Mac and Music News

Gleetchplug Design announce the release of GleetchLAB software on June 7 2005.
This software is a complete freeware suite for sound designers and open minded musicians. Designed to create and manipulate drones, glitches and amazing digital noises with few mouse clicks. GleetchLAB software is a peculiar collection of instruments that you can patch togheter with a modular matrix. The suite features four stereo loopable wave readers/writers with different random loop point algorithms, one wavetable oscillator, a sonic reducer, 3/4/5 bands parametric EQ, an amazing sonic disgregator, a granular re-synthesis engine, a ring modulator, a 5 stereo tracks mixer, and much more.

All info on Gleetchplug web site.

Audio Ease has updated its Nautilus Bundle to version 2.1. The Nautilus Bundle consists of three Midi controllable and automatable audio Plug-ins : RiverRun, PeriScope and Deep Phase Nine. This updated version features : HTDM and RTAS are rolled into one plug-in and AudioSuite was added, AudioUnit revised for the latest AUValidation procedure, and RiverRun could save its buffer and wrap instead of clip the audio when it exceeded 0dB.

M-Audio unveiled the Studiophile BX5a, a revised version of BX5 near-field monitors. M-Audio's new BX5a employs Kevlar for low-frequency driver construction. These new monitors feature : two-way magnetically shielded studio reference monitors, 70 watts of distributed power, 5" Kevlar low-frequency drivers, 1" natural silk high-frequency drivers, XLR balanced and 1/4" balanced/unbalanced inputs.

M-Audio new BX5a is currently shipping at $399,95$.

Bias announces that all versions of its audio editing software Peak are updated to versions 4.1.4. These new versions are now compatible with Mac OS 10.4 aka Tiger. These updates are available as free download for all registered users.

Ableton has updated its sequencer Live to version 4.1.4 in order to fix a Rewire Slave functionality bug. Live would not work right as ReWire slave. The symptoms would be anything between crashes and strange behavior.

Digidesign announces a new update to Pro Tolls TDM 6.9. to version 6.9 CS 1. Please note that this update is NOT for Pro Tools 6.9.2 on Mac OS 10.4. This new release fixes :

- A ProControl fader could sometimes lose communication with Pro Tools while writing automation (Item #61458)
- External Time Code Offsets were not being added to Auto-Edit times (Item #62239)
- Scrubbing or shuttling a 9-pin device did not smoothly update the 9-pin device (Item #51198)
- Playback scrolling did not update reliably to the incoming time code position (Item #58665)

As we announce May 19th in MacMusic News, Waves now introduces NetShell APA. Connects to your computer via Ethernet, the new APA 32 (1U 19") and APA 44 (half rack-size) gives more freedom to the host cpu and supports the more-demanding proccessing power needed by todays high quality software solutions. Most Waves plug-ins are supported by the NetShell APA, and more should be supported soon. As it uses a LAN connetion, the new avialable DSP power is instantly available without opening the computer case or modifying hardware, and you can still use your CPU or installed hardware-DSP for plugins. You can connect 8 APA modules (with 8 millisecondes time latency) use your CPU or installed hardware-DSP for plugins.

APA 32 costs 1.600 US$, and APA 44 is 2.400 US$ (with free IRL and Q-Clone plugins).

U-he has just released version 1.1 of the Filterscape plug-in for MacOS X. Filterscape is a flexible sound bending plug-in. It's a parametric equalizer. It's a virtual analog filter. It's a delay effect. It's a modulation device. It's all at once - and more. This release features : improved preset handling, improved MIDI Learn, more presets, additional filter types (LP, BP, HP) and built in Delay for FilterscapeVA, and minor bugfixes.

LinPlug announces the release of the CronoX3 Sample Synthesizer. The third version of this sample-based synthesizer adds features like a modulateable filter type, and native 5.1 support, together with more than 550 new presets. The main features of the CronoX3 are:

- Free Filter with new, continuously adjustable, modulatable filter-type.
- Loop Sampler Generator with individually modulatable loop-points and start-point.
- Versatile architecture with 4 generator modules that are mixed into two filters.

Reaktor 5 by Native Instruments is now available. This major new version introduces the new "Reaktor Core Technology". The Reaktor Core layer offers up to 64 bit internal resolution, and now instruments in Reaktor 5 now also come with their own custom user interface, thanks to extensive new panel customizing options. All panel elements in the new version of Reaktor are completely "skinnable", which includes faders, knobs, buttons, and even meters. Reaktor 5 now offers powerful multi-stage envelopes similar to those in Absynth and FM7, and complete with tempo grid, slope control and looping functions; a large number of new modules for extended data storage, voice routing and MIDI functionality.

Reaktor 5 is available for 499 euros and upgrade for owners of Reaktor 4 is available for 149 euros.

The Sound Guy has announced the release of SFX Machine RT 1.05, an audio multi-effects plug-in for Mac. Version 1.05 increases the available delay time by a factor of four; it also fixes a bug which could cause incorrect delays at higher sample rates. Please note the SFX Machine Simulator which is an online Flash program which provides a fun way to try a simulated version of SFX Machine without having to download and install the demo.

Steinberg unveiled the latest version of Nuendo DAW at the 118th AES Convention in Barcelona, Spain. Presented under the banner "Nuendo: The Future Of Audio Post", Nuendo 3.1 adds support for HDTV Frame Rates, support for marker tracks, adds the ability to interface with Euphonix hardware utilizing the EuCon protocol, and a time base synchronizer with the integrated Nuendo DTS and Dolby Digital Encoder plug-ins.

The Nuendo 3.1 update will be available via download to current registered users at Steinberg web site from July 2005.