Mac and Music News

Cakewalk has released a free update to their Rapture wavetable synthesizer.

New features and enhancements in Version 1.1 :

- Universal Binary support for Audio Units, VSTi, and RTAS (Pro Tools 7.3 compatible)
- Stand-alone mode
- Engine optimization for faster load times and reduced memory usage
- New DSP and Filter routings, (6 new DSP Transforms, 14 different serial and parallel DSP/Filter routings)
- Mouse Wheel scrolling added to Wavetable Selection
- Improved Program browsing with Previous/Next buttons
- Updated dropdown menus for all SYNC Rate selections within Envelope
- Generators, LFOs, STEPGENs, and Global STEPGENs
- Comprehensive MIDI Modulation Matrix with new enhancements
- 50 new Rapture programs by ProSounds and B Rock designed to highlight the new features in Version 1.1

The Rapture 1.1 Update is available free as a download for registered customers. For more information, please visit their web site.

Wave Arts has released Universal Binary versions of TrackPlug 4, MasterVerb 4 and WaveSurround in VST and Audio Unit formats for Mac OS X allowing them to be used on PPC- and Intel-based Macintosh computers. Note that the "current" major versions TrackPlug and MasterVerb are 5.x but due to popular demand Wave Arts has released free Universal Binary updates for existing v4 customers who enjoy the simplicity of the older version 4 counterparts to the more fully-featured version 5 lineup.

M-Audio is pleased to announce that all X-Session Pro owners are now eligible to receive a FREE copy of Torq LE! Torq LE is a light version of the revolutionary Torq DJ software that is taking the digital DJ world by storm.

If a customer has an X-Session Pro, they can simply visit the X-Session Pro page on m-audio.com, register and...

CharterOak Acoustic Devices, manufacturers of hi-quality, hand assembled audio equipment announced a partnership with The Hook Studios of Los Angeles, CA, to manufacture its PF-1 high performance pop filter.

SoundToys has released SoundToys Native Effects V3, which consists of five plug-ins, EchoBoy, FilterFreak, PhaseMistress, Crystallizer, and Tremolator. They are all available in Audio Units, RTAS and AudioSuite plug-in formats for Mac OS X Universal Binary. A sixth effect, Speed, is also included but currently in AudioSuite format only.

EchoBoy includes 30 built-in echo styles modeled after various vintage echos (ATR-102, EchoPlex, Space Echo, Memory Man, DM-2, TelRay oilcan delay, etc...). EchoBoy's chorus even emulates the CE-2 chorus, considered a holy-grail of guitar chorus pedals.
FilterFreak is a "fat" and "warm" resonant analog filter plug-in, designed to do all the things you do with filters. From funky envelope followers like Mutron, to classi ...

The guys at Dreamfabric have made a nice little monosynth all in Java you can load in your favorite web browser. There's 2 oscillator, a resonant filter, LFO, a ring modulator, a noise generator, an EQ, overdrive, a keyboard, revarb and delay etc. And… a Spartan text base sequencer. Even in its actual 0.1 state, it bleeps, purrs and boingbloop nicely.

Oh, it's free and fun ! And works on any Java-able platform.

Raw Material Software has released PPMulator+ v2.3. This new version of the metering plugin adds multi-channel support, plus Universal Binary, Audio Unit and RTAS compatibility.

PPMulator+ v2.3 is available now at a retail price of £49.99, owners of the previous version can upgrade for £19.99.

Sonic Studio has announced the release of a new version of their low-cost premastering application, PreMaster CD 2.0. This version adds more background processing, more control, and more functionality. In addition, options are now on-tap to customize the application's already strong collection of features. This new release consolidates all the maintenance changes incorporated into the code base while adding the ability to support options, including Manual DeClick II and DDP File Open for both split and consolidated DDP file sets. A new Master Section, with large, adjustable metering, a master fader with dim, and convenient management of redithering parameters, offers centralized command and control. Other additions include export to BWF and AIFF along with optimized processing of waveform metadata.

PreMaster CD 2.0 is available now starting at $495. For more information, please visit their web site.