Mac and Music News

Waves has announced the release of the latest in their L-Series: the L3-16 Multimaximizer, a 16-band peak limiter. Powered by Waves PLMixer Peak Limiting Mixer technology, the L3-16 limits and maximizes the sum of all 16 bands to a set Threshold factor for maximum output while keeping the music intact and transparent. It features a unique EQ-style 6-band interface offering envelope control of both Gain and Priority. With precise and transparent results, the L3-16 delivers punch and clarity with a wide range of sonic flavors — from analog warm to digital cool.

The L3-16 Multimaximizer is available for TDM and native installation exclusively in Waves Mercury bundle... $12,500 TDM, $7,500 Native...

CME has announced the U2 USB Cable Interface Series, a series of USB cables with built-in computer interfaces for easy plug and play connection of line and mic level audio sources and MIDI keyboards and controllers. The U2GKB is designed for line level sources such as guitar, bass, and keyboards, the U2MIC is designed for microphone input and features +48v phantom power via USB, and the U2MIDI is designed to carry 16 channels of MIDI to and from a computer. All U2 series cables are USB powered.

The U2 Series will be available in the Spring of 2007. For more information please visit their web site.

Line 6 has released GearBox Plug-In version 3.1 which delivers amp emulation and effects derived from Line 6's PODxt hardware in software. There are two different GearBox Plug-in Bundles to fit your needs :

Silver Bundle :

* 18 guitar amp and 24 cab models from PODxt.
* 5 bass amp models from Bass PODxt.
* 6 world-renowned vintage and modern mic preamps.
* 30 studio and stompbox effects.


Gold Bundle :

* 78 guitar amp and 24 cab models from PODxt/Vetta II.
* 28 bass amp and 22 bass cab models from Bass PODxt.
* 6 world-renowned vintage and modern mic preamps.
* 80 plus studio and stompbox effects.


GearBox Plug-In is available for Mac OS X (UB) in RTAS and AU formats. The Silver bundle has an MSRP of $419.99; the Gold version $699.99.Note that GearBox Plug-In is also available as a download for owners of PODxt, GuitarPort, and TonePort products for $199.

Linplug has released version 3 of their soft synth Alpha. Just when you get tired about the many over-complex synthesizers of today, when you want to return to the roots, the beginning of all synthetic sound, the times when a Synthesizer could be fully programmed, then the Alpha 3 is the right synthesizer for you.

Alpha 3 is available for Mac OS X (UB) in AU and VST 2.0 formats at a retail price of 99 US$ / 79 Euro.

WaveMachine Labs has released Drumagog Platinum and Drumagog BFD. These versions of Drumagog offer the ability to directly trigger BFD, without the need for MIDI or other complicated setups, enabling you to harness the power of BFD directly from the Drumagog interface so if you own a copy of Fxpansion's BFD this is exactly what you need !

Drumagog Platinum is the top-of-the-range version of Drumagog and retails for $379. Drumagog BFD lacks various features, such as internal sounds and sample import, and retails for $199.

Grooveboxmusic.com, the online pro audio training provider has released a new in-depth Pro Tools 7 training product entitled "Excel Pro Tools 7". Containing 34 video tutorials and running over 3 hours in length, "Excel Pro Tools 7" covers many useful "Tips and Tricks" and task specific topics about the industry standard recording software Digidesign Pro Tools 7.

Just some of the tutorial videos on "Excel Pro Tools 7" include:

• Cleaning Vocal Tracks
• Create a Composite Track
• Auto Punch Recording
• Groove Quantize Audio
• Recording Reason Rewire
• Recording Virtual Inst
• Print FX to Track
• Using Playlists
• Stereoize Tracks
• Creating Submixes
• Telephone Effect

"Excel Pro Tools 7" is available for purchase right now exclusively as an Instant Digital Download on Grooveboxmusic.com for $39.99.

Toontrack has unveiled EZplayer Free, a MIDI bridge, organizer and wrapper between different drum sampler formats. Available to all registered Toontrack users, EZplayer Free features the same MIDI-handling capabilities featured in Toontrack EZdrummer. The application organizes and converts MIDI files to the mapping of supported drum samplers, provides dfh Superior users with access to MIDI content and functionality, and supports drag-and-drop operation in all major hosts. EZplayer Free is also the first step towards EZplayer, which will be unveiled and released later in the spring and will boast much extended functionality for performers as well as composers. EZplayer will be available through all Toontrack Music distributors. Exact release dates and pricing are as yet unavailable.

EZplayer Free will be available Mac OS X (Universal Binary) in VST, AU and RTAS formats. For more information please visit their web site.

TC Electronic has announced the pristine sound of the System 6000 plug-ins is now available for Pro Tools HD and Accel systems on both Intel and PowerPC based Macs, thanks to the new Universal Binary versions, which also add numerous optimizations and fixes to the existing PowerPC versions.

These update are free of charge for existing users and can be downloaded from the TC Electronic website.

"Le Synthé V4" by Pierre Couprie is the fourth version of an AKS Synthi emulator, and is based upon a modular matrix to construct your sounds. This new version is available in VST, RTAS and AU formats and of course it's still free !!

Lately Didier and Olivier Guillon (well Known for Harmony assistant software) have decided to produce a new software for converting Pdf scores into music files playable with a simple sound library. And then to make possible a conversion and an export to audio file as MusicXML, MIDI files, Myr (Harmony Assistant files) and even in .WAV or .AIFF.

They have worked and programmed for 9 months and produced PDFtoMusic (a free lite version and a pro version). Have a look at the result.