Mac and Music News

MakeMusic has unveiled Finale 2008. This upgrade offers a lot of new features :

- Record/import a mono or stereo audio file to enhance playback.
- More than 250 world-class instrument sounds from the makers of the acclaimed Garritan Personal Orchestra are included free. In addition to orchestral instruments are saxophones, trumpet and trombone mutes, jazz bass and drums, guitar, marching percussion, world instruments and more.
- Multiple sound libraries now work together seamlessly. Combine all the included sounds, add Native Instruments-supported libraries (available separately), hear them all in playback and save the results in an audio file.
- Copy music, adjust expressions, transpose, add repeats and much more – all with one tool.
- Intuitive keystrokes can select measures or p ...

Waves announces the release of The API Collection, the latest in its line of modeled plug-ins which deliver the sound of classic consoles and components. Developed in association with API (Automated Processes Incorporated), the API Collection features four processors, painstakingly modeled on the most renowned and popular API modules: the 550A 3-band equalizer, 550B 4-band EQ, the 560 graphic equalizer and the 2500 stereo compressor.

The API Collection is available now and requires iLok authorization. It carries a U.S. MSRP of $2,000 TDM and $1,000 Native. For more information, please visit their web site.

TC Electronic announces the immediate availability of C400XL, a dual gate/compressor. C400XL uses advanced TC Electronic multiband dynamics technology to compress any source - from vocals and percussion to guitars and even keyboards. The unit is adaptable to any source, analog or digital, and a gate, compression or a combination can be easily applied. And finally, the source-based compression, intuitive user interface and mix knob for parallel compression makes for an easy-to-use unit that produces high-resolution results.

Main features :

- Balanced analog XLR
- Balanced digital (AES/EBU)
- Precision gating – ultra fast and click free
- De-essing
- Dual engine compressor or gate
- High resolution input and gain reduction metering
- Threshold LED indication
- True dual mono, stereo or serial operation
- Brickwall limiting for peak stop and hot levels
- Dual band expansion for non-percussive sources

C400XL is available now at a retail price of €320 excl. VAT.

Cakewalk has announced the release of Cakewalk Studio Instruments. Basically this is a collection of virtual instrument featuring a drum kit, a bass guitar, an electric piano, and a string section.

Highlights :

- An entire band all in one package: Electric Piano, Bass, String Section, & Drum Kit.
- Easy to use animated user interface with powerful controls (cymbals crash, bows bow, bass strings vibrate, etc.).
- Play stand-alone or use it in your favorite recording software.
- Professionally recorded patterns and instrument sounds.

Cakewalk Studio Instruments is available for Mac OS X (UB) in VST, AU and standalone versions at an estimated street price of $49.99.

AraldFX has released StormGate1, a rhythmic gate that lets you shape audio with amplitude patterns.

Features :

- Free drawn amplitude envelope.
- Powerful envelope drawing tools: Free, step, spike and exponential.
- Variable quantization grid.
- 16 patterns with variable length and chaining support.
- Steps of one octave or one octave triplet.
- Intelligent host loop support.
- Advanced synchronization.
- Swing on octaves and sixteenth.
- Volume controls for original and gated audio, with cross-fading control.
- 13 functions for editing the envelope (including randomizations).

StormGate1 is available for Mac OS X (UB) in VST and AU formats and guess what ? It is free so... enjoy !

Antares Audio Technologies has announced the impending release of Harmony Engine - Vocal Modeling Harmony Generator, a real-time harmony generating plug-in.

Key Features :

- Four high-quality, formant-corrected harmony voices with independent vocal character, vibrato, and pan settings
- Antares Throat Modeling technology that processes each harmony voice through a physical model of the human vocal tract
- A variety of innovative Harmony Control modes, from fully automatic to individual control of every note :

* Fixed or Scale Intervals - Simply set the key and harmony voice intervals and let Harmony Engine do the rest
* Scale Degree or Chord Name - Define harmony chord-by-chord, complete with inversions and variable vocal ranges
* Chord by MIDI - Define ...

Puremagnetik has released RackPak for Ableton Live 6. Developed exclusively by some of Ableton's own sound designers, RackPak is a collection of over 100 audio effects racks for performance and studio use.

RackPak includes :

* Over 100 Advanced Effects Racks
* Space, Filter & Distortion Menus
* Live Performance & DJ Racks
* Mastering and Instrument Strips
* Glitch and Beat Processors

For more information, please visit the link below.

M-Audio is proud to announce shipment of the Pulsar II small-capsule condenser microphone.

Features :
- professional small-capsule condenser microphone
- 3/4"-diameter, 6-micron Mylar evaporated gold diaphragm
- thermal diaphragm treatment yields 2dB SPL boost over original model
- solid brass backplate
- solid brass body
- Class-A FET electronics
- switchable -10dB pad
- switchable 80Hz high-pass filter (12dB/octave)
- wooden storage box houses microphone, windscreen and clip

The Pulsar II is currently shipping and carries an MSRP of $199.95. The boxed matched pairs are currently expected to ship in the third quarter of 2007 at an MSRP of $399.95.