Ableton and Cycling '74 are pleased to announce the release of Max for Live, the long-awaited product that puts the power and potential of Max/MSP inside Live. Co-developed by Ableton and Cycling '74 over a period of more than two years, Max for Live effectively opens up the Live platform, allowing users to create and edit their own devices.

Users are free to create whatever they can think of: unique synths and effects, algorithmic composition tools, or hybrid hardware/software music machines. Devices created with Max for Live are seamlessly integrated into Live's interface and workflow, just like the "home-grown" Ableton instruments and effects.

For those not interested in building their own devices, Max for Live is still an interesting opportunity. It includes a collection of premi ...

Superior Drummer v2.2.1, is now available free from the 'Downloads' section of your Toontrack account.

Version 2.2.1 includes the latest EZX and SDX kit pieces definitions support, including the upcoming Electronic EZX.

Fixed in version 2.2.1 :

• iMap MIDI preset offset fixed.
• The Memory Limit pop-up warning should no longer appear when the memory limit is off.
• The solo state of articulations is now fully restored when loading a project.
• Soft Vel and Pitching are now restored properly when loading a project.
• Setting a Time Correction value should no longer affect playback detrimentally.
• Changed the MidiNode broken link to all caps 'MISSING TARGET'.
• Drag and drop of MIDI grooves should now work even when UAC is on.
• Groove ...

Blue Cat Audio has announced the release of a new version of Blue Cat's Freeware Pack, its free audio plugins bundle. This new version introduces RTAS plugin format support for Pro Tools. It also includes several fixes and enhancements for the other formats, on both Mac and PC.

RTAS support is in final beta stage, so the company welcomes feedback about the usage of these free plugins in Pro Tools.

What's new in this version :

• Factory presets are now available from the plugin menu.
• RTAS plugin format support (final beta stage - currently available with
the Free Pack only)
• Mac: fixed keyboard/mouse focus issues in some hosts.
• Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts, when used with particular
display settings.
• Mac-AU: fixed user ...

"Ethnic Panpipes" is a sampler instrument, made from an extended set of Lithuanian national panpipes. As in Soundprovocation previous release, multiple samples were recorded to recreate natural feel of the instrument.

The set contains 25 panpipes (2 octaves). There are three articulations recorded, selectable by modulation wheel - mezzo (normal), piano (soft & silent), sforzando (sharp & rude attack). Each note of the articulation presented has 9 variations. Every time you press a single note, you will hear a different variation. There are 675 individual samples total recorded.

"Ethnic Panpipes" is dedicated to ambient, folk, neo-folk music composers, movie, theatre soundtrack producers and composers with special needs to add something unordinary and extra natural to their creations.

"Ethnic Panpipes" is available for samplers EXS24 and Kontakt. You can get it for the introductory price of €9.99 instead of €19.99 (Offer is valid until December 31). Here is a link to demo sounds and more info :

Operator by 9 Soundware is a collection of presets for the EFM1 synthesizer within Apple Logic Pro. These settings harness the noise making capabilities of FM synthesis, a synthesis method often associated with the ubiquitous bell-like sounds heard in music from the 1980s.

The sound set consists of 30 inharmonic sounds and 20 tonal sounds. Examples include settings for impacts (e.g., Breakdancrrrrrrrrr.pst, Creepy-crawly.pst, Hair Metal.pst, and Piņata.pst), noise (e.g., Chop Suey.pst and Fluff Assasin.pst), and backdrops (e.g., Chernobyl.pst, Crop Circle.pst, and Snarl.pst), as well as those which are designed to be played with heavy use of the mod wheel (e.g., Country And Western.pst). Also included are a few presets which are characteristic of quintessential FM sounds (e.g., Mullet.pst and Menthol.pst).

The 0.2 MB download includes 50 .pst files.

Operator is available now for $14.99.