Metropolis DVD creates Bonus DVDs against unauthorized copying. Asked by a few majors which want to stop the unauthorized copying and what they called the "napsterization" of their catalogues, Metropolis DVD decided to add Quality Bonus in order to push people buying the original ones. The increasing sales of the tittles which use this brilliant marketing idea seem to prove the efficiency of this system.

Edirol announced their new assignable control surface with USB Audio and MIDI. The UR-80 is an all-in-one studio box for computer musicians, combining a fully assignable control surface, USB audio interface with 24-bit/96 kHz capability, MIDI and the GM2 Hyper Canvas software synthesizer. The UR-80 control surface resembles a digital mixer, with transport controls, time wheel, and assignable switches for quick access to music software functions. It comes with a Control Map Editor and eight pre-loaded control maps supporting popular sequencers, such as Cubase and Logic, plus a variety of soft synths.

Edirol introduces the World's First Hi-Speed USB 2 Audio Recording Interface.The UA-1000 is multi port on 10 separate channels via a wide variety of connections:
- 4 x front-mounted XLR/TRS combo jacks, with Phantom power and preamps
- Hi-Z guitar in
- SP/DIF (Optical/Coaxial)
- 8 channel ADAT
- MIDI
- 2 x Stereo (4) Inserts for effect send/return

TC-Helicon brings in April his Voice modeling technology to the Powercore platform. The Voicemodeler can change or improve a voice, a "thin" vocal into a "throat" one, a "male" into a "female". A complete control is possible on the parameters of the voice: morphing, crispness, breath, growl can be adjusted in real time. You can expect more voice effects in charts in the coming month after this release, from the natural to the extreme. Price $249-215eu

Yamaha revamps the 01 mixer the mLAN way. It is in fact a 01V96 in mLAN with 9 motorised faders, transport controls, DAW support for Cubase SX, Nuendo, Logic Audio, Digital Performer and softs synths.

- 28 Channels with dynamic processing and 4 band parametric EQ
- 2X 32 bit effect processors
- large LCD screen to display names on top of the faders.
- 3 VST plug-ins for enhanced vocal processing, pitch correction and mastering.
- VST channel module to show hardware and functions of the mixer on the computer screen
- mLAN input and outpout

Certainly a tough competition for Digidesign Digi002.

mLAN support is included in OSX 10.2.4
Due in Q3 2003 for $1700-1700eu