The Saffire PRO 24 is the latest in Focusrite's new generation of FireWire audio interfaces.

Features :

• Two High Quality Focusrite Pre-amps
• High Quality 24-bit/96kHz FireWire Interface - Features high quality A-D / D-A conversion and JetPLL jitter elimination technology
• Total I/O Count of 16 Inputs and 8 Outputs
• Unique Loop-Back facility for routing audio between software applications via Saffire Mix Control
• Saffire Mix Control Zero-latency DSP Mixer/Router
• Xcite+ Software Bundle
• Focusrite VST/AU Plug-in Suite
• Front panel 5-LED metering
• Dedicated front-panel headphone bus

Pricing and Availability TBA. However some Online webstores have the Saffire Pro 24 in pre-order for around €300.

LiquidSonics has released Reverberate, an efficient convolution audio processor with modulation capabilities offering true zero-latency operation for two separate, stereo impulse responses.

Reverberate seeks to provide a richer and more dynamic sounding reverb from impulse responses by optionally modulating an amalgamation of two, separately controllable IRs using an LFO. Further modulation is possible using the post-processing effects; an all-pass interpolator chorus provides a fuller sound and an over-sampled analogue prototype paragraphic equaliser is provided with dual LFOs. These features make for a livelier sound than typically associated with some convolution reverbs.

Features :

• Stereo convolution reverb.
• Dual IR for true-stereo capability.
• IR mix m ...

Roland unveils the new JUNO-Di Mobile Synthesizer. This latest addition to the JUNO Series is specifically designed for the musician on the go, providing a vast array of professional sounds in a lightweight, portable design.

The user-friendly design of the JUNO-Di will deliver hassle-free live keyboard performances for both the seasoned musician and entry level user. Weighing just under 12 pounds, the battery-powered JUNO-Di can be played anywhere, anytime. Plug the JUNO-Di into a portable amplifier such as the Roland Cube Street or Mobile Cube for instant amplification, or plug in headphones for quiet practice. With eight Ni-MH AA-size rechargeable batteries, the JUNO-Di can go for up to five hours without being plugged in.

The 61-note synth-action JUNO-Di boasts over 1,000 diverse customisable sounds to fit any style of music, including grand and electric pianos, modern synth sounds, lush strings, beautiful guitars, powerful brass, percussion, and banks of exotic instruments. Simple navigation with dedicated category buttons and the large LCD display ensures players can recall and perform their favourite sounds on the fly. In addition to a world-class sound engine and extreme portability, the JUNO-Di offers an array of features for the live performer. Process vocals live through its microphone input, built-in vocoder, and dedicated reverb. And with its USB memory port and song player function, the JUNO-Di enables direct playback and control of MP3, .WAV, AIFF, and SMF sound files with dedicated transport controls on the front panel.

The JUNO-Di is expected to be available in September. Pricing TBA.

Applied Acoustics Systems has just updated its virtual electric piano Lounge Lizard EP-3 to version 3.1.2. This is a maintenance update containing the following changes :

• Fixed Recorder crash on Windows;
• Fixed automation from plug-in window in Logic 8;
• Fixed audio cuts when the plug-in window was displayed;
• Fixed MIDI Link crash on "Default" channel;
• Fixed Cubase 5 crash on Windows;
• Now works with Cubase 5 64-bit VST Bridge;
• Now works with Sonar 64-bit BitBridge;
• New solution for volume build-up on repeated notes with sustain pedal;
• Fixed "Fatal Error 417" during authorization on Mac OS X;
• Fixed Edit MIDI Link dialog values glitch;
• No more clicks when changing Pickup Type;
• Fixed MIDI Link on Pickup Type.

This update is available now, free of charge for all Lounge Lizard EP-3 registered users.

Toontrack Music updates EZplayer pro to version 1.0.4.

