Rax turns your Mac into a virtual rig for live performance, slaving instruments and effects from another app or offloading DSP to a second computer. With its streamlined UI, this is the easiest way to play AudioUnit instruments and process live audio through your AudioUnit effects. This new version 1.2 allows you to assign MIDI ports to particular Rax modules for finer control over your AudioUnits and also includes bug fixes.

Download Rax from the MM Softs section.

M-Audio unveils the O2, an ultra-thin and compact USB MIDI controller. It follows in the footsteps of the Oxygen8 keyboard controller. M-Audio O2 features 25 full-size, half-action, velocity-sensitive keys, along with eight MIDI-assignable knobs, eight MIDI-assignable buttons, and assignable volume slider. A sustain pedal input is also provided.

The M-Audio O2 costs $179.95.

SV-315 Compressor and SV-517 EQ by Sonalksis are going to version 1.24 because they conform to Apple's new 'AUValidator' test suite. These plugins should work with new Apple Logic 7.

Demo available from the MM Softs section.

FabFilter has announced an update to version 3.0.1 for its Mac OS X Audio Unit version FabFilter One. This new version features : improved Audio Units support for compatibility with new Logic Pro 7, and synthesizer now uses the correct parameter type for its indexed parameters.

Info and download from FabFilter web site.

LinPlug has announced an update for Alpha to version 2.2.1 and for daOrgan to version 2.1.1. Alpha 2.2.1 is now compatible with Mac OSX 10.3.5 and daOrgan 2.1.1 is also now compatible with Mac OSX 10.3.5. and features an improved Expression Pedal response.

Info on the LinPlug web site.