PC and Music News

Apple updates today QuickTime to 7.3 and iTunes to 7.5. The last requires the 7.3 version of QuickTime. iTunes 7.5 brings support for iPhone activation anywhere it's available and for a musical game on the iPod nano, classic, and 5G, plus bug fixes and performance enhancements.

We strongly suggest not to update in a pro environment or if you're using Pro Tools or Logic with sound to image jobs on the go. At least until the road is known to be safe, that is.

"About QuickTime 7.3 for Leopard
QuickTime 7.3 addresses critical security issues and delivers:
- Support for iTunes 7.5
- Updated support for creating iPhone-compatible web content
- Updated JavaScript support in the QuickTime Web Plug-in
- Numerous bug fixes

This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users."

If you purchase Linplug Octopus Dual-Matrix synthesizer until the end of November from Linplug webshop, you will receive the Summa Signature soundset (250 patches) for free. it's a 49 euros/ $59 give-away. You can hear the soundset from linpug website here

Octopus is VST and AU, for Mac and windows and costs 129 Euros/$149

Toontrack Music offers for free their Solo and SoundMover apps to all the registered users of EZ Drummer and Superior samplers. Solo is ToonTrack host application, providing standalone, multi-instance operation for ToonTrack samplers. SoundMover is a small utility for EZdrummer users on Mac OS who want to move their libraries on another hard drive.

Solo specifications:
• Stand alone operation of Toontrack samplers
• Optimized for real-time, low latency operation
• Full ASIO/Core Audio/Core MIDI support
• Routable mixer with support for up to 16 physical OUT
• Each instance can be assigned a discrete MIDI channel
• Support for specialist MIDI controllers

Solo System Requirements:
• Windows XP SP2, PIII/Athlon 1,8GHz with 512 Mb of Ram
& ...

To celebrate its 20th anniversary in a proper manner, Ueberschall releases 5 units of a so-called Retrofit Series. each includes 3 sampling CD. the 15 CDs are all part of their most popular sample sets. The Units are:
- Essentials of the Order (Techno Trance Essentials, House Essentials, Loop Essentials)
- ComfortZone(Brazil Electro, Easy Listening, Rhodes Attacks)
- AntiGravity Maneuvers (DnB Resonance, DnB Flashtrackz, 2 Step Garage)
- Astral Electro Flux (Electro Shock I, Electro Shock II, Techno Identity)
- Sensory Disruption (F.A.S.T. Animation, Special Sound Effects, Jingle FX)

All the CDs are in the Elastik player format, for Mac And Windows, in AU, VST and RTAS. Price TBA

McDSP is offering this November only its ML4000 Native mastering limiter, an RTAS and AS plug-in for $295 on their webshop.

McDSP is also conducting a user survey with a free Emerald Pack Native for a lucky winner. The survey ends up the 12/15/07 and you must have an ilok account to enter the sweepstake.

VirSyn Reflect is an algorithmic reverberation plug-in which combines the flexibility of vintage algorithmic reverbs with the sonic quality of convolution based reverbs. The forthcoming 1.2 release comes with a completely revised modulation algorithm to simulate the air movement in natural rooms to greatly enhance the liveliness of the reverb tail.

What's new:
- New modulation algorithm simulating the air movement in a room for smoother reverb tails.
- Mouse wheel support for program browser and knobs.
- A few new reverb programs.

Bugfixes:
- Ableton Live/VST: crackles while tweaking EQ removed.
- Apple Logic: multiple instances GUI problem fixed.
- Dry/Wet balance improved.
- IR Import: more than one file dialog could be opened at once.
- Mac: crash with RAX host fixed.

Virsyn reflect is a VST, RTAS or AU plug-in for OS X and Windows. A fully functional/time limited demo version is available, requires a Syncrosoft key/dongle.