PC and Music News

Nektar have upgraded their DAW support and extended the range of directly controllable Plugins and Rack Extensions.

NEW VST PLUG-IN MAPS FOR CUBASE/NUENDO
Nektar's quest to map every VST plug-in known to man continues! They have added another 54 insert and instrument maps to the collection, each carefully handmapped at Nektar HQ, so you don't have to.

These maps not only give you tactile control but also in many cases improve the user experience over the software GUI. Take for example Xhun Audio's LittleOne where you now can select the effect you want right from Panorama's Instrument home page, plus you don't have to click on a parameter to adjust it. Or the Sound Tower editors that already give great control over Dave Smith synths. You can now control the parameters right from your Panorama keyboard or control surface including arpeggiation and sequencing!
REASON Rack Extensions SUPPORT UPDATE
Great new Rack Extensions have been launched recently for Reason and we finally have an update ready. It includes the Korg Mono/Poly and the updated version of Propellerheads own PX7.

After seven years of faithful service, Firebird itself has become vintage.

Even though it's no longer profitable to remain a commercial product, we feel that more people deserve an opportunity to enjoy this sometimes heavily underestimated synthesizer.
Which is why we decided to release one last update and turn Firebird, previously sold for $79, into freeware.

For one week we're cutting the swing tags and giving you 50% off apparel and
accessories on the Serato Online Store.

All tees, caps, iPhone/iPad cases,
Gelaskins, Slipmats, Sticker Packs & Serato USB Sticks. Free shipping in the
US for orders over $100. Head to the Serato Online Store & cheer yourself up.

Waves Audio’s MultiRack software has grown into the industry’s leading live sound plugin host. Waves now kicks things up a notch with the introduction of MultiRack Version 9.5.

MultiRack 9.5 includes a variety of new features to enhance the user experience and workflow – for instance, an improved, streamlined graphic interface; the capability to record to two computers simultaneously; 1000 snapshot support for DiGiCo consoles; and best of all, the ability to run Waves Signature Series plugins, from Chris Lord-Alge, Tony Maserati, Jack Joseph Puig, Eddie Kramer and Manny Marroquin, on any MultiRack Native or SoundGrid system.*

MultiRack 9.5 Features:
- Improved, more responsive GUI
- Record to two computers simultaneously
- Load up to 1000 snapshots
- Run Waves Signature Series plugins
- Support for the upcoming DiGiGrid MGO & MGB MADI-to-SoundGrid interfaces
- Waves OneKnob Wetter and Q-Clone plugins now MultiRack compatible
- Chris Lord-Alge, Tony Maserati, Jack Joseph Puig and Eddie Kramer* Signature Series plugins added to SoundGrid Pro and SoundGrid Pro SD7 bundles.

Following the highly successful 50th International Conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which focused on audio education, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) will hold its 51st International Conference in Helsinki, Finland, August 21-24, 2013.

The conference will feature a first-ever program dedicated to Loudspeakers and Headphones and the technologies associated with their design and performance. This event will bring together top names in the industry for four days of in-depth programs, sessions and tutorials, kicking-off with the keynote address given by Genelec Founder and Chairman Ilpo Martikainen on the evolution and history of the loudspeaker as we know it today.

IK Multimedia announced a new version of T-RackS® (version 4.2) for Mac/PC, the full-featured mixing-and-mastering-effects standalone app and plug-in, which adds one of the most revered British compressor/limiters, one that's been used by studios around the globe for over 40 years. This new model is available à-la-carte in the new version of T-RackS through its built-in online Custom Shop - a free download from the IK web site, and the only music-gear shop open 24/7 and providing models of high-end effects gear for mixing and mastering.

The new version also adds 64- and 32-bit AAX (Avid Audio Extension) compatibility. As a result, T-RackS now integrates seamlessly with the latest versions of Avid Pro Tools®. Other supported plug-in formats include AU (Audio Units), VST and RTAS. On 64-bit systems, the plug-in also works in 32-bit compatibility mode.