For over 30 years, Hidetomo Katsura and Rustle Laidma have combined their experience in programming. Their current project is an all-new rendition of Rustle Laidman's famous vintage instrument tuners, completely rewritten for Mac OS X. They announce 3 updates :

- VocalLab 2.0.3 (singing voice analysis) : added the octave up/down option and fixed the problem with MOTU 828mkII.
- LabMeter 5.0.2 (hands-free tuner) and WaveWindow 3.0.2 (oscilloscope) : fixed the problem with MOTU 828mkII.

A good opportunity to visit their web site

The Arpeggio Kit for Garage Band includes 300 MIDI Loops, 200 Software Instruments and 22 Garage Band Songs and offers a content expansion simulating a complexe arpeggiator. 300 MIDI Loops include arpeggios, chord grooves and step sequences. Files can be dragged directly from folder to Garage Band tracks. They can be used like as loops Software Instruments. 200 Software Instruments are prepared for using with MIDI Loops. They are mainly based on synth generators like Analog Pad, Analog Basic, Analog Swirl, Analog Mono, Digital Mono and Digital Poly. 22 Garage Band Songs show the way to work with MIDI Loops and Software Instruments using chord changes, transposings and modulations. Some Performance songs are combining several tracks with MIDI Loops and Software Instruments resulting an impressive hybrid sound.

Garage Band Arpeggio Kit costs 25 euros.

The RM IV by LinPlug is a flexible and easy-to-use drum machine that combines analog-style percussion synthesis with a fully featured, and intelligent percussion sampler. RM IV is available for Mac OSX (both VST and AU). This version features more than 2700 MIDI grooves, 100 new drum kits, output configuration can be changed on the fly with Live 4. RM IV is now compatible with Mac OSX 10.3.5.

This update costs $25 but anyone that purchased RM IV after August 1st will get it free.

Hercules announced the availability for end of september of Hercules DJ console Mac edition. This pack bundles the DJ console (a double mixing desk) by Hercules and a special version of Traktor DJ Studio.

This pack will cost 299.99 euros.

Rephrase by Leap Frog Audio is a phrase editing virtual instrument. Rephrase imports monophonic audio files and automatically splits them up into notes. Notes can be played back in-order, allowing changes to timing, pitch and volume of each note via MIDI. it also features modulation - vibrato and tremolo effects, a resonant filter and reverb.

Rephrase will cost $199 and the Mac version will ship early 2005.