ESI introduces Midimate II, a convenient USB 2.0 MIDI interface cable with up to 32 input or 32 output channels for PC and Macintosh systems.

With Midimate II you can obtain perfect MIDI timing and performance at an extremly affordable price. The interface cable is compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista as well as Mac OS X and instantly works after you plug it in - no driver installation is required. There is more, Midimate II even automatically detects the incoming and outgoing MIDI signals, which means that both connectors work as input or output. You can use as 1 simultaneous input and 1 simultaneous output (with 16 channels each), 2 input (32 channels) or 2 output (32 channel) device.

Features :

• USB MIDI interface with 2 MIDI connectors, each can work as independent input or output
• high-speed connection to USB 2.0 or 1.1 equipped PC or Macintosh system
bus powered, requires no external power supply
• no driver needed for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X

Midimate II costs $34 / €27 / £24.

The originators of multi sampled drums and Drumkit From Hell, Toontrack Music presents an all-new SDX expansion pack for Superior Drummer 2.0 - The Metal Foundry SDX.

The Metal Foundry SDX is an all-new recording with Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake, featuring seven massive drum kits, spanning 300,000 sound files of raw, single hit drum recordings in the vein of Drumkit From Hell and dfh Superior, covering Hard Rock to Metal, from the early Blues tinged sound of the late 60s to the fragmentation of todays music, from Power through Thrash, Death and Progressive Metal.

The Metal Foundry SDX celebrates the Toontrack Music Hard Rock and Heavy Metal legacy of the first Drumkit From Hell, on which the company has built its following. This in turn has spawned such groundbreaking products as d ...

SoundLib today announces the availability of G-Player version 1.1

G-Player is a GigaStudio file player for Mac OS X available as a stand-alone application, VST and AudioUnit Plugin (RTAS should be available soon). No conversion required, the audio engine of G-Player was created from scratch to fully support the Giga format. Complex features such as dimensions, key switch and multi-layered instruments with individual cross-fades are natively supported. G-Player runs on PowerPC and Intel Mac with low CPU and RAM usage.

G-Player 1.1 includes the following improvements :

• New user interface
• MIDI LED indicators
• User configurable Pitch Bend
• User configurable Filter
• The filter can now be manually activated
• Support of the 3 GigaStudio velocity curves
• Built in Giga file browser
• G-Solo has its own keyboard
• Increased stability and streaming capacity

G-Player (including G-Solo) price is currently $139. Last but not least, G-Player can also be purchased at DontCrac[k] via instant download delivery for only $129 !!! Up to 20% extra discount can be obtained by adding other products to the shopping cart (-5% per product added). That is DontCrack's permanent "Make your own Bundle" offer which is quite a good deal if you look at it closely.

In this 3rd installment of the Guitar Rack series, Puremagnetik has cranked it up a notch! This Micropak includes a collection of highly expressive guitar instruments as recorded from a classic 1963 Guild Starfire hollow body. Slides, hammer-ons, staccato and jazz articulations are all available at your fingertips with Guitar Rack 3.

Guitar Rack Volume 3 includes 5 expertly programmed multisample instruments complete with easy edit controls. Menus like "WalkingChord" and "OctaveLead" put the classic sound of the hollow body directly in your hands. Over 70 looped clips for are ready for immediate playing in your session. Each Live Clip comes with a preloaded amp effect while the Logic version contains a library of Apple Loops ready for rocking!

Additionally, the Ableton Live version includes an add-on amplifier effect pack for Live 8. Making use of the latest features in Live 8, PM's resident guitar gurus have programmed a healthy dosage of raw rock effects!

Guitar Rack Volume 3 Includes :

• Over 700 24-bit multisamples
• 5 sophisticated hollow body instruments
• Over 70 Live Clips and Apple Loops
• Add-on Amp Effect Pack for Live 8
• Custom Kontakt KSP GUI and native Kontakt effects

Pricing : Basic Monthly Subscription: $5.75/Month Basic Yearly Subscription: $60/Year All Access Pass - $198/Year.

It's been 70 years since the original Shure model 55SH Series II Unidyne Microphone debuted in 1939. Now, the model once advertised as 'The Microphone That Needs No Name' is getting an upgrade. Shure has taken the iconic 55SH body that has been in production since 1951, dropped in a new supercardioid motor, and added some vibrant blue color. The resulting hot rod has the same retro-cool look as the original when parked on a mic stand but with a contemporary upgrade in performance. Its name is the Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone.

