The SampleTank 2.0.4 update is available for registered users, under Mac OS 9, OS X, RTAS and VST. Bugfixes include: SampleCell conversion has been improved, original instruments and "banks" from the hard disk now work properly, and ".wav" import has been improved. Moreover, 12 instruments for SampleTank 2 have been updated with bugfixes. The 2.04 update and updated instruments can be downloaded free for registered users.

Ploytec, a Germany based-company run by the people who brought you usb-audio.com, is about to release a new product called "34one," a battery-driven tap tempo pedal.

Synthesizers like the Korg Triton or Yamaha MOTIF / MOTIF ES offer fantastic arpeggio and live sequencing possibilities that are hard to use with a non-click synchronized live band. 34one solves this problem by providing easy-to-use tap tempo, in the form of a 9V block battery-driven pedal that generates MIDI Clock signal.

Gleetchplug Design is proud to announce that it has released an OS X version of its free plugins bundle. The plugins run on VST/MAS/RTAS and AU applications under OSX 10.2 and 10.3. The bundle contains the classic 5 Gleetchplug plugins (D-Rive, Sonicreducer, Therevox, Malestrom and Cosmo) plus a new exclusive plug called Stereotronic (a spectral stereo enhancer).

Audacity, the free cross-platform sound editor for Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows, is now coming of age, after two years of development. 1.2 is the first major stable release since 1.0 in June 2002, but those years haven't gone wasted: the new release includes professional-quality dithering and resampling, new pitch- and speed-changing effects. Also new: cross-fade effects, screen display fixes, an MP3 tag fix, and audio problems fixed on Apple Power Mac G5s, plus much more.

Steinberg's flagship high-end audio workstation, Nuendo, has been upgraded to version "2.1.2.28." version. Steinberg has improved networking via LAN or via standard network protocols, plus compatibility with Mac OS 10.3 Panther. Nuendo 2.1.2.28 is a free upgrade.

Ed: Steinberg tends to get overshadowed on the Mac by Digidesign, Apple/Emagic, and MOTU, but they're an essential part of what Apple calls the "Mac music ecosystem": they offer unique features no one else does. The most exciting to me is the networking capabilities, and the ability to share audio processing resources across multiple machines. That's huge for studios and classroom labs, not to mention those of us who are collecting multiple Macs or working collaboratively. Any readers out there taking advantage of this capability? Hit comments and let us know. -PK