The first release from the new Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research Group, Xpand! is a free RTAS sound factory workstation synthesis/sample-playback and effects plug-in that provides fast, efficient ways to access and manipulate thousands of high-quality sounds directly from within Pro Tools.

Start with any of the more than 1,000 factory patches and then fine-tune the four component sound parts to craft anything from pristine-sounding acoustic instruments to complex synthesized soundscapes or loop-driven techno tracks. Built for songwriters, film composers, DJs, electronic musicians, music producers, and sound designers, Xpand! is a sonic powerhouse that will become an indispensable component of any Pro Tools environment.

Alesis announced forthcoming audio/MIDI firewire interfaces, the iO|14 and iO|26 (pity for us, what a name!). Both interfaces have:
- DICEII FireWire chips for state of the art technology, dual ports to help cascading connectivity.
- Power thru Firewire or an AC adapter.
- One MIDI in/out interface.
- Stereo 24-bit S/PDIF connector.
- Switchable high impedance input on channels 1 and 2 for recording guitars and basses - All I/O is balanced / 24-bit—with support for 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz sample rates.
- Five-segment signal/clip LED ladders on each input.
- Two headphone outputs with individual level control.

Dave Smith will release hopefully in April a mono version of the Evolver Keyboard. It's a small one voiced (hence the mono…), 37 keys keyboard, and as all the Evolver family, it can be linked with its little fellows to add voices. The PolyEvolver Keyboard was luxurious and drool-worthy, this one is the version me, myself, and I was longing for!

Expected price $1,199

Roland launches news synths, two have some old time rememberence attached to their name and one is a supposedly new thing. Prices are TBA.

- The SH-201 takes its name from its analogue ancestors, but is not analogue at all. It's all analogue modelling (so a decent virtual analogue if the Roland guys learned from Alesis, Clavia or Access as I hope), easy to live digital synth. The layout is qualified of Ultra-EZ (clear is a shorter word) and it packs a D-Beam in along the 49 keys keyboard. It has an audio In to treat audio inside, and a USB port as you can edit and record the audio directly in your Mac using a simple VSTi editor, nice touch.

- The Juno-G follows the Juno-D, steal the look of the famous Juno-106, but is packing a derivative of the sound engine of the Fant ...

Wanna see the NAMM '06 show ? Our MacMusic collaborator is in Anaheim and can't stop flashing his camera at booths at unawares. Let's see what's up in the gear department in 2006!