Mac and Music News

Focusrite announces that LiquidMix is now shiping worldwide. LiquidMix is a new multi-channel Firewire Mix Processor. Liquid Mix's onboard DSP hosts 32 classic EQs and 32 vintage compressors simultaneously in the mix. Each of Liquid Mix's 32 channels provides Compressor and EQ emulations selected from a huge pool of high-quality vintage and modern day classics. 40 Compressors and 20 EQs are available straight out of the box, with an expanding library online. Furthermore, a totally unique hybrid 7-band 'super EQ' can be built out of separate classic EQ sections in every one of the 32 channels. Each channel appears as a separate VST/AU/RTAS effect within the sequencer and will work within all major applications, including Pro Tools. Liquid Mix's DSP is housed within a desktop control solution and connects to the computer via Firewire, which also provides bus-powering. An optional expansion card is available for Liquid Mix, allowing users to increase the number of available channels at higher sample rates. Liquid Mix is bundled with a VST to RTAS wrapper, allowing it to work with Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools LE.

Focusrite Liquid Mix ships for $799.

LUNA Free and LUNA Unlimited are now available as prerelease verion 2, featuring MacIntel support, new audio mixing desk, improved editors and new plugin manager. Luna is an alternative, ultra-light virtual music studio, designed to compose & perform music of different styles and flavors. It features : Audio Recording & Playback, MIDI Recording & Playback, Composition & Sequence Editing, Effect & Instrument VST Plugins, Powerful Audio Mixing Desk, Audio Engine using 32 bit floats, almost any sample rate, and Sample accurate sequencing.

Luna Unlimited costs 29 euros and Luna Free is… free.

Novation unveils the XioSynth, a new compact audio interface, synth and controler. It features a USB port, MIDI ports, microphone input (phantom powered), Novation-class synthesis, 32-step sequencer X-Gator, and standalone synth mode. The XioSynth is available with 25 keys (330 euros) or 49 keys (430 euros).

Please also note that the X-Station and ReMOTE keyboard ranges now support Intel Mac, with Universal Binary, Core Audio and MIDI drivers for intel and Power PC Macs now available.

Digidesign released a new version for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered.

Pro Tools LE 7.1.1cs1 fixes :

- Pro Tools Always Overwrites Automation in Existing Playlists When Using "Import (Session Data) - Overlay New on Existing Playlists."
- Volumes With Japanese Naming Will Not Mount In DigiBase
- Opening or Importing an OMF With AIFF Media Would Result In An Error
- When Using CoreAudio Input To Record With Third Party Applications, Digital Noise Would Result
- Some Automation Moves Could Be Written Incorrectly When Writing Immediately After A "Play" Command

Pro Tools M-Powered Pro Tools M-Powered 7.1.1cs1 fixes :

- Volumes With Japanese Naming Will Not Mount In DigiBase
- Some Automation Moves Could Be Written Incorrectly When Writing Immediately After A "Play" Command.

These updates are available for download in the MacMusic Software section.

All current FireWire products of the TerraTec Producer range as well as the Guitar-to-MIDI Controller AXON AX 100 MKII are now compatible with the new Apple processors. The new drivers for PHASE 24 FW, PHASE X24 FW, PHASE 88 Rack FW, MIC2, 8 FW and the AXON AX 100 MK II are now available.

Thay can be downloaded from the TerraTec Producer website.

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.