ensoniq ASR-10/EPS formats, import command now supports disk images in .IMG, .ISO, .NRG, and .DMG. formats, and adds several improvements and bug fixes.

At NAB, Apple unveiled its new audio software, Soundtrack Pro. This software is not only an update of Soundtrack, but, according to Apple, a new way of working. Apple's Soundtrack Pro features :

- a waveform editor: Nondestructive, sample-accurate editing of mono and stereo audio file, AIFF, WAV, MP3, SDII and QuickTime, Up to 24-bit/96kHz, Audio Time Stretching, Ambient Noise Print, Background Noise Removal, Animated Waveform.

- Intelligent analysis: repair and restoration functions for Clicks and Pops, Power Line Hum, DC Offset, Phase, Clipped Signal, Silence.

- Sound effects: Soundtracks comes with 3500 Apple loops, 1000 sound effects and 50 effects from Logic (including : Space Designer reverb, PlatinumVerb, SubBass, Match EQ, High Shelving EQ, and more).

- Mixer Interface: Multitrack Timeline, Console-style Mixer, Interface with Bussing, Mix and Effect Automation, Time or Beat-based Track, Control Surface Support (Mackie Control Protocol).

- Integration: AppleScript, Mac OS X v10.4 Automator actions, Support for video formats up to HD resolution, integrated Video tab in Multitrack and Waveform views, Audio Units support and more...

Soundtrack Pro is part of the new Final Cut Studio or costs $299.