On October 13, MacMusic announced new features of Pro Tools 6.7 and now Digidesign announces upgrade fees :

- registered owners of Pro Tools|HD and HD Accel systems running Pro Tools TDM 6.4 or higher are eligible to receive Pro Tools TDM 6.7 update for free via web download on November 1st. Pro Tools TDM 6.7 Updater CDs will be available in November. Owners running Pro Tools software versions older than Pro Tools TDM 6.4 can purchase the Pro Tools TDM 6.7 upgrade for $175. Remember that PT TDM 6.7 is not compatible with Pro Tools|24 MIX systems.

- Pro Tools LE 6.7 is a free update for Pro Tools LE system owners who purchased PT systems on or after September 25 (available by update Request Form).Other owners can purchase the Pro Tools LE 6.7 upgrade for $75. Please note that PT 6.7 LE will not be available for download (CD only) and is not compatible with DIGI 001.

Apple introduced the iPod U2 Special Edition as part of a partnership between Apple, U2 and Universal Music Group. The new U2 iPod holds up to 5,000 songs and features a gorgeous black enclosure with a red Click Wheel and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures. the U2 iPod costs $349.

You can also watch the iPod U2 special event at the California Theatre in San Jose, CA, with Steve Jobs, Bono, and The Edge.

Cycling '74 announced the release of Soundflowerbed, a monitoring application for its popular free Soundflower audio routing utility for Mac OS X.Soundflower is a free system extension for Mac OS X 10.2 and 10.3 that allows users to route audio between Core Audio applications. Soundflowerbed resides in the OS X menu bar allowing the user to tap into Soundflower channels and route them to an audio output device. 

Soundflowerbed is available from Cycling '74 web site.

Cycling '74 and Octiv Inc announced Octirama, a Surround Dynamics Processor for Digidesign ProTools Systems. Octirama is the first full-featured, multi-band dynamics processor for 5.1 Surround Mastering for the Digidesign TDM environment. Octirama incorporates sophisticated four- and five-band processing for each of five channels plus sophisticated bass management for precise control of peaks and loudness.

Octirama will be available from Cycling '74 in fourth quarter 2004.

Apple launched a European Union version of its iTunes Music Store, giving music fans in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain the same innovative features and breakthrough price of euro 0.99 per song that have made iTunes the number one online music service in the world. The EU iTunes Music Store features over 700,000 songs from all four major music companies and more than 100 independent record labels.

Apple also updated its audio player iTunes to v4.7 wich features best syncs with iPod and iPhoto.