Originally debuted at Frankfort Musik Messe Native Instruments have just announced the world wide release of a range of new software instruments emulating the sounds of three classic keyboards. Sold individually or as a package the new series reproduces the classic sounds of B4 tone wheel organ, the infamous PRO-53 and the poptastic FM7. Aimed more or less squarely at the entry level home user each instrument comes with a versatile selection of presets with the limited control over the most useful parameters.

Available for download the individual instruments are 39 euros with the package of all three being a somewhat better deal at 79 euros.

Rax by Granted Software allows you to create your ideal rack of AudioUnit synthesizers and effects all of which can be controlled by a MIDI keyboard. Rax is the easiest way to play AudioUnit instruments and process live audio through your AudioUnit effects. Rax can also handle a live audio feed allowing you to connect a microphone or guitar input. And you can easily record your performance with one click.

Rax 1.0 is a shareware for Mac OS X.

The last Apple iTunes update, v 4.5, already added some new functions : printing CD covers, automatically converting WMA to AAC, Apple Lossless or new audio files browsing. The new version of Tunes, v 4.6 includes support for playing your music wirelessly using AirPort Express with AirTunes. It also includes a number of other minor enhancements.

iTunes 4.6 is available via "software update" on Mac OS X prefs panel.

Just a week after the release of Core Audio driver 6.5, Digidesign just posted a new 6.5.1 version of its multi client driver. Unfortunately the 6.5 version was not the good one, and a lot of users reported bugs. The new version fixes some bugs, in particular with audio routing in Logic.

The Digidesign Core Audio Driver 6.5.1 is a free (fortunately...) download.

SEQ541 is a MIDI pattern sequencer for OS X. The program is extremely flexible, all it requires is that you have an external MIDI device generating a clock and it will output notes in time to a pattern sequence you specify. Why is SEQ541 for you?

The author: "I wrote this program because I wanted a way to control my Roland SH-32 synthesizer (which does not have a built-in sequencer) in time with a Korg ER-1 Rhythm synthesizer (which does have a built-in sequencer). It works pretty damn well for this purpose, especially live, where I would rather be playing pre-programmed melodies and basslines and tweak the knobs in real-time."

If you have a MIDI synth with a built-in sequencer, you can use SEQ541 to visually edit sequences for the device, then play then back into the device while it's recording. If you're a software synth person, SEQ541 works really well for controlling software synths like Native Instruments Absynth or Waldorf A-1 in time with your external MIDI hardware.