New Features in 1.0.4 :

• New wrappers for Steven Slate Drums and generic IMAP formats
• SDX kit pieces available for Superior content
• contextual filtering for kit piece selection
• internal logging of missing wrappers for QA purposes

Fixed in 1.0.4 :

• channel is no longer offset by 1 in the Browser
• graphical issues on PPC affecting clips in Arranger
• uninstalling/re-installing should resolve MIDI path issue arising from relocating EZdrummer
• clicking in the timeline while looping and playing should no longer crash EZplayer
• empty MIDI files (or files emptied by wrapper action) no longer crash the program
• further sync to host improvements in Apple Logic
• missing input wrapper for RDK is now included
• Drumcore wrappers are no longer placeholders but do more than looking nice
• minor other fixes in various wrappers

Novation announces the upcoming release of its Automap software for iPhone and iPod Touch, providing an instant and intelligent, wireless, palm-sized MIDI controller.

The Automap for iPhone / iPod touch app will be available to buy from the Apple app store mid July. Combined with Novation's free Automap 3 Standard software, or Automap 3 Pro, it provides two horizontal faders and eight buttons per page, displayed on a single iPhone / iPod touch screen. However, the number of pages – and thus the number of controls – is unlimited.

Automap lets you see at a glance how every control on your iPhone / iPod touch is assigned, both on the iPhone / iPod touch itself, and across your computer screen. Combining all this visual feedback with intelligent software browsing also helps you get to the right software fast. Control maps are automatically placed into categories depending on type (instrument, effects, mixer and so on) for quick and easy browsing and selection.

Although Automap automatically and intelligently maps to all major music making software, you will inevitably

Soundprovocation "Sweeps & Whooshes" is a collection of creatively recorded, generated, played and carefully selected sound effects. These pure sounds were ment to assist audio professionals : musicians, sound designers, radio and TV producers, DJs. Effects are dedicated to blow-up expressivity and power into your music and production.

Collection contains four categories of 179 royalty-free effects total :

• Noise sweeps (23)
• Short sweeps (77)
• Tone sweeps (29)
• Crunchy sweeps (25)
• Whooshes (25)

Format : Aiff, 24 bit, 44100 Hz / Package size : 280 MB.

Sweeps & Whooshes is available now as a downloadable product at an introductory price of €9.99 instead of €19.99 until the end of this month.

Yamaha has announced two new synths designed specifically for players : the S90 XS and S70 XS Music Synthesizer. Here is an excerpt from the official website :

"Designed specifically for players, particularly those who want the highest quality piano sounds and expression, the S90 XS/S70 XS is a performer's dream. Yet, casual players and hobby musicians will appreciate the exquisite sounds, advanced features and superb playability just as much as top professional artists.

Main features :

• Sounds That Satisfy
• Streamline Your Performance
• Ideal for Live Performers
• Recording Direct to USB / Internal Memory
• 76 & 88 Keyboard
• Software Integration"

Pricing & Availability TBA.

Humanoid Sound Systems has released a VST/AU version for Mac of Scanned Synth Pro.

Scanned Synth uses a unique new form of synthesis inspired by advances in digital music theory. It is designed to create rich complex digital tones and fantastic sound effects, while using simplified controls and traditional synths techniques such as filters, LFOs and effects.

Perfect for biting metallic growls, movement filled pads, and weird modular-like sound effects, Scanned Synth Pro provides a unique sound that is constantly changing and new every time you press a key. Featuring a "revolutionary" synthesis engine, combining the powers of both Physical Modelling and Wavetable synthesis, with simplified controls and full MIDI automation, Scanned Synth Pro is both simple and complex, powerful and easy to use.

Scanned Synth Pro is available for both Mac (AU/VST) and PC (VST) using the "pay-what-you-like" model (with a minimum donation of 30 US cents).

VSL has announced that its new virtual grand piano plug-in instrument, the Vienna Imperial, is now shipping. The venerable Bösendorfer Imperial 290-755 that the VSL team hosted at the Silent Stage for two months was equipped with the famed piano manufacturer's CEUS technology, which allowed for precise and extensive piano sample recordings.

Features :

• Up to 100 velocities per key, 1,200 recorded samples per key.
• Audience, player, and close microphone recording positions.
• Powerful proprietary piano engine.
• Multiple release samples for different note lengths (supports authentic staccato/staccatissimo performances).
• Repetition samples for pedal-sustained notes.
• Sympathetic resonances for sustain pedal up and down positions.
• Adjustab ...

