PC and Music News

Native Instruments update Kontakt to 3.01. The new stuff:
- New CPU management according to the instrument type.
- EDIT mode revised
- Distorsion, Saturation and synth filter revised.
- Faster search in the database.
- New patches.
- New manual
- New manual part: "script language".
- A start up guide and localized versions of the manual of Kontakt 3.

Fixed bugs:
- Some cosmetics
- No more freeze with Cubase 4 and Spectrasonics
- Various libraries fixes
- …

Following the release of Sonar 7, Cakewalk has announced the launch of new academic versions of Sonar 7 Producer and Sonar 7 Studio Editions. This latest version is a music and audio production tool for students in both secondary and further/higher education. Included is Sonar Music Projects, a set of materials aimed at secondary school Music classes up to GCSE. The 10 projects introduce some of SONAR's easy-to-use features and help students develop a range of musical and technical skills. Each project contains teacher notes and student project sheets in PDF format, along with Sonar files. A Sonar Skills Guide provides easy reference to the program features used in the projects. The Sonar Music Projects CD-ROM also includes a "starter" set of audio clips to inspire ideas.

Cakewalk's UK distributor, Edirol Europe, has also made Sonar Music Projects available separately on a free CD-Sonar that includes the current trial version of Sonar. This enables teachers to explore some program basics in the context of actual lesson material, before deciding to purchase. To request a CD, contact education[at]edirol.co.uk.

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