Mac and Music News

M-Audio is shipping its new Axiom 25 USB MIDI Controller. This 25-key USB mobile MIDI controller features both semi-weighted action and assignable aftertouch, plus eight rubberized trigger pads. Eight endless rotary encoder knobs let you get your hands on synth parameters, virtual mixer controls and more. Six transport controls can also assign to control other MIDI parameters. Virtually everything is freely MIDI-assignable—and the backlit LCD screen makes programming easy and intutive. You get 20 memory locations for on-board storage, plus free Enigma editor/librarian software to manage an unlimited number of setups via computer.

M-Audio Axiom 25 ships at $239.95.

Vienna Symphonic Library announced that the first five collections of the Symphonic Cube are now shipping. The "Cube" contains all of the samples that are included in the Pro Edition and the Horizon Series, plus much more, for example, Fast Interval Performances, Trill Performances (using the speed controller), gypsy and harsh styles, ponticello, sul tasto, ricochet, mordents, arpeggios, etc. New instruments include a small clarinet in Eb, a triple horn, new timpani, and taiko drums to mention but a few. The 'Cube' is be available in VST/AU version.

Five first "Cube" collections are Solo Strings, Chamber Strings, Orchestral Strings I, Orchestral Strings II, and Woodwinds I.

Digidesign announces that Hardware Exchange prices will increase May 23, 2006, so owners of legacy Digidesign Pro Tools systems can still take advantage of preferential pricing on their hardware exchange up to a Pro Tools|HD system. To make the deal even sweeter, Digidesign is introducing the ExchangePack plug-ins. For a limited time, you can select additional plug-ins, for free, when you exchange up to a Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel or Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel system. The ExchangePack plug-ins are yours in addition to the Pro Tools HD 7 software, HDpack plug-ins, and Pro Tools Ignition Pack collection of creative tools that are included with every new Pro Tools|HD system.

The ExchangePack promotion will end March 20.

Digidesign has updated both Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered to version 7.0cs5. These new releases fix the following bugs :

- Moving the Tempo Slider to Change Tempo Does Not Update the Play/Edit Selection;
- Fixes the problem where if you made a selection, and adjusted the tempo, the selection size would remain the same ;
- Bouncing to a QuickTime Movie Would Sometimes Leave Out the Video;
- File Corruption Problems with MXF Audio Media.

These updates are available in the MacMusic software section.

Arturia announces that its new Prophet V virtual synth is now shipping. Prophet V is a perfect hybrid of two synthesizers that changed the face of music during the 70's and 80's. The warmth of the Prophet 5, one first programmable polyphonic analogue synthesizer, meets the digital features of the Prophet VS in a new unison called the Prophet V. This new virtual synth by Arturia is loaded with more than 400 presets, and can be used as stand-alone software or as virtual instrument. A demo version is also available. The demo version needs a Syncrosoft authorization key that you can buy from Arturia. At the end of the demo, you can send the key back to Arturia for reimbursement.

Prophet V is available as VST, AU, RTAS and standalone version and costs $249.

EastWest announces the availability of URBAN ELEMENTZ by Zero-G, over 1350 samples and 1.5GB of the coolest, freshest hip hop and R&B in the business - direct from NYC developed and recorded in cooperation with Xfonic. URBAN ELEMENTZ is a brand new collection of East Coast Hip Hop and R&B loops and samples crammed full of earth-breaking beats, cool keys, pimpin' basses, slinky guitars, synths, strings, licks, fills, percussion, fx and much, and much more. There are 35 full construction kits with BPMs ranging from 65-114, plus hundreds of scratches and a bonus section of drum hits making this the current definitive sound of R&B and HipHop.

Urban Elementz will cost $99.95 and will ship next week.

Nomad Factory announces the release of four new products :

- The Limiting Amplifier LM-662 is a recreation of the classic Fairchild 670 limiter.
- The Program Equalizer EQP-4 is a full range stereo channel unit, featuring low and high cut, low and high frequency boost and attenuation.
- The Studio Channel SC-226 is a stereo channel recording plug-in, featuring four band equalizer, an analog "signature" optical compressor and at the heart of the shelving and bell filters, a tube simulator and Brick-Wall peak limiter.
- The Nomad Factory BlueVerb DRV-2080 is a vintage-style world-class recording studio reverb.

These products are available in RTAS, VST and Audio Unit formats, for Mac OS X.

Every week in the run up to the Frankfurter Musikmesse Native Instruments is featuring one of its new Kore system's central aspects. This week NI focusses attention to the way in which the sounds themselves are handled within Kore. The new KoreSound format enables you to find sounds and presets based on their musical attributes and also allows you to create new sounds based on multiple instruments and effects.

Full details about KoreSound are available in the "Kore Chapter Two" from the Natice Instruments web site...

Cakewalk has announced that Rapture, its new wavetable synthesizer designed to produce pop, dance and electronic sounds, is now shipping worldwide. Rapture combines an advanced modulation system with an non-aliasing wavetable resampling engine. It features 40 Envelope Generators, LFOs, and Step Generators per patch, and comes with more than 500 programs including Basses, Leads, Pads, Arpeggios, Textures, Electronic Percussion and Sequences.

Rapture ships (AU, RTAS, VST) for $259,00.