SimpleChord is a quick, handy reference to chords for musicians. It can aid in learning new chords, building progressions, transcribing, and other tasks. It displays the notes in a chord, their positions on the keyboard, and can even play the chord aloud. This new version features : chord spelling issue really resolved, new spelling section in preferences lets user choose between strict and simplified spelling, interface refinements and jaguar problems will be addressed soon.

Info about SimpleChord (shareware) is available on MacMusic Softwares section.

Spectrum XA1 by Mark's Recording Studio is a Real Time Spectrum Analyzer AudioUnit plug-in for Mac OS X. Unlike the wast majority of analyzers that use FFT for analyzing the audio, XA1 use Altivec optimized code to generate the display.

Spectrum XA1 needs G4, OS X 10.3.4 and Quicktime 6.5.1 or later and costs $199.

Digidesign has posted a 6.4cs5 update for Pro Tools Pro TDM and LE. In addition to all previous fixes from 6.4cs1 through cs4, these 6.4cs5 releases add these fixes: playing a session or auditioning a file could result in a DAE –9035 Error (files in folders named with certain ascii or European characters, file with more than 31 characters), deleting a selection on a track could cause other regions to be deleted, and object selector could not select regions on duplicated tracks.

This update is available on the Digidesign Pro Tools CS support page.

Alesis announces a new CD duplication unit made for home or studio musician. The CD Twin has a 52x burn mechanism that makes one-button CD to CD copies, as well as compilations from audio CD's. Alesis's ergonomically designed, lightweight unit comes with stereo line outputs, and a headphone output that allows DJ's to monitor what's on each CD, with built-in USB and software.

The CD Twin is priced at $399

IK Multimedia has announced at NAMM three expansion kits for its sample player SampleTank LE. Expansion Tank Features: default presets with STRETCH allow you to take advantage of more realistic sounds thanks to its format preserving perfect bending (strings, brass, vocals), 3 synth engines: new STRETC Pitch-Shift/Time-Stretch, Resampling, 32 built-in DSP effects, 5 playable effects per part, 2 editable effects per part, loop sync for easy BPM matching and 1 CD of sounds each with an accurate selection of must have instruments and loops.

Expansion Tank have an MSRP of $99 each. The series is also available as a 3- Pack at MSRP of $249. The range of 20 Expansion Tank sound libraries will be available for shipping at the beginning of August 2004.