Spectrasonics announced and previewed their brand new virtual instrument Trilian, the long-awaited successor to their Trilogy bass module. The new instrument has a much larger core library and features highly-detailed new acoustic, electric and synth basses - as well as enhanced versions of the classic Trilogy sounds. Sporting a brand new user interface with numerous software innovations, Trilian is the first 64-bit native software based on Spectrasonics STEAM Engine and is the first virtual instrument to feature full library integration with the company's flagship Omnisphere synthesizer.

Trilian is set to be released May 18, 2009, the MSRP is $299US/€229Euro. All Trilogy customers can upgrade to Trilian for $99US. There is also a special FREE upgrade offer for Trilogy customers on the Intel-Mac platform and for customers who purchase Trilogy in 2009. Upgrades will be available exclusively through Spectrasonics online techshop.

Winter NAMM 2009 sees the launch of Focusrite's first Guitar FX VST/AU Plug-in suite; the result of a collaboration between Focusrite and Overloud.

The Focusrite Guitar FX Suite provides eleven VST/AU plug-ins which include five of the world's finest guitar amp models and four distortion pedal effects, all courtesy of bespoke Italian software company 'Overloud'; experts in the field of accurate Guitar Amp modeling. An attractive 'Hot Tuna' guitar tuner and 'Smart Hum Remover' are also provided.

The amp models include plug-ins based on the Vox AC30, Marshall JCM900, Fender Twin, MESA Boogie Rectifier and the Fender Bassman. The pedal models include plug-ins based on the Boss DS-1, the Ibanez Tube Screamer, the Electro Harmonix Big Muff and the Dunlop Fuzz Face.

The new Focusrite Guitar FX Suite will be available worldwide in January 2009 from a selection of pro audio retailers worldwide. Contact your local distributor for further details.

The newest member of the Moog Etherwave Theremin family is also the newest member of their Controller family. The Etherwave Plus extends the Theremin's gestural playing technique to the world of analog synthesis and beyond. Control synthesizers and effects while playing the Theremin or use as a stand-alone CV (Control Voltage) controller.

The Etherwave Plus has all the great features and tone of the standard Etherwave theremin. The "Plus" makes it an ideal controller and performance instrument :

- Pitch & Volume CV Outputs - control a different CV parameter with each hand
- Gate Output - trigger envelopes and other events
- Pitch Preview/Headphone Output - with volume control, lets you hear your note before the audience does.
- Power LED - instant visual power status on dark stages

The CV outputs control signals are proportional to the pitch and volume of the Theremin's audio signal. Connect to the pitch and volume CV inputs of a Little Phatty, Voyager or other analog synthesizer for a completely new way to play your synth. These CV signals are not limited to pitch and volume control. Route them to any CV destination and create a new world of expression. Control anything from the cutoff frequency of a Moog Ladder Filter or the LFO Amount on a Moogerfooger Ring Modulator to the stereo panning on a Minimoog Voyager.

FXpansion, has also announced the debut of BFD version 2.1 the follow-up to its BFD acoustic drum software.

New features :

- Overloud's "Breverb BFD2 Edition" is now integrated into the BFD2 mixer – including, Hall, Plate, Room & Inverse algorithms.
- PSP's "Vintage Warmer BFD2 Edition" is now directly available in the BFD2 mixer.
- Improved synth engine supporting varied mic and articulation configurations.
- Many new third party expansion packs are in the pipeline to take advantage of these new features.
- Preset/Kit switching playlist, controllable via MIDI Program Change.
- In-place 'kit-piece preview' before loading.
- 'Load-on-demand RAM' optimization.
- Many new workflow enhancements in the Kit page, such as Copy, Swap and the ability to move kit-pieces between slots when loaded
- Workflow improvements in the "Grooves Page", including new edit tools like the Roll Tool; Drum Track enhancements; Redo as well as Undo

BFD2 is available direct from FXpansion's online store for $399 / €299 / £199, excluding local taxes where applicable. BFD2 upgrade from BFD1.5 is available for a limited time from FXpansion's online store for $199 / €149 / £99, excluding local taxes where applicable. BFD2 & BFD2 Upgrade will also be available at all respectable music retailers in most countries worldwide.

EastWest is offering users additional control over the company's PLAY-Powered instruments with the introduction of PLAY 2.0, which adds editing capabilities. The "editor" featured in PLAY 2.0 is the same software that the company uses to program its PLAY-powered virtual instrument collections.

The PLAY 2.0 upgrade will be available at a price of $299 / €149.

FXpansion, a London-based developer of computer based plug-in effects and synthesizers, today announced the debut of D-CAM: Synth Squad at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California. FXpansion employs its proprietary advanced modeling technology to carefully reconstruct the unmatched sound of vintage hardware on the computer desktop. DCAM: Synth Squad will be available worldwide in Q2 2009, price TBA.

D-CAM: Synth Squad is comprised of three modeled synthesizers, Strobe, Cypher and Amber that combine the best features found in classic synths with new modern features. The synths are brought together with Fusor, a semi- modular synth-layering environment. D-CAM: Synth Squad is compatible with all major plug-in formats and sequencing environments, and comes complete with a large suite of ...