Mac and Music News

Native Instruments today announced MASSIVE, a true next-generation software synthesizer. MASSIVE combines advanced Wave-Scanning synthesis with a wealth of sound-shaping and modulation options, resulting in a sound full of warmth, punch, character and definition. MASSIVE is a true multi-purpose synthesizer for studio and stage. Itr is built from the ground up on a forward-thinking synthesis engine that makes full use of today's advanced processor architectures. Intelligent oversampling with up to 192 kHz internal resolution guarantees pristine audio quality across the full spectrum. A special wavetable technology with "Phase Shaping" allows for additional "Bend" and "Formant" play modes, which provide a wide range of further tonal variations in the oscillator stage. An additional modulatio ...

Native Instruments announces KOMPLETE 4, which incorporates the latest ABSYNTH 4, BATTERY 3 and FM8 versions, which add significant creative capabilities over their predecessors and offer increased integration with Native Instruments' host system KORE and its KoreSound format. The new KOMPLETE package also includes AKOUSTIK PIANO, the grand-piano emulation. Native Instruments has refocused the content of KOMPLETE 4, which now offers 12 instruments and effects that cover the full range of applications and musical styles in modern audio production. The sampling instruments INTAKT and KOMPAKT are no longer part of KOMPLETE, and will be discontinued as individual products effectively immediately. Comparable functionality is provided by the more powerful KONTAKT 2 and BATTERY 3 samplers. Owners of the individual versions of INTAKT and KOMPAKT can make use of a special crossgrade offer for KONTAKT 2.

KOMPLETE 4 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of 1299 Euro . An update for owners of KOMPLETE 3 will be available for 299 Euro. Owners of KORE or two qualifying products will be able to purchase an upgrade to KOMPLETE 4 for 999 Euro.

Native Instruments today announced Absynth 4, the fourth generation of its semi-modular software synthesizer. The new version offers extended sound design and performance capabilities through a new customizable signal flow; additional oscillator, waveform and envelope features; and a completely revised modulation concept. Numerous usability improvements, including a new KORE-compatible sound browser, provide a more convenient creative workflow. With its refined combination of sonic flexibility and ease of use, Absynth 4 strengthens its role as the leading sound-design synthesizer for innovative timbres and complex soundscapes.

Absynth 4 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $ 339 / 299 Euro. An update for owners of Absynth 3 will be available for $ 119 / 99 Euro.

After a long wait , TerraTec Producer's KOMPLEXER "Synthesizer of Emotions" is available now. Offering both virtual analog synthesis and wavetable synthesis, TerraTec Producer's KOMPLEXER sets new standards for VST plug-ins. Eight macro controllers are onboard to afford utmost handling ease. Version 1.01 of the Komplexer is already available at the time of release with a number of improvements. Featuring classic synth sound powered by three oscillators, two multimode filters, four ADSDSR envelopes and three LFOs, KOMPLEXER plays in the premier league of VST instruments.

Priced at 199, TerraTec Producer's KOMPLEXER is available now.

Native Instruments unveils FM8, the long-awaited successor of the popular FM7 software synthesizer. The new FM8 features an enhanced high-resolution audio engine, intelligent sound morphing, new performance features and a new KORE-compatible preset manager. Included with FM8 are over 960 ready-to-play factory presets. From clean, dynamic, percussive sounds to pads, leads, brass and piano sounds, the presets exemplify the strengths of FM synthesis. Also included are a number of effect rack, sound morphing and arpeggio presets.

FM8 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $ 339/ 299 Euro and an update for owners of FM7 will be available for $ 119 / 99 Euro.

Native Instruments announces BATTERY 3, a significant revision of its popular drum and percussion sampler. The addition of time-stretching and advanced loop capabilities, innovative "play parameters", a powerful master effects section and an integrated wave editor all serve to strengthen the role of BATTERY as the premier creative drum and percussion sampler, with an enormous library of more than 100 high-quality drum kits providing a wealth of studio-quality material for all styles and genres.

BATTERY 3 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $ 219 / 199 Euro. An update for owners of will be available for $ 119 / 99 Euro.

FabFilter has released updates to FabFilter Twin and FabFilter Volcano. The new versions contain bug fixes as well as improvements and new features : Added MIDI program change handling. Any preset can now be loaded by sending bank select and program change MIDI messages, Added optional interactive help. When this feature is activated, help texts will appear when the user moves the mouse over any control in the plug-in interface, Fixed a bug that could cause Twin or Volcano to freeze on Apple G5 Quad systems when changing presets, Added a 'polarity' option to the LFO's in Twin, which can be used to produce either waveforms between -1 and 1 (original behaviour) or positive-only waveforms between 0 and 1, Reduced memory usage of Twin by 50%, Slightly reduced memory usage of FabFilter Volcano ...

Not a lot of huge news from the Paris Apple Expo, but some Apple announcements :

- Apple introduced the all-new iPod nano with a new aluminum body, a 24 hours of battery life and more than twice the music capacity for the same price as the previous generation. Available in 2GB, 4GB and 8 GB.

- The new iPod features a 60 percent brighter and more vibrant 2.5-inch color display perfect for watching TV shows and now Hollywood movies right in the palm of your hand. The new iPod is available in a 30GB model at the new low price of $249 and an 80GB model, which holds up to 20,000 songs or 100 hours of video, for $349.

- The new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a stunning all-new aluminum design and a built-in clip which makes it the most wearable iPod ever. The new iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory, which holds up to 240 songs, and is more affordable than ever at just $79.

- The iTunes Store now includes over 75 Hollywood movies, 220 television shows and popular video games designed specifically for the fifth generation iPod.

- iTunes has been updated to version 7.0 in order to add compatibility with new features of the iTunes Store, and updates are also available for QuickTime (v7.1.3) with a lot of bufixes, and Front Row (v1.3).

Info on the Apple Store .

Celemony has just updated Melodyne cre8/studio to version 3.1.1. This updated version adds several improvements (detection can now be switched between MS-Mode, better RAM usage of MSL, MelodyneBridge supports offline-rendering now) and bugfixes (batch-detecting many files could lead to a crash, "Revert and reset position" could lead to a crash, presets of the built-in Podolski synth are installed properly again, MIDI EQ setting is now displayed correctly on the screen, and more).

This free update is available in the MacMusic Software Section.

Digidesign just unveils its new X-Form plugin. Digidesign X-Form represents the pinnacle of time compression/expansion and pitch-shifting technology. Available for all Pro Tools and Avid DNA systems, this high-quality AudioSuite plug-in delivers professional time stretching and formant-correct pitch shifting with professional results, even at extreme settings. X-Form is ideal for music production, sound design, post production, or any other application that requires natural-sounding time stretch and pitch shift processing.

X-Form ships at $495.

AirEQ is now available in version 1.1. With this release Eliosound launched a special 20% off promotion. This promotion will be available until September 22nd, and gives a 20% discount on AirEQ plus free shipping for those who need a dongle, which is included in the price. To get this discount, enter the following code on the checkout page of their online shop: AirEQ-intro-offer.

DUY has released MagicEQ LE, the native version of the MagicEQ automatic equalizer TDM plug-in.This automatic equalizer based on DUY's new technology will equalize the mix for you while you play your song through it... after MagicEQ has finished the analysis you can still modify values yourself... The death of all mastering engineers ? ;-)

MagicEQ LE is available in VST, AU, RTAS and MAS plug-in formats on Mac OS X and costs €199. Demo versions are available. DUY also offers a special package that includes Magic Spectrum and the MagicEQ LE plug-ins for €350.