Mac and Music News

NCH Swift Sound Software released the free audio editor, WavePad, for Mac OS X this week. It is a port from the very successful Windows application and it is designed to cater to the middle of the range user who wants a professional audio editing solution without the cost. Sound editing functions include cut, copy, paste, delete, insert, silence, autotrim and more. Audio effects include, amplify, normalize, equaliser, envelope, reverb, echo, reverse, sample rate conversion and more.

_audioMIDI.com and puremagnetik have teamed up to offer an exclusive Live Pack library for audioMIDI.com customers. The aM Essentials Live Pack will be free to anyone who purchases a copy of Ableton Live at audioMIDI.com. Musicians who already own Live may also purchase the aM Essentials Live Pack for only $19.99 exclusively at audioMIDI.com. You can find more info on the library here.

puremagnetik's "aM Essentials" Live Pack is a handpicked selection of puremagnetik's best sounds. Compiled exclusively for audioMIDI.com , this pack contains a comprehensive selection of instruments and clips for Ableton Live. Whether you produce electronica, rock, or jazz; puremagnetik's "aM Essentials" has the perfect palette of sounds to get you started producing with Ableton Live.

Features Include:

•  Over 120 Instrument Preset Racks
•  A Collection of Electric Guitar and Wurlitzer Loops
•  Audio Effects Chains from puremagnetik's "RackPak"
•  Extensively programmed Macro Controls for Ableton Live
•  Easy to Customize with "Modular" Instruments

Sound Skulptor unveils a range of high end microphone preamplifiers in kit form. Three different Mic Pre's are offered, based on vintage, universally recognized designs.

The DIY form of these products makes them affordable to most. The skills needed to built them are basic, thanks to the complete kits, careful design and to the very detailed instructions. For those who are not confident enough in their skills, they are also available fully assembled. Four boards can be freely combined into the 19", one unit high enclosure. Additionally, two DI inputs can be internally routed to any of the four preamps.

The MP73 is a three stages, single ended class A preamp based on the 1290/1073 from the world famous British consoles of the 70's. Input and output are coupled with Carnhill/St. Ives ...

Softube has just released Acoustic Feedback, a new guitar feedback plug-in for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU and RTAS formats. Acoustic Feedback is a realistic simulation of guitar feedback. After years of hard work spent on perfecting every detail of Vintage Amp Room, the developers at Softube felt obliged to create what they felt was the missing link between a real amp and an amp plug-in. The result is a simple and intuitive plug-in which emulates the feedback effect which occurs between the guitar and the amplifier. Bundled with a special edition of White amp from Vintage Amp Room, Acoustic Feedback aims to "rock your socks off".

Features :

- Realistic simulation (physical modeling) of guitar feedback.
- Fully responsive to vibratos, bends, slides, tremolos, etc.
- Simple user ...

AudioWarrior has released Free Djembe, a free studio-quality 24-bit Instrument that allows you play your keyboard exactly like a hand drum. Your MIDI controller's Pitch wheel will allow you to emulate a talking drum. Designed using Kontakt, Free Djembe is mapped with 10 expressive velocity layers with samples ranging from from C2 to C4 across a 15 key span. C3 is the center-Bass and spreading outwards towards C2 & C4 are the higher pitched rim shots.

Puremagnetik has released BIG07, a collection of 13 Micropaks from Puremagnetik's 2007 catalog. Weighing in at over 2GB of content, BIG07 is exclusively available in Ableton Live Pack format.

BIG07 contains the following Puremagnetik Micropaks :

- Vintage 80's Classics
- Elektrodrum
- EightBit
- String Machines
- Guitar Rack Vol. 1
- JUICE!
- Analog Bass Vol. 1
- Microdrum
- RackPak
- PM-200 Electronic Piano
- P-50 Linear
- Wavebase
- Retroputer

BIG07 can be downloaded immediately upon purchase or ordered on a backup CD for delivery. BIG07 is $98.

Ableton is happy to announce a new upgrade path for owners of Ableton Live 6 LE. The Live 6 LE to Live 7 upgrade will appear with the release of Live 7, coming later this year. The boxed version will be available at retail shops across the globe and at the Ableton webshop for EUR 329/USD 389. The download version will be available at the Ableton webshop for EUR 299/USD 349.

Digidesign is now shipping the latest release of Pro Tools. It offers numerous new music and post-production features and workflow enhancements for Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered users. Topping the list of new features is a powerful, multifaceted new music composition and production tool called Elastic Time. The software also provides improved networking compatibility with Avid Unity ISIS shared storage systems and new support for HD video workflows.

Elastic Time allows users to easily change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialog, and other sound files in real time without cutting up audio tracks. Users can now easily audition or import loops and audio files that instantly sync with a session's tempo. Users can also use the Elastic Time feature to quantize audio to the session grid or extracted grooves, and fine-tune regions with precise control over each individual beat.

Avid Media Station|PT 2.7 Software with Video Satellite Option: Running on a separate computer, new Avid Media Station|PT 2.7 software coupled with the new Video Satellite Option brings Pro Tools more deeply into the Avid workflow by enabling Pro Tools editors to quickly and easily play Avid video sequences in sync with Pro Tools|HD. The Video Satellite Option eliminates time-consuming video exports and removes all video-processing burdens from the Pro Tools|HD system by synchronizing playback with Media Station|PT on a separate, dedicated computer.