PC and Music News

Livid Instruments unveils the Ohm64, a completely redesigned Ohm. Ohm is a real-time USB / MIDI control surface which aims to give digital audio and video performers an innovative interface for performance and presentation. This second generation brings a lot of new features :

• USB Powered
• Bi-Directional MIDI communication
• Class-compliant: no drivers needed
• 75 Programmable backlight buttons for talk-back and interactive performance
• Programmable MIDI mapping allows you to change the MIDI settings on the hardware
• Immersion Gold Platted Circuit Boards
• Anodized Aluminum Faceplate
• Open Source software tools to create your own LED talkback interaction
• Ohm Core software included for MIDI editing, and LED talkback programming
• Cell DNA video performance software included
• Standard MIDI IN and OUT jacks
• Made in the USA by humans
• Available in Aluminum and Wood models. Wood is available in blue, red, natural, and unfinshed so you can stain or paint it any color you want.

Pre-orders will be accepted soon at :

McDSP is proud to introduce Live Pack, a collection of plug-ins for mixing live performances. Features like ultra low latency, superior sonic flexibility and seamless integration with the Digidesign VENUE live sound system make Live Pack a "must-have" for any FOH or monitoring engineer.

Live Pack will begin shipping on April 1, 2009 and includes Channel G Compact, Chrome Tone, DE555, FutzBox, MC2000, ML4000 and NF575. In addition to supporting the Digidesign VENUE systems, Live Pack plug-ins also support TDM, RTAS and Audiosuite formats on Pro Tools HD, LE and M-Powered systems.

Live Pack HD will be available for purchase for $1995, or as a rental for $495 for three months or $695 for six months. Rental cost may be applied towards a full purchase before rental period expires. Customers who already own McDSP plug-ins may be eligible for upgrade pricing. Live Pack will be sold or rented as an electronic purchase.

Plogue has updated Bidule to v0.9685.

New Features :

- Added DSP Adapter feature to wrap groups to run a limited set of bidules at a buffer size of 1 samples (more bidules to be supported, other buffer sizes and sample rates support to come).
- Added OSC Monitor to show all incoming/outgoing OSC Messages.
- Optimized handling of presets to reduce memory usage and fix a few bugs.
- Added MIDI Message Creator.
- Added MIDI Note Off Velocity Remapper.
- Expanded MP Assign to use up to 8 cores.
- Plus many more little improvements.

Bug Fixes :

- AU Version : sample rate change could be missed.
- Integer parameter display not always being accurate.
- Message Remapper : remapping pitchbend doesn't work.
- OSC : using the open command on a file loading audio files in the Mediapool or using the polyphonic adapter crashes.
- Polyphonic Adapter: doesn't transmit some MIDI messages to active voices.
- Possible crash if a VST could not properly initialize itself.
- ReWire Device : added protection against out of range MIDI events timestamp.
- Value List : could load up with incorrect values.
- VST Hosting : some MIDI events coming out of plugins could be missed/skipped.
-Plus many more fixes.

Cytomic has released its Bus Compressor effect plug-in 'The Glue' in beta version.

Features :

- 4 in / 2 out stereo compressor (second stereo input for external side-chain processing)
- Accurate analog model of famous British mix bus compressor of the 80's
- Ultra-fast attack time of up to 0.01 mS
- Range knob to naturally control the maximum compression applied
- Peak Clip to optionally hard limit transients
- DSP coded using C++ and assembler, Interface coded using the Juce framework (C++)
- VST, AU and RTAS plug-in formats for Mac OS X and Windows

Trial versions are available now at :

Christian Knufinke Software has just announced the update of its SIR2 convolution reverb plug-in.

Changes :

- Initial Windows 64-bit release.
- Triangle envelope functionality.
- Finer Pre-delay adjustment.
- Search functionality, if impulse file not found.
- Ability to store EQ-presets (right mouse-click into EQ-Envelope).
- Improved project-portability between different workstations (relative filename will be stored too, so if the default impulse-response location is different, the IR will be found). Please note: to use this function, the project has once to be saved with this new version.
- New look.
- Support for "Ctrl+mouse click", for one-button mouse Macs.
- Improved host compatibility.

VirSyn has just updated its vocoder plug-in Matrix.

New features in v1.2.1 :

- Internal generator can now be used without MIDI note input.
- Line draw mode for channel matrix with shift+drag.
- AudioUnit standard effect without MIDI added.
- AudioUnit mono effect added.

Bug fixes :

- MIDI learn was broken in VST 2.4 / AudioUnit versions.

Matrix Users will be notified automatically about the update and the download links. A fully functional/time limited demo version is available - a Syncrosoft dongle (Steinberg key) is needed.