This great actor of the sound synthesis scene has just passed away on February 28, he was just turning 51.

He was mainly active on the Camel Audio website where he was a main player of the sound design of the production. A memorial of him is online here :

PSP Nitro has been updated to version 1.1.2.

Changes :

- Default bank file can be defined for each bank slot. The bank will then be loaded on plug-in startup (to return to factory bank hold Apple/Ctrl button on clicking DFLT).
- GUI controls respond fine in MOTU Digital Performer.
- AudioUnit PowerPC<>Intel-Mac session portability issues resolved.
- PC<>PPC<>Intel-Mac bank and preset file portability issues resolved.
- Some minor GUI issues fixed.

One of the greatest challenges to home and studio recording is how to get a great amplified guitar tone at a low level. Introducing the Rivera SilentSister recording speaker cabinet.

With the new Silent Sister, Rivera claims that they have solved the major faults of all of the other Iso Cabs in existence today. First off, they all have the microphone residing in a sealed compartment with the sound pressure from the speaker moving the microphone diaphragm like a plunger sucking water in a sink with a clogged pipe. Instead of the microphone diaphragm existing in a free air environ, it is severely distorted physically in this sealed compartment-with the result that the recorded tone sounds terrible.

Secondly, the speaker feeds into this sealed compartment, as well as being mounted with the back of the cone in a

Akai has just released Vintage Beat Machines, a sample library for MPCs containing all kinds of classic drums and percussion sounds. You'll find some of the most common sounds, and some sounds you've likely never heard before. These sounds are from drum machines, beat and rhythm generators, and other synthesizers dating from the 1980s all the way back into the 1960s ! This sample pack works with all MPC models and contains samples and analog synthesis-based sounds from more than 55 different beat machines.

Vintage Beat Machines is available now at an introductory of $19.99 (instead of $29.99) through March 12 only.

Markbass has announced the release of the Mark Studio 1 plug-in.

Based on three Markbass amp heads and six Markbass cabinets, this plug-in incorporates six different microphone choices, plus control over compression, mic position, tweeter level, room ambience, and more. The amps featured are the all-tube Classic 300, the tube-preamp R 500, and the solid state (with tube compressor) TA 501. The cabinets modeled in the plugin are the Standard 151HR (rear-ported 1x15"), Standard 152HR (rear-ported 2x15"), Standard 104HR (rear-ported 4x10"), Standard 104HF (front-ported 4x10"), Standard 106HF (front-ported 6x10") and Classic 108 (sealed 8x10").

Mark Studio 1 is available now for both Mac OS X and Windows in VST, AU, RTAS and Standalone versions with a retail price around $200.