Avid Technology, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Midiman, Inc., doing business as M-Audio – a leading provider of digital audio and MIDI solutions for electronic musicians and audio professionals.  At closing, Avid will pay approximately $80 million in cash, issue approximately 2 million shares of Avid common stock, and assume all outstanding M-Audio stock options. Under the terms of the agreement, M-Audio will become a business unit of Avid's Digidesign audio division and market its line of computer audio peripherals, PCI sound cards, keyboard controllers and control surfaces, microphones, speakers, and distributed software and proprietary sound libraries alongside Digidesign's award-winning digital audio workstations for the professional and home/hobbyist markets.

For complete details visit Digidesign web site.

Raw has announced a new update (v.1.6.0.1) of its Audio-Midi sequencer Tracktion. this new version feaures : authorizes in the presence of Onyx Firewire card, and demo period is now unrestricted use for 2 weeks, after which periodic bursts of white noise are presented until properly registered.

Info and download on the MacMusic softwares section.

Submersible Music has released DrumCore, the company's software for creating drum tracks. DrumCore is targeted at producers, composers, and musicians who need drum parts in a multitude of styles. It consists of two (2) DVDs containing the DrumCore application and content (audio and MIDI) by renowned drummers. DrumCore provides a search engine for easily finding content; a MIDI drum module for playing the drummers' sounds via MIDI; ReWire and Core Audio support; and a way to easily export content to popular applications including ProTools, Logic, Digital Performer and Cubase/Nuendo.

DrumCore for the Macintosh is available immediately via the DrumCore website and selected dealers for $249.00, U.S. suggested retail price.

Faderfox has just released two control surfaces, micromodul LV1 and micromodul LX1, designed for use with Ableton Live software. The first one, LV1,is dedicated to work with sequences, and the second one, LX1, is dedicated to work with samples. You can connect two or more modules of these small sized surfaces to set up your desired configuration.

Info on the Faderfox web site.

Steinberg Gmbh has posted a new update of its virtual sampler HALion, for Mac OS X in VST and AudioUnit. This new version 3.0.1.512 (please note...) features : caching category of fxp files, HSB Content: added "Remove from HALion Content" right-click command and bugfixes.

Info and download from the MacMusic softwares section.