Blue Mic débuts the Kickball, a new dynamic spherical mic designed for low frequency applications. It can be used on any instrument: kick drum, snare drum, tom toms, electric bass, bass and more. We note that the Kickball is the world's second phantom-powered dynamic microphone.

The Kickball is shipping at $149.

Waves Art has updated their Power Suite bundle for Mac OS X to version 4.0.9. All plug-ins of this bundle (FinalPlug, MultiDynamics, TrackPlug, MasterVerb and WaveSurround) now fix VST problem stealing keyboard events from host and MultiDynamics AU output meter problem in Apple's Logic 7.

At NAMM, Spectrasonics has announced the release of an update to version 1.2 for Stylus RMX, its realtime groove-based virtual instrument plug-in. This version adds new features including three new professional quality effect modules (Radio delay, PRO-Verb, Spring Verb), as well as enhanced compatibility with major host applications (multiple Outputs in Apple Logic 7, multiple Outputs in Pro Tools v6.7) and various additional enhancements and improved performance.

Thise update is now available as a free download for all registered users.

Dave Smith after the infamous evolver and Poly evolver, release the announced Keyboard version. Spec wise it's the same as the rack version analogue/digital hybrid with wavetables, with a 61 keys keyboard and still the possibility to link it to 4 Evolvers for expandability.

Price TBA but under $2000

Korg's white elephant, Korg's see snake, in one word OASYS. This long long to come project, believed to be stored away due to the tremendous need of computing power needed. After years of development, it was supposed to be after having brought the OASYS card and induced the Z1 and Prophecy. Well, after more than 10 years, I don't even recall… Korg can release the OASYS synth. It's a synth workstation, a MIDI controller, an effect rack, but for now you don't see the real innovation into. It integrates into an underlined by LINUX platform: PCM, analogue modeling, tone wheel modeling (B3 anyone?), KARMA, sampling, vector synthesis (think Wavestation)… All in 24 bits, and if I remember rightly, it's not the full OASYS yet, there's expansions possible and it's not the end of it…

OASYS 76 keys $8000, OASYS 88 notes $8500 (oooch!)
More specs at Sweetwater.com