Effective immediately, Cycling '74 will discontinue sales of prebuilt Max-based audio plug-in packages. This includes Pluggo, Mode, Hipno, and UpMix. They will still continue to support current users as best as they can, but there will be no further development on either the plug-in packages or their supporting technology.

"This was not an easy decision to make, and we know it will disappoint some users. We had originally hoped to update

KResearch has just released KR-Fatter STR, a modular hybrid plug-in processor using two different proprietary time and frequency domain dsp platforms in a single unit.

The frequency domain platform used is Spectral Transformation Resynthesis (STR). STR is a digital signal processing (dsp) platform that operates exclusively in the frequency domain and makes use of specially developed spectral transforms for synthesis and audio effect design. At the same time, KR-Fatter STR is using specially designed time domain processing elements like for example fractal based variance controls. By combining these two platforms in a single unit, new more powerful effects can be achieved by rather using a single platform.

KR-Fatter STR can be used to enhance the spectral content of audio signals cont ...

Modartt announces the release of the new Vibes add-on for Pianoteq.

Using a newly extended model, Pianoteq can now reproduce the beautiful sound of the vibraphone. Two virtual vibraphones, V-M and V-B, reproduce faithfully the characteristic sound of two well-known vibraphone brands.

The V-M is a virtual copy of a Musser vibraphone that belongs to the famous French vibraphonist Dany Doriz. The V-B is a virtual copy of a Bergerault vibraphone that belongs to the Condorcet studio in Toulouse (France).

Thanks to the physical model the range of the vibraphones is extended from 3 to 5 octaves. Each instrument is provided with several variants and by using interface features, such as mallet hardness and tremolo, you can customize them to your own taste.

The Vibes add-on can be purchased by all Pianoteq customers for 49 €. Audio demos and a free Pianoteq trial version are available at :

Univers-Sons / Ultimate Sound Bank introduces Spirit of Gongs, another crazy and exclusive UVI Soundpack which features 80 ancient gongs and related percussions in one single library.

Gongs are mainly East and South East Asian musical instruments, the shape of a flat metal plate, usually hit with a mallet. There are gongs of various sizes, and this collection focuses on the most musical ones, middle to small-sized, from 5 to 26 inch.

Following their pristine audio quality policy, Univers-Sons did record these pieces of history with the best analog and digital equipment in 24-bit / 96 kHz, to capture the essence of these rich percussive instruments. Depending on the model, they were able to sample in multiple velocity levels.

In addition to the recordings, they assed the perceptual tuning of each sample, allowing the presets to be played around the keyboard. Thanks to that, the collection stands as more versatile than just a "classic" gong collection : sound textures are varying from large metal bongs, to magnificent and musical bell chimes.

Instruments are sorted in a very meticulous way, from their original location : Burma, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam... Pictures and actual sizes are provided along for most of the presets.

Spirit of Gongs is now available for $99, and includes the full version of UVI Workstation. Note that a video demo is available at :

Pettinhouse has released "Vinyl Drumkits Electronic - Deep House Kit", a new free electronic drum kits for Native instruments Battery 3 or Kontakt 3. This kits was destinated to a new version of Pettinhouse's electronic vinyl drumkit library which it is availble now for free.

To download this kit, please follow the lnk bellow :

Audio Damage unveils their upcoming new product, Eos, which is a new reverb plug-in. Eos aims to provide a nice, long, lush reverb outside of the normal CPU-intensive processes which means that it will be perfectly suited for live uses. Here is an excerpt from their blog :

"Here's a first real look at Eos, the next Audio Damage product. Some highlights:
1. As you can see, it has three distinct algorithms. Plate One is a summed input plate algo. This means it combines the left and right to proved the source input for the algorithm. It has a stereo output on a stereo track, though. Plate Two is a slightly different algorithm, with a stereo input. Superhall is a hall algorithm designed specifically for long dense modulated reverbs, like you'd find on a Harold Budd album. These algorithms were written by Sean Costello under contract to Audio Damage, and are very, very good. (And you'll note that I rarely qualify the word "good," let alone with two instances of "very.")

2. The control structure we've gone with is quite a bit different than our normal methods. You can grab any of the digit displays to change the values; grabbing them towards the left gives you big changes, and grabbing them towards the right gives you small changes. This seemed much handier than having a text value entry (the which I dislike intensely) and gives you control that is just as fine. Also, all the graphical displays are X/Y controllers. The big oval on the top, the X is decay (RT60 in the vernacular) and the Y is size. The little sperm thing inside the oval displays the modulation rate and depth. The filter displays are similar, with X being the cutoff for the respective filter and Y being the multiplier.

