Mac and Music News

Big Fish Audio has released VI.ONE, a massive multi-disc sample library. It includes drums, drum loops, basses (including acoustic, upright, electric, and synth), world and ethnic instruments (organized by geographic regions), sound effects, guitars (acoustic and electric), keyboards, a full collection of orchestral instruments, screaming B3 organs, world-class acoustic pianos, prepared pianos, electric/synth pianos, pop horns and brass, a bank of vintage synths, and cutting-edge synth patches.

Contents :

* 20 Gigs on 3 DVD's
* Over two thousand sampler patches
* Standalone, AudioUnit, VST, RTAS

VI.ONE is powered by the Kontakt Player 2 engine, bringing instant access to the sounds via the standalone application, as well as being accessible within sequencers via every major plug-in format: AudioUnit, VST and RTAS. VI.ONE is available now at a retail price of $399.95.

AMG has released version 1.0.6 of their virtual brass instrument Kick-Ass Brass! which, apart from a few minor bug fixes, brings Intel-Mac support to the Mac OS X AU and Standalone versions - VST is planned for the future.

Puremagnetik has just released Analog Bass Volume 1 for Live 6, Kontakt 2 and EXS24. Analog Bass is a huge collection of over 50 multisampled analog bass instruments recorded directly from classic monosynths. Among the sound sources are the TB-303, Minimoog, Doepfer Modular and ARP 2600. The Ableton Live 6 version of Analog Bass contains over 50 Sampler Racks AND over 50 Simpler Racks. The Kontakt 2 version includes extensive KSP mappings for control of filters, time-based effects LFOs and envelopes.

Features :

- Over 50 Analog Bass Instruments
- Over 270 MB of 24-bit Content
- Ableton Live Simpler and Sampler Racks with Macro Controls
- Customized Kontakt 2 KSP Panels
- Easy Edit of Synth Controls and Effects

For more information, please visit their web site.

NuGen Audio has released version 2.1 of Line-up, bringing the plugin to Mac OS X (VST and AU, Universal Binary) for the first time. Line-up is a track adjustment utility designed to allow the rapid manipulation of audio inputs, including phase switching, multiple mono collapse options and sample accurate line-up of multiple audio tracks. Delay times can also be entered in m/seconds. These features can be useful for correcting mis-aligned tracks (no host PDC, phase re-alignment, long mic/speaker recording delay, etc.), checking mono compatibility and switching/muting/collapsing stereo channels. Line-up can also be used as a send effect to create very precise chorus, phase and doubling effects.

Line-up is available now as a free download for all registered users (registration is free).

Art.Lebedev Studio is annoncing for january 2008 the production of 400 new units of his keyboard Optimus Maximus. It's a USB keyboard including 114 keys with individual screens of 32 x 32 pixels OLED. Each key can be configurate for switching easily from "traditionnal" alphabet to cyrillic or arabic, you can also customise with differents symbols which makes it a real delight for using shortcuts of our favorite sequencers !

This great device has unfortunately a price of 1564,37 $. for more infos go to their website !

ReFX has announced the release of Nexus v1.3.

New features :

- New master effect: distortion has been added.
- New arpeggio-mode: poly has been added.
- Internal limiter has been added.
- Several 'locks' have been added, so specific sections (mod, arp etc.) can be protected from loading new presets.

Fixes :

- One-time click when loading new preset has been fixed.
- Internal optimizations and minor bug fixes.

Note that reFX has also released two new expansion packs, Store'n'Forward and Hardstyle which cost $69.99 each.

Graf-Martinez has released version 3.2 of Compás which is a metronome for learning the Flamenco rhythms. This standalone application allows you to hear and see the beats in the Flamenco rhythms, and to learn how to count in the Flamenco styles.

The Flamenco Metronome 'Compás' is available now as a download for €24.50. For more information, please visit the link below.

VirSyn today announces the release of Poseidon 1.2.

Features :

- "Inverse filter" model for separation of sound source and body enables preservation of formants.
- Bitmap import function to convert images into sound.
- New harmonic/wavetable analyzer modes ensure strict harmonic partials.
- Unison modes for suboctave and fifth.
- Added filter and blur functionality to residual noise.
- Output limiter.
- 64 new presets.

Bugfixes :

- Output muted if sound model is missing/deleted.
- Partial count "1" working now.
- Residual noise level is now normalized.
- Wave recorder display problems fixed.

Kel Audio Inc. regrets to announce that it will not be releasing the HM-2 large diaphragm instrument mic announced recently. In discussions with another microphone company, all parties agreed that the HM-2, as configured in earlier announcements, may unintentionally conflict with one of that company's products and Kel Audio has chosen not to market the HM-2.

All customers who pre-ordered an HM-2 have been refunded. Kel Audio thanks everyone for their interest and confidence in its products and apologizes for any disappointment or confusion that may have been caused by earlier announcements.

Soniccouture have released eBow Guitar - the first sampled re-creation of the unique sound of the eBow. The ebow ( Energy bow), is a small, hand-held device that 'bows' the strings of a guitar using an electromagnetic field. It produces a unique guitar sound, with a very slow attack and infinite sustain. Two guitars were painstakingly sampled, an acoustic and an electric. Both were sampled with the high and low power ebow setting, with vibrato and without vibrato. Several note off samples were recorded for every note, to make the instrument's response as detailed and lifelike as possible. The level of the note-off sounds can be mixed to taste by the user. The acoustic was recorded in full stereo to give a natural, spacious image.

Features :

- 1.2GB Library
- Acoustic and Electric Gu ...

WIDI Audio to MIDI, the real-time Audio to MIDI conversion plug-in from Widisoft, has been updated to version 1.2.1 and is now compatible with both PPC and Intel Mac.

For more information, please visit the link below.

Steinberg has released new updates to its Universal Binary versions of the Virtual Guitarist 2 and Hypersonic 2 VST instruments.

The new update for Hypersonic 2 introduces several minor enhancements to Steinberg's VSTi workstation on Intel-based Macs. These include improved integration of Hypersonic 2 phrase content. The Audio Unit version of Hypersonic 2 also sees improvements when using the onscreen ModWheel and MIDI controllers.

The update to Virtual Guitarist 2 improves the accessibility of VG2 to MIDI controllers when running on Intel-based Macintosh computers.