Native Instruments Traktor Final Scratch was updated to version 1.5.1 and it is now fully compatible with Mac OS 10.3 Panther. Aside from the new highly optimized ScratchAmp drivers, version 1.5.1 also adds the following features:

ˇ High-quality key correction (preserves pitch when changing tempo)
ˇ Record Lead-In graphics in wave display
ˇ Stripe Preview in browser deck
ˇ Customize "Needle Display Position" in wave display
ˇ Shading of played track portion in stripe view
ˇ Flashing stripe in track end warning zone
ˇ Fully resizable interface
ˇ 4 font sizes
ˇ Larger sound stripes

This update is available via download (49 euros) or as an update CD (69 euros).

We announced it in january on MacMusic, it is now available ! The Mayhem VST plug-in suite by Audiodamage is a collection of four different effects designed to provide new tools for aggressive contemporary musical styles. Included in this package are Filterpod (a low-pass filter with LFO), Crush (the World's Most Dangerous Compressor...), MasterDestrukto (a plug-in featuring four different distortion algorithms for massive audio manipulation), and TimeFnk (a rhythmic delay).

Mayhem pack is available for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X and costs 149 euros.

Native Instruments has announced that the new Reaktor 4.1 update is now available. New features in Reaktor 4.1 include: savable screensets for managing individual window arrangements, a batch converter for analyzing audio files and converting Reaktor 3 instruments and a new Total Recall system for saving all settings with a song.

The 4.1 update for Mac is available as a free download for all registered Reaktor 4 users.

Facing all the competition for data storage and even more so for musical storage, MiniDisc needs a serious lifting. It's almost done as Sony has announced the release in April of it's Hi-MD. It will contain up to 45 hours of music at 48kbps and also serve as a 1 GB USB removable Data storage.

The 1 GB Hi-MD discs should cost about 7 euros each. As for the current minidiscs they should be compatible with the new players, these should cost less than 400 Euros.

Steven Philips has released volume 1 of his sounds for FM7. The CD includes 20 banks - each including 32 patches for Native Instruments FM7. More details on the included sounds can be found here.