This plug-in has a much different topology internally than ADverb (née Reverence) and has a correspondingly much different sound. It also has a ludicrously low CPU usage. As far as I'm able to measure, the DSP itself has no real usage to speak of, and most of the CPU is a result of instancing a VST or AU in the first place. It can easily be used live on a laptop, or multiple-instanced. This was our real goal: to provide a nice, long, lush reverb outside of the normal CPU-intensive processes, and in my opinion that was accomplished."

Pricing & Availability TBA.

MOTU has announced the release of Volta v1.01. This maintenance update has numerous enhancements and is recommended for all users. Volta v1.01 is available as a free, downloadable update for all registered Volta users.

For complete details, see the PDF documentation included in the 1.01 updater download.

Trinity Audio Group Inc. refreshes it's line of mobile audio computers by announcing the Indamixx Netbook Model 2, an affordable Linux audio Netbook with pre-installed audio and mobility software.

"At $499.00 complete with hardware and fully loaded software, we provide the most affordable full featured mobile recording studio in the world," says Creative Director Ronald Stewart. "The Indamixx Netbook is an ideal product for music beginners and priced perfectly for the masses."

Model 2 improvements include :

• 3.0 Transmission (OS) - Custom Linux operating based on Ubuntu 9.04.
• A Private Label MSI Wind U100 with factory installed 2GB RAM - 1 year limited warranty.
• 160GB HDD.
• 10" Widescreen
• An Over clocked Intel Atom chip up to 2.0Ghz with up to 4 hour battery life.
• 3G and HSDPA capable.
• Pre-bundled software with award winning energy XT
• First solution to feature ArdourXchange
• More than 350 classic sample and scratches
• Over 260 Plugins and effects

Access Music has announced that, after an extensive public beta test phase, OS3 for the Virus TI is now available. This new operating system for the entire Virus TI product line introduces new and existing effects such as additional distortion types, a tape delay and a ring shifter.

The new version is recommended for every user and can be downloaded free of charge now at:

Peavey has released a "preview" version of its virtual guitar amp ReValver Mk III in RTAS plug-in format. The downloads are not beta but a preview of the final version.

Windows and Mac OS X versions are available for registered users at :

MOTU has announced that Electric Keys version 1.01 is now available as a free, downloadable update for all registered Electric Keys users. This maintenance update has numerous enhancements and is recommended for all users.

For complete details, see the PDF documentation included in the 1.01 updater download.

Last week at the AES in Munich, Neumann has unveiled a new MS stereo/numeric mic pair.

Assembling the KMR81D ("shotgun" style) and the KM120D which features a prototype of the KK120 capsule in a numeric body, this mic pair is specially designed for the video market. If the test-users reviews are positive, we should see this product in our favorite retailers shops by the end of the year.

No price announced so far.

Waveformer is a multi purpose synthesizer sounds library designed by MESA+ sound-engineers for Ableton Live 7.

Waveformer is based on wavetables formed by 66 waveforms that act as oscillators for Ableton Simpler. Each waveform has been carefully designed in order to avoid unwanted aliasing-noise and multisampled across the keyboard range to improve sound fidelity.

The presets have been developed and processed using Ableton Sampler's FM and Waveshaper features, then converted for Ableton Simpler in order to extend accessibility by all Ableton Live 7 versions (LE included). Waveformer is composed by 270 Ableton-Instrument-Racks presets all organized with macro knobs for instant sound tweaking. Waveformer includes 271 Simpler presets, 4 Drum Rack presets and 212 Ableton Clips.

Specifications :

• Wavetables Synth for Ableton Live
• 66 PCM Waveforms
• 270 Ableton Instrument Racks
• 271 Ableton Simpler Presets
• 4 Ableton Drum Rack Kits
• 212 Ableton Clips
• 1652 Wav 32bit/48KHz

Waveformer is available now as a download only product for €25. Note that a free reduced version Waveformer is also available for download. It is based on only 10 waveform and it contains 40 Ableton Instrument Rack presets.

Ohm Force unveils Cohmpost , a new free plug-in for both Mac (AU/VST) and PC (VST). Here is the description found on Ohm Force's Blog :

"You just NEED some Cohmpost in your music. Get it in AU for Mac, VST for Mac or VST for Windows. For your information, no kittens were harmed while creating the Cohmpost (just a bit ruffled, promise). Lawyer warning : Please do not use Ohm Force Cohmpost Mac version unless you totally agree with the license agreement."

... so if we want to know what it sounds like exactly we just gotta try I guess...

Apple has updated Mac OS X Leopard, bringing the current version of the operating system to 10.5.7. As usual, this update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

For more information, please visit the following link :

Akai Professional announces that it has launched APC40.com, a dedicated web site for its APC40 Ableton Performance Controller.

APC40.com contains all of the information about the APC40 in one place, including text, images, video, an interactive product tour, the APC40 quick start guide, event listings, news, free downloads and more.

The APC40 will launch worldwide on May 30, 2009, with a retail price of $599 and an anticipated street price of $399.