Mac and Music News

Native Instruments unveiled KORE, its first proprietary USP or Universal Sound Platform, operating both as a stand-alone instrument host and as a plug-in in every major sequencer. Kore integrates all your software instruments and effects into a single, unified interface and gives you total control of your sound and instant, hands-on access with a real analog feel. Kore introduces KoreSound, a universal sound format that shifts the focus from individual instruments toward the sound itself. This new format allows you to manage all the presets for all your software instruments. Thanks to the seamless integration of Kore's software and hardware components, your software instruments and effects become tactile instruments that are highly intuitive and uniform in their operation. NI will also unveil a Kore Controler with integrated USB audio interface.

A full story about new Kore system will be available in five chapters on the Native Instruments web site on March 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd. NI will give full details about Kore during Frankfurt MusikMesse from March 29th to April 1st. Complete version of KORE will be available in spring 2006.

Ableton just released a beta version of Live 5.2b3. This beta version natively supports new Intel-based Macs, adds full VST 2.4 support, and fixes several bugs. This beta version contains only a limited number of presets, samples, sets and lessons. You can unlock this beta version with your current Live 5 serial number, or with the beta serial number provided on the Ableton web site (3006-5523-B867-056F-28AE-4EC7) if you are not a Live 5 owner and want to try this beta on a new Intel-Mac.

Elemental audio today released an update to its Mac compatible RTAS, VST, and Audio Unit audio plug-in analysis suite, InspectorXL. The version 1.0.2 update adds numerous processing improvements, resolves several issues with the prior version, and includes interface enhancements to make InspectorXL easier on the eyes. Changes affect all six of InspectorXL's analysis modules (Spectrum Analyzer, Stereo Analyzer, Statistics, Multimeter, Vertical Level Meter, and Horizontal Level Meter) and Elemental Audio Systems highly recommends that all users move to this latest version.

The update is available for download free of charge to all current registered customers.

Apple Logic Pro 7.2 is now fully compatible with the Digidesign Pro Tools HD 7.1 systems using version 7.1 of DAE (Digidesign Audio Engine).version of DAE (Digidesign Audio Engine). All Logic features are supported, including ESB and EXS24TDM. Please note that although Logic Pro 7.2 is a universal version that runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Mac systems, Digidesign hardware and Pro Tools software are not yet compatible with Intel-based Mac systems.

The free Pro Tools 7.1cs4 update is now available on the Digidesign Web site.

Spectrasonics today announced support for its Stylus RMX Realtime Groove Module on Apple Computer's new Intel Macintosh platform. The new version of Stylus RMX supports all Mac OS X Universal Binary VST and Audio Unit hosts, including Logic Pro 7.2, Garageband 3, Ableton Live 5.2, and others. Stylus RMX is a groove-based virtual instrument plug-in that combines the power of Groove Control with Spectrasonics Advanced Groove Engine (S.A.G.E.) technology, giving users dramatic new control over groove production and performance.

Spectrasonics has opened a new Public Beta forum for registered Stylus RMX users to try out the new version and give feedback.

M-Audio announces that new Oxygen 49 and Oxygen 61 MIDI keyboards will ship soon worldwide. The Oxygen 61 model features 61-note velocity-sensitive keyboard, and the Oxygen 49 is a 49-note velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard. Both models feature a total of 35 controllers—including 9 sliders, 8 knobs and 15 buttons— can easily map to any MIDI-assignable parameters in your hardware and software rig. While easy to program, the Oxygen's complete MIDI implementation will also allow you to go as deep as you want to go. Store 10 different setups in on-board non-volatile memory, plus manage an infinite number with our free Enigma software for Mac.

Oxygen 49 ships at $229,00 and the Oxygen 61 at $279,00.

Apple invited selected press members to a special event which will take place at Apple's company campus in Cupertino. Several sources report that Apple will unveil new Intel-based Macs (new iBook models and/or new MacBook models), and probably a new iPod with a larger display. Other sources report that Intel is beginning the production of a single core Solo processor, which could find its way into the iBook or Mac mini successors.

Just wait...

An update to the free Impromptu audio-visual environment has been released. Impromptu is an OSX programming environment for composers, sound artists, VJ's and graphic artists with an interest in live or interactive programming in the Scheme (Lisp) langauge. The new version includes a number of new features especially with regard to its graphic capabilities along with stability and performance enhancements.

Full liste of major additions 0.95 and download are available on the Impromptu web site.