Features :

• Modern Sound : Tailored frequency response for natural vocals and speech
• High Output : Neodymium magnet and output transformer for increased sensitivity
• Vintage Design : Iconic chrome-plated design with vibrant blue color additions
• Supercardioid Polar Pattern : High gain-before feedback and excellent off-axis rejection
• Internal Shock Mount : Minimizes handling/stage noise and ensures quiet operation
• Rugged Die-Cast Chrome Casing : Reliable under rigorous conditions

The Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone is now shipping for $249 and carries a two-year limited warranty. Note that the current 55SH Series II model will continue to be available at a price of $179.

Imagine, if you will, being able to sit in on a major recording session with Alan Parsons. What do producers do ? And, specifically, what does producer Alan Parsons do ? In a phrase, he makes sounds and parts sound like a record.

Alan Parsons' Art & Science Of Sound Recording is a top-to-toe, soup-to-nuts examination of the sound recording process. The program covers everything from dealing with room acoustics to creating timed delays. From demo loop to iTunes.

This set of 3 DVDs will be available next month with an MSRP TBA.

GotharMusic has announced the release the Gotharman's deMOON, an affordable 4 note polyphonic filterbank synthesizer with build-in granulator and distortion effects, step-sequencer and note randomizer.

Features :

• 4 voices with each 1 oscillator or 1 voice with 4 oscillators in unison mode.
• Oscillators has continuously variable and modulatable waveforms.
• 4 resonant multimode filters (lpf/bpf/hpf) that are separately programmable and each can be parallel or serial connected to each other.
• Distortion effect with 5 different types.
• Granulator effect build in.
• 4 LFOs with continuously variable and modulatable waveforms.
• 2 envelopes.
• Note randomizer.
• 32-step step sequencer.
• Most parameters can be controlled by a midi-controller.
• Small and compact.
• Memory: 128 sounds and sequences.
• Output: 16-bit delta-sigma with 256x oversampling.

The Gotharman's deMOON is available for a fee of €250. For more information, please follow the link below :

Heartbeat by 9 Soundware is an instrument in EXS24 format. The sound set was constructed from samples of human heartbeat recordings, which were enhanced for drum-like punch. The percussive instrument features sounds of pulses resembling kick drums, as well as other internal organ activity.

The instrument is based on 224 samples. They were captured using an electronic stethoscope, which is more sensitive and capable of capturing quieter sounds compared to acoustic stethoscopes. In addition to heartbeats, which can augment or be used as an alternative to kick drums, also included are samples of the abdomen and a wide variety of sounds created by manipulating the stethoscope.

Heartbeat includes 224 samples, which are arranged by velocity (1 to 19 levels), and mapped across an 8 octave range in an EXS24 instrument.

The 24 MB download includes 1 .EXS file and 402 WAV files (24-bit/44.1 kHz).

Heartbeat is available now for $29.99 at :

Tube Amp received a major update and now supports most user interface features latest Voxengo plug-ins offer : multi-channel support, routing matrix, mid/side processing, channel grouping, and others.  Beside that, the tube overdrive algorithm itself has been improved.  Tube Amp now features a built-in output soft-knee limiter which can be used as a loudness maximizer.

Tube Amp is an audio effect plug-in that applies asymmetric tube triode overdrive usually found in single-tube microphone pre-amp boxes.  The sound this plug-in produces varies from a mild "warm" overdrive to a fuzzy distortion.  Beside that, Tube Amp includes a -6 dB/oct low-pass filter that is built-in into plug-in's valve modeling equation, and can be used to imitate a lower-quality tube triode.

Icing on the cake, Tube Amp is available for free for both Mac (AU/VST) and PC (VST).

TC Electronic has decided to reward loyal PowerCore users with a great special offer : they cut 50% off all TC Electronic and TC-Helicon PowerCore plug-ins for two weeks starting Tuesday May 26th 2009.

For more details, please visit the link below :

KEL Audio has announced the HM-3C, an affordable mid-diaphragm condenser mic with a clean open sound and premium circuitry.

The HM-3C features a specially tuned version of the capsule used in KEL's popular HM-1 mic. Instead of a wide cardioid, however, the HM-3C features a tighter pattern and rising response for a cleaner, more open sound. The linear circuitry is transformerless, like all KEL mics and features high-grade brand name components in the signal path.

