Blue Microphones has announced the Woodpecker, an active ribbon microphone made the old-fashioned way - without compromise. With an exotic wood finish and unique active circuitry, the Woodpecker is a precision-crafted recording tool, combining the low noise and Blue's Class-A discrete handmade electronics with the bold sound of a handmade aluminum ribbon pressure-gradient transducer.

The Woodpecker will be available on Q1 2007 for $1299.

Solid State Logic has announced Drumstrip, a drum processing plug-in for Duende.

Key features:

- Carefully selected collection of five audio processing tools.
- Transient shaper with Transient Invert to bring the attack phase of your drums to life.
- Transient Shaper Audition enables you to isolate and monitor the effect of the Transient Shaper.
- "Over-Easy" soft ratio compression characteristic for smooth transitions.
- Dedicated drum Gate with range and independent open and close threshold con.
- High Frequency Enhancer to invigorate top end.
- Low Frequency Enhancer to improve bass frequencies.
- The classic SSL Listen Mic Compressor with additional bypass function to alter the legendary band-limited compression to full range compression.
- Adjustable processor o ...

Korg has unveiled the successor to their microKORG called Korg R3. The R3 is a compact synthesizer and vocoder that borrows its feature set from the Radias. An R3 program consists of two complete timbres, each with two oscillators, two filters, two LFOs, three ADSR envelopes, and a modulation sequencer. It comes with a built-in microphone, an arpeggiator, and a 37-note, Velocity-sensitive keyboard.

For more information, visit Korg's web site.

Here is our first Namm 2007 photos gallery.

Dididesign has announced Reel Tape Suite, a set of analog tape emulation plug-ins that re-create the warmth of analog tape recordings and tape effects in digital recordings or live audio. This suite features three plug-ins: Reel Tape Saturation, Reel Tape Delay, and Reel Tape Flanger. Each Reel Tape Suite plug-in offers a full range of controls to fine-tune the character of the effects. Select from the response characteristics of three different tape recorders and two different tape formulations. Alter the tape speed or feedback level and the bass and treble feedback response of the Reel Tape Delay. Adjust the LFO rate and depth, wow and flutter, and delay time of the Reel Tape Flanger. And dial in the drive, noise, tape machine bias, and level calibration of the Reel Tape Saturation for just the right result.

Reel Tape Suite will be available soon as TDM, RTAS and AudioSuite plug-in for USD $495. Reel Tape Saturation will be available soon for USD $295.