Sweet summer: warm weather, lazy days filled with electronic music, beach parties and dancing, and the chance to hunt down MacMusic's English editor in person to find out why he hasn't updated the news. Yes, that's right, summer is the chance for the MacMusic community here in the U.S. to meet up face-to-face. Coming up: Appearances at Macworld Boston, MacMusic New York, an East Coast Tour and a call for ideas for a MacMusic World Tour. Check it out:

Propellerhead Software is offering the ElectroMecanical ReFill CD bundled free with Reason 2.5 now. The ReFill contains Rhodes pianos, Wurlitzer pianos, a Hammond Model A organ, a Hohner Clavinet and a Hohner Planet for the NN-XT sampler. These are really high-quality samples, some of the better I have heard in this writer's opinion. The Refill contains variations on each of the instrument samples from slight adjustment to the extreme using the NN-XT parameters, as well as expected details like Leslie control via the mod wheel. Also, a number of demo songs and "cut-and-paste" setups are included in the Refill to get you started right away. For those users who already own Reason 2.5, the Props haven't forgot about you: the ReFill is available as a free download for registered users.

IPod owners, like Mac users, are obsessive about the little things: those fun accessories that make ownership just perfect. How else can you explain a party for iSkin, the form-fitting iPod case? Yes, that's right: New York Wednesday evening will be post to a swanky party celebrating (no joke) a case. The party at Fifth Avenue computer store DataVision will include numerous giveaways plus live music, and is followed by an invite-only after-party at P. Diddy's eatery/club Justins. Everyone from Urban Outfitters to Phat Farm's stable of airbrush artists are getting in on the action.

Can't go? Our friends at iPodLounge have a live video stream, and stay tuned to MacMusic for our own exclusive coverage. If you do go, look for MacMusic's English editor-in-chief, yours truly, as well as Macboy, creator of Mew & Zach, representing the MacMusic New York Beat. Ed: Sorry about those capitalized IPods; that is a bug in our page rendering engine. Darn you, Apple, with your lowercase letters! -PK

Ed: I try to post as few verbatim press releases as possible, but when a brilliant developer talks about his handiwork, I'll make an exception. -PK

U-he Zebra 1.5 is a major upgrade to its predecessor, Zebra AU. With version 1.5, Zebra has become a wireless modular synthesizer, offering vast possibilities to create sounds ranging from warm pads, phat basses, striking leads up to complex and wild movements that have been unheard of. Its innovative drag and drop circuit design interface makes it easy to build a countless range of different synthesizer layouts.

21 audio modules, i.e. 4 oscillators, 4 filters with 18 different filter types, 4 vca/pans and much more for each (!) voice and 3 built in effects (delay, reverb, chorus/flanger/phaser) offer great sonical resources. 19 modulation sources (including a pair of 16-step envelopes/step sequencers) that can modulate almost every parameter (out of more than 300) provide for huge means of expression and depth.