Aphex is now shipping a new headphone distribution amplifier. The Model 454 HeadPod is a professional 4-output headphone distribution pod with four independent stereo power amplifiers. Working with any headphone type, the HeadPod provides high headroom to avoid clipping even at high sound levels. Designed for ultra low distortion and wide frequency response capabilities, the Model 454 also allows for longer listening sessions without listener fatigue. Individual volume controls are provided for each of the four headphone outputs, made with durable Neutrik metal jacks. A master volume control on the HeadPod allows for matching of source levels. It connects to any analog source, with a rear panel selector switch to choose between balanced sources (discrete left and right) and unbalanced sour ...

Audio Damage has announced Fluid, an analog-modeled chorus made for subtle phasey widening and full-on modulation mayhem.

Features :

- True stereo analog-modeled chorus effect

- Feedback control for extreme special effects

- Optimized for low CPU usage

- Full MIDI learn on every parameter for hardware control (VST version only)

Fluid will be available soon for Windows and Mac OS X (UB) in VST and AU formats with price to be announced. For more information, please visit their web site.

Native Instruments has also announced Kontakt 3. This new version is centered around a highly sophisticated next-generation instrument library that sets new standards both in its musical scope and in its creative value, while also adding a wide range of new functions and refinements in all areas of the software.

Top Features :

- Six Instrument Collections – over 33 GB of sounds
- Ready-to-rock "Performance View" for each of the 1000 instruments
- Reworked Wave Editor with tools for intuitive looping, slicing and editing
- Freely drawable envelopes per sample
- Improved navigation: Modulation Quick-Jumps, Instrument Navigator
- Over 18 high-end effects
- Enhanced workflow for Scripts with tabbed views
-Universal Import of virtually any sample format
- MIDI loop drag & drop int ...

Mixosaurus Expert Virtual Drums is a new 122 Gb Virtual Drumset powered, by Native Instruments Kontakt Player 2, that aims to provide "virtual drum authenticity". It comes pre-installed on its own FW800 / eSATA Hard Disk Drive which you simply plug in to your computer.

Features / details :

- 122 Gb Virtual Drumset powered by Kontakt Player 2.
- Comes pre-installed on its own FW800 / eSATA Hard Disk Drive.
- 14-piece acoustic drumkit (played with sticks), 20 available mic tracks.
- Recorded at Teldexstudio Berlin, Germany.
- Comes pre-installed on its own plug & play hardware unit.
- Unprecedented number of available articulations.
- 100% authentic reproduction of drumset dynamics.
- 7 alternating samples available for each and every sound throughout the entire library.
- More ...

Today Native Instruments has announced the third version of Guitar Rig. Guitar Rig 3 offers more amps and effects, powerful new live features, a completely reworked tone library complete with improved preset handling, and a redesigned Rig Kontrol pedal board with optimized control and audio interface functionality. Both a "Kontrol Edition" with foot pedal and a software-only "Software Edition" of Guitar Rig 3 will be available.

Top Features :

- Twelve supreme-sounding guitar and bass amps
- New matched cabinet module provides tried and true classic sounds in seconds
- 44 perfectly emulated guitar effects
- 18 guitar and six bass cabinets, four rotary speakers and nine microphones
- Includes Rig Kontrol 3 foot controller with Audio/MIDI interface
- Intelligent preset management f ...

Arturia announces version 2.0 of its Analog Factory software, a free update for all registered owners, featuring numerous improvements and bug fixes.

New Features :

- Includes 3500 sounds instead of 2000
- Now includes presets from Jupiter-8V
- Improved effects management
- Vst 2.4 \ Cubase 4 ready

Main Bug Fixes :

- Preset switching has been improved to avoid any problems whilst browsing presets and playing simultaneously
- Improved loading time
- Hanging notes have been eradicated when used within a sequencer
- The preset database has been updated to avoid presets with same name and/or sound
- Fixed a bug in the minimoog engine: on mac intel, some preset parameters could go out of range and cause a bad sound
- The GUI (Graphical User Interface) has been improved
- Pr ...