Waldorf has just announced the release of Largo, a virtual instrument offering the same powerful synthesizer engine as found in the Waldorf Q-, MicroQ- and Blofeld-synthesizers.

Largo offers three fat oscillators, two of them with sub oscillators. These oscillators include models of classic analog waveforms as well as a selection of waves from the PPG and Waldorf Wave stored in two Wavetables. All these run through two Waldorf multimode filters with steep cutoff, resonance up to self-oscillation and a drive stage to add even more punch and grainyness to the sound. Ultra-fast envelope generators and flexible LFOs as well as an easy to understand, yet extremely versatile modulation matrix make for a sound designer's dream.

Largo contains a flexible arpeggiator with 16 freely programm ...

Waves introduces the Grand Masters Collection, an all-inclusive set of mastering tools. Featuring the complete original Masters bundle (L2 Ultramaximizer, Linear Phase Equalizer, Linear Phase Multiband Compressor), the Grand Masters Collection adds ten new plug-ins :

• MaxxVolume
• PuigTec EQP-1A
• PuigTec MEQ-5
• Waves Dorrough Meters
• Stereo Edition
• Waves Center
• L3-16 Multimaximizer
• L3 Ultramaximizer
• L3 Multimaximizer
• L3-LL Ultramaximizer
• L3-LL Multimaximizer

Waves Grand Masters Collection is available for both Mac OS X and Windows in Native (VST/AU/RTAS) ($2,200) and TDM ($4,200) formats, it requires iLok authorization. Upgrades are available. All purchases and upgrades include one full year of Waves Update Plan coverage.

The Edirol R-44 is a compact and lightweight recorder that offers quiet and reliable SD/SDHC recordings. It has up to four channels of uncompressed audio available at selectable 16- or 24-bit depths and between 44.1kHz and 192kHz (stereo mode only). Broadcast wave is also supported and two R-44s can be synced together to offer up to 8-channel recording for surround sound applications.

The latest update takes the R-44's software to v1.05 and enables users to add effects in Pre Record mode, and also includes updates for the BWF (Broadcast Wave File) marker format, notable with previously recorded data. Other improvements include quicker shutdown times in some modes with SD cards, and a smoother overall workflow helped by minor bug fixes.

AM Music Technology has just released the Mac OS X version of Pro SoloVst, a virtual instrument that reproduces the monophonic analog synthesizer from the early 1970s, the ARP Pro Soloist.

The sound engine of the Pro SoloVst is a software emulation of the real analog algorithms implemented inside the original instrument : VCO, resonators, filters, VCF, VCA and analog effects. So you can hear and feel analog-like warm sounds coming out from a set of 30 voices corresponding to the presets of the synthesizer.

Pro SoloVst is available for Windows (VST) and now also for Mac OS X (AU) at a price of €24.99.

Yesterday at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has revamped nearly its entire laptop line. The 13-inch MacBook has turned into a MacBook Pro, and Apple pushed out revised versions of the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models. Besides the classic faster CPU and bigger hard drive, here are the details that caught our attention :

• a FireWire 800 port is now available for all models
• no more separate input on the 13" MacBook Pro
• a 7-hour non-removable battery for the entire range
• ExpressCard slot only available on the 17" MacBook Pro
• SD slot for the entire range (except on the 17")
• price drop up to $300 depending on the model

For more information, please visit :
New MacBook Pro

Line 6 and D'Addario announced today the development of MIDI Mobilizer, a new portable MIDI interface, and Planet Waves Rig Remote, new iPhone software that will enable guitarists to control Line 6 guitars and amplifiers via Apple iPhone and iPod touch.

Marcus Ryle, Line 6 co-founder and SVP of research and development, demonstrated a prototype at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). He adjusted the tone of a Vetta II digital modeling amplifier and changed the tuning of a Variax digital modeling guitar from the palm of his hand. "With the MIDI Mobilizer," he remarked, "the iPhone becomes the most portable and versatile editor and tone storage device for your Line 6 gear. Finding the perfect tone has never been easier."

To answer all your nagging questions, please visit the link below :