PC and Music News

Focusrite announces the availability of the Saffire 6 USB audio interface.

Features :

• two Focusrite pre-amps
• two balanced TRS outputs
• four RCA phono outputs
• a high-level headphone output
• an A/B source switch for monitoring either of two stereo output pairs
• ideal for digital DJs
• Xcite+ Software Bundle
• Focusrite VST/AU Plug-in Suite

Available now at a price of $199.99.

Waves Audio has announced the upcoming release of its groundbreaking SoundGrid technology. SoundGrid gives users the ability to run large numbers of Waves' plug-ins using standard PCs via Ethernet. SoundGrid offers super low latency performance, which means users can take advantage of even more audio processors and CPU-intensive processors than ever before.

SoundGrid Key Benefits:

• Provides low latency platform for running Waves plug-ins
• Uses standard, off-the-shelf components: computers, switches, servers, Ethernet cables, etc.
• Integration with analog and digital mixing consoles
• Provides a complete Redundancy & Recovery system
• Upcoming SoundGrid versions will implement recording capabilities

Brainworx has announced that Public Beta versions of bx_control V2 are now available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU, RTAS and TDM plug-in formats.

bx_control V2 contains an all new and improved M/S matrix, stereo enhancer with mono maker, and it is a great control listening tool. Chain any other stereo plug-in into the Brainworx M/S matrix, or use bx_control V2 to check your mixes and speakers.

New features include:

• Individual panning for M & S (pan vocals and guitars/keys in final mixes).
• New dynamic range metering within the LED section.
• Solo in place for all solo modes.

bx_control V2 will be €99 (native) and €149 (TDM incl. VENUE), plus VAT if applicable. Brainworx will have a 25% introductory discount in February. Sales start Feb 1st. The upgrades for existing V1 users will be €49 (Native or TDM). The 25% discount in February will also be valid for all upgrades. They will accept all DIGIDESIGN MASSIVE PACK 8 customers for upgrades.

After more than three years of development, Vir2 Instruments presents Electri6ity, an epic electric guitar virtual instrument containing "the most advanced, detailed, and versatile collection of electric guitars ever made in a virtual instrument".

Applied Acoustics Systems releases the Tassman 4 v4.1.4 Update for Mac OS X and Windows.

Tassman is an extremly rich modular sound synthesis environment based on physical modeling. It is both an impressive collection of unique synths and effect processors, and a tightly integrated synthesis studio which lets you customize instruments in any way you wish or even create your own from scratch.

This is a maintenance update containing the following changes:

• Authorization now works with non-admin user accounts;
• Fixed browser focus crash on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard;
• Fixed drag-and-drop in Logic 9 but now have a separate edit window;
• Fixed MIDI Links behavior on On/Off buttons;
• Fixed Edit MIDI dialog values glitch.

The Tassman v4.1.4 Update is available now, free of charge to all Tassman 4 registered users.

MOTU has announced a major upgrade to Ethno Instrument, their popular world/ethnic virtual instrument software for Mac OS X and Windows 7/Vista. The Version 2 upgrade more than doubles the size of Ethno's included sound library of instruments, loops and phrases. Significant new features have also been added, including preset searching, microtonal scales, state-of-the-art time stretching, and much more.

EI 2 includes new sounds from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Balkans, the British Isles, Latin America, Australia, and many other locations around the globe. Featured sounds include taiko drums, large African drums, thirty new instruments from India, hundreds of urban India loops (in the style of Slumdog Millionaire), Balkanish voices, Arabic voices, Persian voices, an extensive new collection ...