PC and Music News

After three years of intensive research and development, AudioMulch 2.0 is now in the final stages of development.

AudioMulch 2.0 is not just a new version, it is the next generation of AudioMulch. It will provide a foundation for a new cycle of feature development and improvements that will be rolled out in regular updates after the 2.0 release. AudioMulch 2.0 will be backward-compatible with AudioMulch 1.0. It will provide all AudioMulch 1.0 functionality.

Improvements to the AudioMulch core will include :

- Significant performance increases for audio processing (up to twice the efficiency in some cases)
- Patchable MIDI routing
- MIDI and Automation control of Metasurface, tempo and transport
- Support for complex time signatures including automated time signature changes and additive meters
- Improved support for consumer multichannel audio
- Settings for enabling audio, MIDI and network functions at start-up

The AudioMulch 2.0 user interface has been re-coded from the ground up. This has lead to numerous work-flow improvements, including :

- A new Patcher with advanced drag-and-drop patching
- Dockable windows improving multi-monitor operation
- Faster access to MIDI control and parameter values
- Floating Parameter Control (formerly Parameter Modulation) window
- Nameable contraption presets

AudioMulch 2.0 will be released on May 1, 2009 and will run on Windows and natively on Mac OSX (Intel hardware only). It will be priced at $189. The upgrade fee for licenced users of version 1.0 will be $89.

Digidesign has just updated Pro Tools to version 8.0cs2.

Changes :

- Fixed: Regions Are Inadvertently Deleted and Pro Tools Crashes When Opening Sessions Which Had Their Session Start Time Changed (Item #113177)
* After changing the session start time and maintaining time code, Pro Tools will delete additional playlists and crash with a kernel panic after saving and closing the session. You may see any of the following errors prior to the crash: "Could not complete the close session command because basic_string::_S_create" or "Bus error" in thread "Main Thread", at address 0x0."

- Fixed: Crash When Moving an Automated Plug-in from Inserts F-J to Inserts A-E (Item #113115)
* Moving (dragging) an automated plug-in from inserts F-J to inserts A-E while the automation lane for on ...

Goldbaby is proud to present Vinyl Drum Machines.

14 drum machines all recorded on vinyl... Then played back on 3 different turntables (audiophile, vintage and portable)... Then cut up into 1468 x 24 bit samples. Including bonus content: Vinyl Noise, Vinyl Clicks, Vinyl Hitz and center grooves.

Vinyl Drum Machines is available now in Guru ($34) and Wav ($29) formats. Note that audio examples are also available.

Puremagnetik has just announced the release of a free Micropak for Ableton Live 7 : Selector. It includes 6 electronic drum kits and over 20 clips created by Puremagnetik Selector Contest winners.

Selector is available now as a free download at :

Cycling '74 has just updated its Max/MSP media development tools to version 5.0.6. For more information, please visit the link below :

Camel Audio has released a demo version of its virtual synth Alchemy.

This demo is completely fully functional for three weeks and comes with 40 presets and 100MB of samples to give you a taste of the 2GB of samples and over 300 presets in the full version. Alternatively, import your own WAV, AIFF or SFZ files into the additive, spectral and granular resynthesis engines. There are no annoying voices or silences, and presets and songs created with the demo can be loaded with the full version.

On top of that, Alchemy has been updated to version 1.08. This update includes many improvements and fixes including reduced CPU consumption, the ability to import files from external drives and improvements to the installer. The manual now includes a tips and tricks section, and is available to download as a PDF file so you can print it out or read it when you're offline. The Camel Audio forum has over 100 user presets to download and is a good place to get help as well as discuss improvements.

Available for both Mac (AU / VST) and PC (VST), Alchemy is priced at $249 / €199 / £179.