"The HM-3C is designed to pretty much capture what you hear" says Kelly Dueck of KEL Audio. "Some people consider our other mics to be 'character' mics, but the HM-3C is more open and detailed. It borders on unforgiving."

Due to its fast response, the HM-3C is recommended for all stringed instruments, percussion, ensemble recording and even select vocals.

The HM-3C is expected to ship early June and will be available direct from KEL Audio website for $199 including shipping. The mic includes an aluminum flight case and custom designed shock mount.

Chandler Limited today announces that its new Little Devil Equalizer and Compressor are now shipping. They have added a wet/dry mix control to the compressor and this was the reason for the slow down on them. It is definitely worth it though, according to Chandler Limited designer Wade Goeke.

Using all discrete circuits that combine Chandler's best designs with the hottest designs from the past, transformer balanced everything, and the American hand made quality you expect from Chandler, the Little Devils will take the lunchbox up (or down) to the next level.

Technically and sonically speaking, the Chandler Little Devils are steeped in the sound and function of all Chandler gear - discrete amplifiers, inductors, transformers, and quality American build. You won't find any surface mount or ribbon cables in the Little Devils (used to build cell phones and computers) that are becoming popular money-saving and sound-crippling build techniques used by some other manufacturers.

Pricing :

• List : $1375 for the EQ and $1155 for the Comp
• Estimated street price : $1250 and $1050 respectively

Image Line has announcd the release of Deckadance v1.5. Available for Mac and PC, this version gains a new audio, supports batch beat-analysis of the songs (reducing load times/CPU load during a performance) and time-stretching/compression technology. DJs can enjoy new playlist design with variable font sizes, view modes and the ability to import iTunes playlists.

To aid setup, the input and outputs of the program now appear as stereo channels making installation and routing of audio inputs/outputs more intuitive. Finally, users can choose between "Auto" or "Manual" beatgrid analysis modes, on a song-by-song basis, according to their preferences and the complexity of the source audio.

The newest release of Deckadance 1.5 also provides :

• Native support for the last generation of midi controllers (Vestax VCI-300, DJ-Tech Kontrol One, Stanton SCS-3D, Hercules DJ Control Steel, EKS Otus, Omnitronic MMC-1)
• Improved seek waveform that shows the start and cue points
• OpenGL render engine for Windows
• Unicode support for playlist/browser items
• Beatgrid move via mouse over the waveform
• Improved DVS engine when elastique time-stretching is disabled, etc.
• Option to switch between the old and new sound engine by the improved interface of the setup panel
• Fully compatible with Open Labs DBeat portable DJ instruments

Released in November of 2008, the Recabinet Modern 1.0 convolution impulse response library brought the sound of legendary guitar speaker cabinets paired up with industry standard microphones to the Macs and PCs of guitarists and producers everywhere. Today is time for the second version, Recabinet Modern 2.0, which is released simultaneously with a new expansion pack, Recabinet Vintage 2.0.

All version 2.0 Recabinet convolution impulse responses were recorded using an API 3124 microphone preamp into Apogee D/A converters. Recabinet 2.0 Modern and Vintage are compatible with Mac OS X, Windows, and Fractal Audio AxeFX.

The Recabinet 2.0 impulse responses were captured using new techniques, resulting in a much larger, higher resolution library that recreates the feeling of playing thro ...

The MBase 11 by JoMoX is available now. This analog Bass Drum synth has the following features :

• 110 presets (10 User RAM, 100 FLASH)
• Fully analog sound engine with storeable parameters
• Analog envelopes
• LFO with 8 waveforms: Saw +/-, Sine +/-, Tri +/-, Rect +/-, modulates the pitch, midi syncroniseable
• LED display, 7-segment 3 digit
• Midi In/Midi Out
• 1 data wheel, 1 potentiometer, 5 buttons, 16 LEDs for parameters and functions
• 1 mono out 1/4" RCA jack, ~0dBu output level
• External input: analog trigger, sensivity adjustable

The MBase 11 has an MSRP of €249.

Goldbaby has released the Tape-101, a sampled instrument library dedicated to the legendary 80's analog synth Roland SH-101. As usual Goldbaby hasn't just sampled the synth naked, he had to let the sounds get caressed by tape first !

Features :

• First synth to get "Goldbaby's tape love"
• 1658 x 24 bit samples
• Over 70 x Instrument Patches
• Compatible with Logic's EXS24 and Kontakt 3 (Full retail version needed)

The Tape-101 is available now for $49. Audio examples are available at :