PC and Music News

Karma-Lab, the developer of the KARMA interactive music technology featured in Korg Workstations, has released a major update to four of its Korg-related software applications:

- KARMA Kronos Software - for the Korg Kronos
- KARMA M3 Software - for the Korg M3
- KARMA M50 Software - for the Korg M50
- KARMA Oasys Software - for the Korg Oasys

Version 2.2.9 of each program is available for both Mac and Windows. The update is free to registered users and available for purchase directly from Karma-Lab (US $169 to $199).

The new Mac versions are now Universal applications, and will run on Mac OS X 10.4 and higher, including 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion, PPC or Intel. They've also been tested on the Developer Preview of 10.9 Mavericks without any major issues. Furthermore, some enhancements such as the ability to import and export .KGE files between all four applications have been incorporated, along with a lengthy list of reliability enhancements and bug fixes.

The new Windows versions include all of the same enhancements and bug fixes as the Mac versions, and runs on XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (32 and 64 bit).

The Recording Arts & Technology program at Southwestern College in the San Diego California suburb of Chula Vista is one of the nation’s top audio programs.

Begun in May 2008, under the direction of Professor Jay Henry, a two-time Grammy® award nominee for his engineering and production skills, the Recording Arts & Technology program prepares students for careers in the entertainment industries of music, television and film, utilizing state-of-the-art music studios and labs for a hands-on learning experience that emphasizes fundamental recording technique and knowledge. Henry entered the music industry decades ago, and has experienced the huge changes in the music recording industry; he has kept his educational program flexible to adapt to the changes yet to come. That’s why he was excited to discover Focusrite's RedNet networked audio I/O technology. In recent weeks, Prof. Henry directed the purchase of two RedNet 5 HD interfaces for his Pro Tools|HD systems coupled with three RedNet 2 16-channel analog I/O interfaces for his main recording and satellite mixing rooms. Once these units are installed, the two studios at the core of the Recording Arts and Technology program will be able to be completely networked, allowing seamless access of audio between rooms and giving students and faculty a high degree of flexibility in how those facilities are used.

PreSonus is now shipping the eagerly anticipated Sceptre™-series CoActual™ studio reference monitors.

Featuring an advanced coaxial design that works integrally with a 32-bit, 48 kHz processor using Fulcrum Acoustic's TQ™ Temporal Equalization technology, Sceptre CoActual monitors deliver clarity and coherence that has previously only been available in ultra-high-end systems. Yet they are an affordable investment for project-studio owners-a first for DSP-enabled, TQ-based systems.

Muse Research™ and Development, Inc., and PreSonus® Audio Electronics, Inc., announced that the PreSonus AudioBox™ 1818VSL audio interface is now included, standard, with Muse Research's new Receptor™ TRIO and Receptor QU4TTRO hardware-based plug-in players, giving musicians up to 18 high-quality audio inputs and outputs.

In addition, Muse Research now offers the PreSonus AudioBox 1818VSL interface as an added-cost option for its award-winning Receptor VIP plug-in player, giving the VIP multi-channel input and output capabilities. The Receptor TRIO and QU4TTRO are now shipping, as is the software update that allows the Receptor VIP to utilize the AudioBox 1818VSL interface.

Spectrasonics has released an 'AAX Public Beta' version of the company's three popular virtual instruments Omnisphere, Trilian and Stylus RMX for Avid's new Pro Tools 11.

Registered users of the Spectrasonics instruments can log into their user accounts to download the Public Beta versions. The new versions are available at no charge to registered users to test with the new 64-bit version of Pro Tools. Omnisphere, Trilian and Stylus RMX are all native 64-bit software instruments designed to work with Pro Tools 11 on both OS X and Windows.

Impact Soundworks, LLC released today "Juggernaut: Cinematic Electronic Scoring Tools", a comprehensive collection of synthesized percussion, basses, and FX for Native Instruments Kontakt and Kontakt Player. With sounds from a team of top designers, including Mick Gordon, Erik Ekholm, and Jordan Fehr, this cinematic toolbox was custom-built for hybrid scoring, EDM, and musical sound design.


Juggernaut features over 500 24-bit sounds ranging from impacts, sweeps, risers, and textures, to drum kits, oneshots, and synth basses. The Drums/FX engine includes 6 different FX categories that supply users with powerful cinematic hits and transitions. The Drum library ranges from physically modeled percussion instruments such as bodhrans, taikos, and roto toms, to kicks, thips, snares, and crashes. Each highly-polished sound was crafted from scratch by the design team without the use of drum machines.