ModernBeats.com has expanded its downloadable library of HipHop soundware with a new ethnic percussion collection titled "Ethnic HipHop 2 - Tha Percussion". The collection is sold as a multi-format product for all major software samplers. Native formats inlcude HALion, EXS24, Kontakt, Battery, Reason's NN-XT, SF2, and .Wav. Like all ModernBeats' soundware, the ethnic collection is available for instant download or can be shipped on a ModernBeats multi-format CD-ROM.

This multi-format collection contains over 500 ethnic percussion samples from 21 high-quality percussion instruments: Agogo Bell, Berimbau, Cabasa, Cajon, Chaker, Chime, Congas, Cowbell Clave, Djembe, Doumbek, Gankogui, Guiro, NuBellTree, Pandeiro, Rainstick, SleighBell, TalkingDrum, Timbale, Tombek, Triangle, and the Udu. T ...

The press release from Lexicon reports the shipping of the Omega Desktop Studio. This device is a mixer USB interface and comes with software for both Mac and PC.

From the web site "The Omega I/O mixer provides 8 inputs which are assignable in pairs to any of 4 simultaneous record channels featuring ultra-transparent, high-resolution analog to digital converters to capture your performance with pristine 24-bit quality. Two of the inputs feature extremely low-noise dbx mic-preamps with 48-volt phantom power and TRS insert points."

It also has midi connections and just might make a nice addition to the growing list of products users are looking at to make their final choices in the USB in market.

Street price is around $350.00.

Guenter Moessmer just wrote a nice review of Absynth, a virtual synthesizer distributed by Native Instruments:
"This software synthesizer is a really extraordinary one! It's the name suggests it by hinting at the drink 'Absinth', which can cause halluzinations. Working with this Synth can lead one getting addicted in using it's inscrutable athmospheric, fat and endlessly morphable sounds, which are sometimes quite perverse (in the best sense!)."

Digidesign announces two free updates for Pro Tools TDM systems :

The TC TOOLS 3.7 (Mega reverb, Chorus/Delay, EQsat) for mac os X adds support for Pro Tools|HD Accel Systems, and is also compatible with Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX. A TC TOOLS v3.6 updates is also available and adds support for Pro Tools on Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X at sample rates up to 96 kHz.

TC|Works MASTER X3 v3.7 adds support on Mac OS X for Pro Tools|HD Accel Systems and is also compatible with Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX. A v3.6 update cor OS9 and OSX is also for Pro Tools 6.0 on Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX hardware.

These updates are available on download for owners with iLok authorized versions.

SmartElectronix has released s(M)exoscope. S(M)exoscope is an oscilloscope VST plugin for Mac OS X wich allows you to visually monitor audio waveforms.