"Dear Mailinglist_user ,

First off, my apologies for the lateness of this letter, I usually try to get this to you after the winter NAMM show in Anaheim. This year however, the time after NAMM has been so busy I simply haven't had the time to sit down to reflect on the past and the present until now.

Since the release of Superior Drummer 2.0 in June of 2008 we have worked on releases that have strengthened both the EZ and Superior product lines. The Funkmasters and Jazz EZXs, the first SDX for Superior Drummer 2.0, New York Studios Vol 2 and the latest addition to the Toontrack Software Tools,Drumtracker, our stand alone sound replacement software for drums.

Before the end of June of 2009 we will release one more SDX for Superior Drummer 2.0. Without letting too much information slip I think that Back To The Roots would be the right expression to describe this upcoming SDX...

With these products we have come to a point where we've finally fulfilled our initial vision of being able to offer a product line that encompasses all the needs you might have in producing, writing and playing drums and percussion.

This does not mean that we're done with developing our drum and percussion product line, on the contrary, updates and new products are in the pipeline. However, it does mean that we are expanding our vision of what Toontrack can develop. In the coming year we are unveiling and releasing products that will radically change the scope of what Toontrack is known for.

Thrash by 9 Soundware is a set of instruments for the EXS24 sampler within Apple Logic Pro. The underlying theme for the sound set is "Headroom Decimating Audio". Extreme waveforms were created with one goal and one goal only : to see how gut-wrenchingly jarring and intense sound could be. These eardrum-bashing anomalies are not metalhead-friendly sounds. They are not even sound system-friendly sounds. Many of the samples look like bricks when opened with audio editing software.

The instruments are based on 100 samples (30 loops and 70 hits). The source sounds for the samples include performed noise, synthesis, mixer feedback, screaming, and a drum machine. In addition to the 128 MB Thrash.exs instrument which uses all 100 samples, included are 30 instruments which make extensive use of the modulation capabilities of the EXS24 mkII sampler. Among them are tempo synced instruments, free-form textural instruments, impact instruments, as well as a massive drum kit with over 70 sounds (Beat Murderer.exs). Many are designed to be played primarily with the modulation and pitch bend wheels (and less so with the keys). As they lend themselves more to performance than step sequencing, a midi controller is highly recommended when using this sound set.

The 129 MB download includes 31 .EXS files and 100 WAV files (24-bit/44.1 kHz).

Thrash is available now for $29.99 at :

M-Audio has introduced the new Studiophile DSM3 active studio reference monitor.

Main Features :

. midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer (MTM) design > minimizes vertical reflections while widening horizontal sweet spot
. DSP-controlled digital crossover > incredible tonal accuracy
. broad range of onboard digital EQ controls > customizable for your listening environment
. dual 6.5" anodized-aluminum cone LF drivers > exceptionally low distortion
. 1" Teteron soft fabric Neodymium HF driver with built-in heat sink > accurate extension up to 27kHz with minimized power compression
. 180W Class D bi-amplification > low distortion, high efficiency
. analog and digital inputs > up to 24-bit/192kHz
. high-density cabinet > good damping and reduced acoustic interference
. custom bass-reflex dual-sided flared ports > controlled extended bass response with reduced turbulence

The Studiophile DSM3 monitor will be available in Q2 2009 and carries a MSRP of $899.95 / €899.95.

Signaltonoise.com, a community preset sharing blog, has just released "The Reverb 6000 Music Pack" which is an impulse library of the flagship studio standard 6000 reverb.

This set includes 131 impulse files capturing the VSS4 HD, VSS3, Reverb 3, Nonlin 2, & DVR 2 algorithms. It contains both Factory & User defined programs.

"The Reverb 6000 Music Pack" is available now as a Donationware so you decide how much you want to give.

Klark Teknik has launched the DN540 Creative Quad Compressor, the second new product in a brand new series. The DN540 packs four channels of creative compression into a 1U chassis.

The DN540 has been designed with a unique "Harmonic Enhancement" presence control to preserve the harmonic content of the material in a more natural, dynamic state. This allows more compression to be applied, providing greater control of programme dynamics, without the source material sounding dull, lacking in detail and unnatural.

Features :

- Quad channel compressor
- Ease of use, requiring minimum set up to produce excellent results
- "Harmonic Enhancement" presence control to correct loss of detail and intelligibility during compression without increasing noise or likelihood of feedback
- Extremely low noise and distortion levels
- Sonic design which has been "tuned by ear" to produce extremely transparent compression
- Advanced envelope generator with manual controls for creative dynamic effects
- Intuitive controls for all functions contributing to output levels
- Easily identifiable bypass, solo and other major switches, with status LEDs
- Channel linking with true power summing to provide true threshold setting for stereo material
- External sidechain inputs
- Roadworthy 1U chassis
- Balanced inputs and outputs
- Auto switching power supply

Anticipated applications of the new KT DN540 include :

- Protecting signal paths from amplitude overload
- Improving the apparent power of signals when an artists' performance is a little too dynamic
- Maintaining a stable signal level to help an instrument sit within a mix
- Changing the percussive timbre of an instrument to enhance impact
- Compressing a mix so that it maintains a stable signal level (typically to make it sound louder)
- Changing the percussive timbre of a mix to make it sound fuller and to enhance impact
- Frequency conscious compression to remove unwanted sibilance or undesired tonal artefacts via external sidechain

Pricing and availability TBA.