PC and Music News

Blue Cat Audio has released Blue Cat's Remote Control v2.0, a new version of their virtual control surface. It is a set of VST and DirectX plugins for Windows which let you control and monitor in real time several MIDI controllable plug-ins or hardware devices from a single customizable user interface. The new version introduces many user interface changes and new features such as window opacity control and undo/redo.

New features :

- New user interface design.
- New joystick skin with XY controls.
- Undo/Redo support.
- Window Opacity Management: make the plugin window transparent and see behind.
- Load/Save presets in a host-independent format: you can now share presets between the directX and VST versions.
- New toolbar to access main functionalities.
- MIDI settings are now available from the plugin user interface.
- Improved Skins loading performance.
- Curves are now anti-aliased.
- Improved the display of parameters values in the MIDI settings panel and the host application.
- Improved graphs refresh rate.
- Reduced memory consumption when using several instances.
- Default values for MIDI controllers have been changed to be more convenient.
- Blue Cat's Skinning Language 1.4.1 support.

Blue Cat's Remote Control is available now with a limited-time 15% discount: €41.65 / $58.31 (instead of €49 / $68.60). Note that free tutorials for this product are available from the company website.

Sontronics has just announced a major add in it's microphone line : the CHIMERA, a hybrid pre-amp, a real new cornerstone for futur development of the company.

CHIMERA is a pre-amp/DI box single channel including two separate circuits, with a simple switch you can choose: a transparent sound from a solid state pre-amp, or the warmer tone of a Tube pre-amp. Each of these circuits is an original conception from Sontronics.

Fine adjustements can be done with the help of a variable high pass filter, a 3 way attenuator and a phase control, allowing multiple sonic colors. The frequency response is flat between 20Hz to 20kHz, In/outputs are balanced electronically.

Features :

- frequency response : 20Hz to 20kHz max. +/-0.5dB (solid-state), max. +/-0.7dB (valve)
- inputs (analog) ...

[CodeOperator] has just announced that PlugAdmin Pro will be released on February 12th. PlugAdmin Pro is designed to administrate all types of audio plugins on your computer.

A lot of new features and a completely new structure were designed. PlugAdmin Pro can handle a lot more Plug-In types and you can create own groups to arrange your Plug-Ins for a better overview. The new history function is comfortable to jump to every step you want and undo previous steps.

PlugAdmin Pro will be available for Mac and Pc next week. Note that a special discount for PlugAdmin 1.x customers will be available.

In partnership, Vision DAW and East West announce an 8-Core Xeon Server-Class Workstation, including the complete Quantum Leap Orchestral collection. This set runs with Play software (64 bits) and the virtual orchestra takes up a 4U rack with 2 Quad-Core Xeon 5440 at 2.83GHz, with 16 Go RAM (8 x 2Go at 667MHz), 1 Teraoctet storage, a dual screen video card and a sound card RME Hammerfall 9652. Possibility to customize RAID configuration.

Dreamin' Price for the whole symphony orchestra starts at 5 800 $.

Kenton has just released Merge 4, a 4-way MIDI merge box. As far as the Merge 4 goes it really doesn't get more straightforward – take four opto-isolated MIDI Ins, merge the four streams of data and deliver the combined results to two MIDI Outs (both carry identical MIDI data).

Features :
- 4 x opto-isolated MIDI In
- 2 x opto-isolated MIDI OUT (both carry identical MIDI data)
- Merges all MIDI data – including SysEx and Clock
- DC power input jack 2.1mm (centre +ve)
- Power indicator light
- 9V unregulated power supply included (UK, EU and USA types available)

Kenton Merge 4 is available now at a retail price of £74.97 (inc VAT).

Steinberg has just released updates for Cubase 4, Cubase Studio 4, Nuendo 4 and Nuendo Expansion Kit (NEK) ; they all go v4.1.2.851.

The new Cubase update includes a range of minor enhancements, and incorporates feedback from Cubase customers. This update also officially supports Apple's Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard operating system. Note that Cubase Essential 4 will already ship as version 4.1.2 on its release.

The new maintenance update for Nuendo and Nuendo Expansion Kit (NEK), version 4.1.2, includes a range of minor enhancements for a smoother workflow with Nuendo.

On top of that, the 4.1.2 update introduces support for the new Euphonix Artist Series MC Mix and MC Control surfaces.