Apple rounded out today's NAMM announcements with a peek into what's next from Apple's music software. The "next generation" of Logic so far sounds a lot like this version of Logic, but with enhanced support for Apple Loops, the looping technology built into Apple's Garage Band and Soundtrack software which the company is pushing as a "powerful open-standard file format for real-time matching of audio loops and sound effects." Let's hope Apple promotes this "open-standard" approach; it'd be great to see Apple Loops in MOTU Digital Performer or even Ableton Live.

Most of what Apple's revealing about the next Logic is in the form of new software synths and effects: Sculpture, a new component-modeling based synth for physical modeling of instruments with extensive modeling and resonant bod ...

The latest release of Apple's loop-based video scoring software adds MTC/MIDI beat clock sync, user customizable effect presets, improved support for large audio files, document compression, and enhancements to media manager and timeline. (It's unclear, incidentally, whether any of those options are available in Apple's latest, Garage Band.) A serial number is required to download the update (below).

The new HHB Portadrive by is now available, coinciding with the Winter NAMM 2004 show. The Portadrive records over four hours of uncompressed eight-channel 24-bit/96kHz or over twenty hours of four-channel 24-bit/48khz audio onto a resilient and removable 40GB hard disk. The recorder includes eight line inputs, four line outputs, eight channels of digital I/O and six high gain, very low noise XLR microphone inputs. All mic inputs feature individual phantom powering

The HBB Portadrive is being shipped by distributor Sennheiser Electronics Corporation.

Ergonis software announces that his MIDI sequencer software easy beat will become available for Mac OS X. Easy Beat features up to 16 tracks plus a metronome track, 128 instruments plus 9 drum kits,multiple views, score printing and export of QuickTime movies and AIFF files.

The public beta version of Easy Beat 2.0 for Mac OS X can be downloaded here :

This is a smaller update that enhances operation within Digital Performer (problems with controlling knobs and sliders in BATTERY are solved). Plus it includes some smaller optimizations for all Mac OS X users.

Known issues:
- Loading a kit in RTAS/OSX: After choosing a new kit in the open dialog the kit cannot be openend by means of the open button, without prior selection of a sample folder. Opening kits using double click works, though.
- No manual value entry: Under RTAS OSX it is not possible to enter values for controls manually.
- Crash while load: BATTERY is likely to crash if you close the plugin battery window while BATTERY is loading a kit.
- No "umlauts" supported: The OSX version of BATTERY will not support the loading of kits that contain umlauts or special charact ...