At the NAB, SRS Labs announced the upcoming availability of the first professional SRS Circle Surround encoding software plug-in for Digidesign's Pro Tools workstations. SRS Circle Surround TDM Pro enables Pro Tools users to easily encode up to 6.1 channels of surround sound into stereo delivery formats for television, cable programming, music applications, and other media. Representing a substantial breakthrough over previous matrix encoding plug-ins, it is the only plug-in capable of encoding up to 6.1 channels while delivering accurately steered, full-bandwidth stereo surround channels with superior center channel dialog isolation. In addition to broadcasting and post production, this new surround encoding tool is well suited for production of 5.1 or 6.1 music content with delivery via ...

AES 16th: Yamaha released version 2 of the DM1000 digital console: In addition to the overall performance enhancements and new features previously introduced with DM2000 Version 2, DM1000 now incorporates THX pm3 mode and ESAMII capabilities. You also get the capability to install the ADD-ON EFFECTS introduced with DM2000V2. The version 2 system software is offered as an Upgrade Kit: DM1000V2K, to be installed in the current DM1000 digital console in use. The Version 2 SOFTWARE UPGRADE KIT includes a new and improved STUDIO MANAGER application for Windows 2000 / XP and Mac OS X platforms, too.

Berkleemusic Opens Two New Online Courses for May 17th Semester Berkleemusic, the online extension school of Berklee College of Music, is opening two new instructor-led online courses for their upcoming May 17th semester. Sampling and Audio Production will instruct you on Berklee's approach to recording, editing, and programming using the software samplers provided in Logic and Reason. Getting Inside Harmony 1 will teach you to hear and modify chord progressions, improvise effectively from chord to chord, and will equip you with the best chord scale choices for arranging
and improvising.

Berkleemusic's Student Advisor is available toll-free at 1.866.BERKLEE (237.5533) for one-on-one advice or questions on any online courses. To view the complete course catalog, or to enroll in an online course, please visit:

Edirol has just announced that its firewire interface FA-101 is now available for sale. The FA-101 offers 6 balanced jack inputs, 8 balanced jack outputs, 2 mic preamps with Neutrik sockets and 48V phantom power, MIDI In/Out and one S/PDIF output.

The FA-101 is compatible with Mac OS 10.3 Panther and costs 649 Euros.

Frederik Olofsson offers a small utility that allows to turn the Mac's keyboard (Qwerty) into a virtual MIDI keyboard. The "letter keys" stand for the black and white keys of the keyboard, octave shifting is done via < and > keys and chromatic transposition via the keyboard's left and right arrows. This small software is especially useful to "traveling" musicians and is available as a freeware for Mac OS 8, 9 and 10.