Mac and Music News

New Universal Binary mLan drivers are now available as download on the mLan Central Web site. These new drivers add compatibility with new Intel-based Mac computers. mLAN for FireWire Music Networking is the integration of audio and MIDI (computers, synths, sounds cards, and other devices) over a single, FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable.

The Melodyne Sound Library (MSL) is not just another sample collection, it is an almost endless supply of sound ideas. Licks and solos can always be adjusted to your key, your tempo and your style, and melodies can completely be reshaped. The sounds of the libraries are derived from Ueberschall's Liquid Instruments and are being offered exclusively to owners of Melodyne studio and cre8 from version 3.1. The series begins with MSL electric bass, MSL saxophone and MSL guitar, with MSL the voice and MSL horn section to follow in summer.

The first Melodyne Sound Libraries, MSL electric bass, MSL saxophone and MSL guitar, are available for $159.

Native Instruments announces special events this summer to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Starting out as a small software company in 1996, Native Instruments rapidly became a leading player in the software instruments market. Recent years have also seen Native Instruments causing a stir in the music hardware sector. By way of thanks to their loyal customers, NI announce the NI-VERSARY SUMMER from July 3rd to September 10th. Enjoy 10 weeks worth of special features: read the birthday wishes from a host of famous artists, win fantastic prizes in a series of raffles, profit from special jubilee offers and come revel with us at the grand NI-VERSARY party in Berlin on September 23rd.

Details on the Native Instruments web site.

Augustus Loop has been updated to version 1.6.2 in order to fix a graphical user interface issue with certain hosts and notably with Plogue Bidule on Intel-based Macs. Augustus Loop is an emulation of a tape-based delay effect, with some extra features to facilitate its use as a looping device : Really long maximum delay (3600 seconds - that's one hour), Tap tempo and Virtual tape. The delay simulates an old-style tape delay, meaning you can change the tape speed (i.e. pitch up and down), reverse the tape direction, smoothly change the delay time (as if you were changing the head gap on a tape delay).

Augustus Loop is available in the MacMusic Software Section.

Malcolm Haylock has released Universal Binary versions for VSamp in both Audio Units and VST formats. These new versions also feature : choice of outputs to save to disk, and additional items in Help menu. VSamp is a software sample player. It comprises a program for creating and playing virtual instruments and a plugin for playing VSamp instruments from within a sequencer.

This shareware is available in the Software section.

Cakewalk has released the Universal Binary (Audio Units) version of Rapture. Rapture is a wavetable synthesizer designed to produce pop, dance and electronic sounds. 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.

The UB update is free for registered users. Rapture Universal Binary in VST and RTAS versions will come soon.

Sagan has updated all versions of its Metro to prerelease version 6.3.5.6. These new version fix several bugs and include new features :

- New: Normalize Faders function in the special menu
- New: View plug-ins by manufacturer or category.
- New: Metro will interpret the enclosing folder name of any VST plug-ins as the manufacturer name.
- New: When "manufacturer" is the selected plug-in sort field Metro will sort plug-ins by name if the manufacturer names are equal.
- New: Menu item for inserting a random chord progression.
- New: The Mouse Wheel can now be used for incrementing and decrementing numeric fields.
- New: Metro now receives MIDI data from VST plug-ins that send it.
- New: The jukebox now uses a triangle to indicate the currently playing song.
- New: Humanize and Extract Data have been added to the LX version.

These new versions are of course available in the MacMusic Software section.

WaveArts announces the release of PowerSuite version 5.20. TrackPlug now includes a real time spectrum analyzer, support for external sidechain input and a user selectable EQ. This release also includes 192Kb support in Panorama, fixes a Panorama loading bug on MacIntel, fixes resource loading errors with TrackPlug, and improves compatibility with Mac 10.3.9. Power Suite 5 by WaveArts includes: TrackPlug, MultiDynamics, MasterVerb, FinalPlug and the new Panorama, a 3-D virtual acoustics processor with binaural HRTF technology.

Solid State Logic announces that Duende, its first entry in the DAW world, is shipping today. Duende is a DSP platform in a rack format, enabling you to have the SSL sound quality directly in your favorite audio software. It connects to your computer via Firewire 400 and the plug-ins are in AU, VST and RTAS so all DAWs are concerned. Each unit handles 32 channels at 96 KHz, and 2 can be daisy chained.

Duende ships at $1899.

Vienna Symphonic Library announces that five new elements in the Symphonic Cube are now available : Woodwinds II, Brass I, Brass II, Harps and Percussion. 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.

The Vienna Instruments is now available as Universal Binary on Mac.