IK Multimedia and Sonic Reality have announced the acquisition of the Miroslav Orchestral Sample Library, and unveil a first product based on this acquisition, the Miroslav Philharmonik, an integrated Orchestral Workstation plug-in. Miroslav Philharmonik will contain Miroslav Orchestral and Choir sample collection, and 16 part multi-timbral sample-based orchestral workstation plugin.

IK Miroslav Philharmonik will be available from Spring 2005 for 499 euros.

Focusrite launches 3 new products: Platinum Pro, Platinum OctoPre LE DAW and the Sapphire FW interface. The Platinum Pro is a preamp/compressor, the less expensive recording channel they sell. The pre comes from the Green range, there's a DI, an optical comp, EQ, latency free monitoring and optional ADC 24/96 digital out. Price is $299, ADC is $199, shipping in january so…

The Platinum OctoPre LE DAW and Digital Console Interface, as the name suggest, it's 8 preamps including 2 "Super Channels" which includes DI and impedance matching all at 0.003% THD, 110 dB A dynamics. It feature also a peak-reading meter similar to the ones on the Red range, switchable to the channel you want to monitor. The optional A/D-D/A card in adat lightpipe use wordclock with a X256 clock for Protools addicts. available in January (it's an habit) for $499, Digital I/O option for 199$

The Sapphire is a fireWire interface designed by the guys behind the Liquid Channel. It's a DSP peripheral, with ultra low latency, 24/192 conversion, 4 ins: 2 preamps and S/PDIF, 8 balanced outs for monitoring/headphones or 7.1 surround. Why a DSP then? because there's a plug-in suite: compression, EQ, amp modeling and monitor path reverb available on analogue inputs, for recording wet and or monitoring. Bundled is also a software to record up to 5 stereo mixes of incoming and recorded tracks. The plug-ins are available also in your favorite DAW. And… you have a MIDI I/O on top. Price and availability TBA.

IK Multimedia has announced AmpliTube 2.0, a fully redesigned version of this amp simulator. AmpliTube 2.0 now offers more than 20,000 amp combinations with more exclusive separate Pre-Amp, EQ, Power Amp and Cabinet models. Amplitube 2.0 also features 30 effects, different real microphone placement options for the 6 new microphone models, and two completely customizable 6-stompbox pedal-boards.

AmpliTube 2 will be available from Spring 2005 for 399 euros.

VoicePro is the new head of the bunch voice processing from TC Helicon, It's a 2U rack with analogue balanced/unbalanced XLR (24/96 converters, 44, 48, 88 and 96 internal, 24 bits Dual bit delta sigma sampling at 6.1 MHz) and digital In/Outs (2 In/8 Out AES/EBU). Effects/treatments are Hybrid Shifting, Flextime, VoiceModeling, 4-part harmony, 4-band EQ (2), Compressor (2), De-esser (2), Reverb, Delay, µMod, Transducer, Multi-path mixer. External control is done by MIDI or Ethernet. The unit has also a large color display, which given the $3495 pricetag is not a luxury. Also, the internal treatment time is of 1.54 ms...

IK Multimedia has announced a version 2.1 for SampleTank, which now features a new enhanced STRETCH engine. Stretch is the "Sampletank Time REsynthesis TeCHnology" designed for Pitch-Shift/Time-Stretch, that gives more sonic control over the tempo, pitch, harmonics of both pitched and non-pitched sounds, with an improved sample analyzing system. This new version also features : separate outputs extended to 16 stereo outputs or 32 mono outputs, drag and drop management of Expansion Tank library, stand-alone operation now available, updated collection of sounds on 2 DVDs, and more.

SampleTank 2.1 will be available from Spring 2005.