Mac and Music News

Kyma is now available as version x.32 Universal Binary for both Intel-based and PowerPC-base Macs. This UB version runs 3.3 times faster on a MacBook Pro than on the Powerbook G4 1 Ghz. Kyma is a visual sound design environment that runs on your Macintosh. It's a graphical language for creating, modifying, and combining sounds. Kyma is an unusually open-ended, flexible, and real-time controllable environment for creating new sounds. Kyma provides you with hundreds of basic modules and over a thousand complex examples that you can combine to create your own synthesis algorithms, your own effects algorithms, and your own forms of sample manipulation that can be performed in real time with responsive controls.

This update is free for registered users.

Ableton today announced the release of Live 5.2, which delivers immediate native Intel-based Mac computer support. Intel-based Mac Live 5.0 users can purchase a Live 5.2 serial number for 49 USD/39 EUR via the Ableton webshop. Customers who purchase the upgrade to Live 6 from the Ableton webshop will receive a full refund of this 49 USD/39 EUR. Live 6 is scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2006. Intel-based Mac users who purchased Live 5 after Steve Jobs' announcement of the new Intel-based Macs (January 10, 2006) will receive the Live 5.2 download at no additional charge.

For all other Live 5 users on non-Intel-based Mac machines, Live 5.2 will be released as a free bug-fix update.

Cakewalk releases version 1.2 update for Dimension Pro. This update adds Intel-based Mac support (for the AU version), RTAS support, performance enhancements and bug fixes. This synthesizer combines real instruments with advanced synthesis, giving you endless sound possibilities. Dimension Pro offers an abundance of vital, usable sounds that range from pristine realistic acoustic instruments, thumping basses and cutting leads, to complex, evolving atmospheres. This wide tonal range can be attributed to both advanced sample mapping and a powerful sound-sculpting engine with analog sound generation that lets you mutate and recompose any sound you might imagine.

Waves announces new expanded versions of its Gold, Platinum and Diamond bundles of plug-ins. Waves has added 4 new plug-ins to the Gold Bundle including the Tune LT pitch-transformation tool, the IR-L Convolution Reverb, a mono/stereo Doubler effect and the Rennaissance Axx compressor. in addition to these 4 plug-ins, Waves has also added the L3 Ultramaximizer multi-band auto-summing limiter as one of the 32 plug-ins comprising the Platinum Bundle. The Waves Diamond Bundle now includes 41 definitive plug-ins and now includes the complete Platinum, Transform and Restoration bundles, as well as newly added plug-ins including Tune LT, IR-L Convolution Reverb, Renaissance Axx, L3 Multimaximizer, and the Q-Clone processor.

Audio Damage releases the Universal Binary of Ratshack Rever AU/VST for bot new Intel-based Macs and Power PC. Ratshack Reverb is a detailed model of that classic of classics, the Realistic Electronic Reverb. As anyone who has owned this unit (which is just about everyone...) knows, it was actually an analog delay, and we've done our best to exactly replicate the sound and quirks of the original. This new 2.0 version is completely rewritten, using Audio Damage's analog delay simulation found in Ronin and DubStation.

Model by Polyfractus is a MacMusic exclusive. Today an update to version 1.1 is available, and adds : user defined modulation by drawing, new skin (thanks to Chad Tomlinson), new modulation types (chaosc, FM), sound capture from the host and number of random pattern steps. Model is a cool plugin developed to create classic echoes to very strange modulations and musical patterns. You can "Model" your sounds with unlimited random modulation tweeks, filterings and other ring modulation. Model features Stereo to Stereo processing, 1ms to 1000ms delay time, 5 types of modulators, Random generated patterns with smooth function, Envelope follower, Decimator, Ring modulator, Low & High shelf filter in feedback path, Lowpass filter in crossfeedback path, and Parameters randomizer.

Model 1.1 is only available in the MacMusic software section.

Best Service has announced the availability of Artist Complete. This stunning new bundle includes three Plug-Ins in one package: Artist Drums, Artist Grooves and Artist Rhythm. Plus Artist Drums 5.1 Surround Edition and Real Giga Drums Multi- channel Drumkits. It also includes two interfaces from Native Instruments, Kompakt which is sample based and Intakt which is specifically designed for rhythmic loop playback, manipulation, and mayhem.

Artist Complete is available as VST, RTAS, Audio Units, Core Audio, RTAS for $299,00.

Digital Performer 5 is now available. This major upgrade includes six new virtual instrument plug-ins, track folders, a flexible Meter Bridge feature, new audio editing tools, a multitude of new film scoring features, new input monitoring modes, clip-based volume automation and many other feature additions and enhancements. DP5 includes six new, easy to use, CPU-efficient virtual instrument plug-ins (BassLine, PolySynth, Modulo, Nanosynth, Model 12, and Proton). In all windows that display tracks, such as the Sequence Editor, users can now organize their lengthy track lists into folders and sub-folders, much like the list view in the Mac OS X Finder. The Meter Bridge is a new window that is dedicated to monitoring all signal paths in the Digital Performer mixing environment. The tool bar now contains four new audio editing tools: Trim, Slip, Slide and Roll.

Digital Performer ships for $795. Existing registered DP users can upgrade for $195.

Sweetwater just announced that it has been named the newest authorized dealer for Solid State Logic products, including the rackmount XLogic SuperAnalogue Channel, XLogic E Signature Channel, and XLogic G Series Compressor, as well as the XRack line of preamp, dynamics, and EQ modules. Sweetwater will also be carrying the new Duende FireWire-based DSP plug-ins. According to Sweetwater President and Founder, Chuck Surack, "Solid State Logic will need no introduction to our customers — the company has developed an international reputation as the manufacturer of the finest mixing consoles in the world. Our clients have been requesting SSL rack products from us, and we're thrilled to be able to fulfill their requests with the XLogic and XRack lines of mic preamps, equalizers, and dynamics processors."

Solid State Logic products are in stock at Sweetwater, and available for immediate shipping.

Pro Tools LE 7.1cs6 update for Mac OS X is today available for download from the Digidesign Pro Tools updates page. This update fixes item 72677 : Could Not Always Copy Time Code Values from Region Start/End/Length Fields. Copying from these fields was not possible if there was a time selection on a playlist or the timeline. This could also potentially affect some third party post applications that required the use of these fields.

Pro Tools LE 7.1cs6 is the first CS release for Pro Tools LE 7.1 (there were no cs1 through cs5 releases for version 7.1). If you are on Pro Tools LE 7.0, the same fixes are in Pro Tools LE 7.0cs6.

After the announcement of Windows XP Boot Camp, Apple has just released firmware updates for both new Intel-based Mac mini, iMac and MacBook Pro. These firmware updates must be installed before using Boot Camp, and are available as download on the Apple web site.

Windows runs now on a Mac ! So I am very proud to present for the first time in my news section a picture of Bill Gates, from an old (1984) Apple brochure...

To add up to their 7 range, Sound devices has issued the 702 and 702T model of portable audio recorders. They are in the same compact solid format and chassis as the 722 and 744T and are compact-flash only recorders. T is for Time code… Both have 2 channels with preamps, limiter, HP filter and phantom power. 16 or 24 bit, 32 to 192 kHz, WAV mono or poly, uncompressed PCM audio. AES3 or AES3id inputs, AES3id outputs. MP3/MP2 file playback. Firewire 400 port…

Available now, 702 $2,175, 702T $2,650
Note that Sound devices updated the 7 range firmware to 1.68.