Mac and Music News

FabFilter has released an update to version 1.0.1 for Volcano . This release fixes the following bug : Volcano load its filter sound characteristics 'Smooth', 'Raw', 'Hollow' and 'Hard' incorrectly. FabFilter also announces that another Volcano update will be available on June 6, and will add new LFO synchronization modes and other improvements.

These updated versions are free for registered users.

Ableton announces Live 5, which will present a wealth of new features and enhancements that cater to the musician's entire musical process – creation, production and performance. Live 5 includes advanced and creative DAW features to satisfy any audio professional. Live 5 will feature :

- Clip Freeze serves two purposes: freeing up CPU power and easing the transfer of projects between computers. Unique to Live 5, "frozen" clips retain their real-time launch capabilities, allowing for improvisation, performance or song arrangement. A project with frozen tracks can also be transferred from your main computer and run easily on one with less-than-optimal CPU specs.

- Plug-In Delay Compensation automatically delays tracks to compensate for latencies caused by effects and plug-ins, including those on the return tracks. In addition, both audio and MIDI tracks have a manual delay setting to compensate for human, acoustic, hardware and other real-world delays.

- Launchable Arrangement Locators offer arrangement/song-position markers with MIDI mapping and quantized recall. Using the mouse, computer keys or MIDI messages, you can drop locators on the fly during playback or recording. Each locator can be named and assigned to a computer key or MIDI message. Jumping to a locator is subject to real-time quantization, just like launching Session View clips and scenes. Previous/Next buttons allow you to jump from locator to locator.

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.