Just in time for the World Cup, Access Music announces the immediate availability of a public beta version of OS 1.1. for the Virus TI synthesizer. The new software suite, which has been developed over the last 4 months, not only updates the Virus Firmware, Plug-Ins and Drivers, but also contains several tutorials on how to work with the Virus TI in conjunction with Ableton Live, Apple Logic and Steinberg Cubase.

The new operating systems version can be downloaded free of charge on the Access Virus web site.

Wave Editor has been updated to version 1.2.2. This release adds a user options to add/save analysis data with files, Play from Selection Start & Play to Selection End actions in Keyboard Shortcuts, adds MS Encode to Channels bar, improved MS Decode, adds "follow selection" to the channels bar action menu, and fixes bugs. Wave Editor by Audiofile Engineering is an audio editor featuring direct editing of AIFF, WAVE, Sound Designer, ACID Apple Loop, and µLaw audio files, partial support for Recycle (REX, RX2 and RCY) files, supports any sample rate or bit depth, supports any number of channels and more.

MOTU announces that Ethno Instrument 1.0 is now shipping as a Universal Binary for Intel Mac and PowerPC Mac. Ethno comes with ith 4GB of of expressive ethnic instrument sounds combined with another 4GB of authentic world music loops and phrases. In a simultaneous release, version 1.1.2 of the MOTU Symphonic Instrument is also now shipping as a Universal Binary update (maintenance update) that includes enhancements and optimizations.

Symphonic Instrument 1.1.2 is now available as a free download for registered Symphonic Instrument users.

The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from from August 7 to August 11 in San Fransisco. Apple will organize 100 sessions and more than 35 labs spanning five technical tracks: Application Technologies, Graphics and Media, Development Tools, OS Foundations, Information Technologies.

Remember that registration is now open with a special price until June 23.

Spectre by Audiofile engineering is a multi-instrument real-time audio analyzer for Mac OS X. Designed in Cocoa from the ground up, Spectre proudly takes advantage of Quartz, OpenGL, CoreAudio, and other solid OS X interface features. Spectre focuses squarely on live audio analysis by offering 9 different multi-channel and multi-trace meters. It not only analyzes inputs from your audio hardware, but can also receive input from network sources by using Apple's AUNetSend/AUNetReceive Audio Unit pair. With this feature, you can analyze audio from any Audio Unit insert on your multitrack (or other AU host) to Spectre running on the same or on another computer.

Spectre is available for a special introductory price of $88 (retail price is $150).