VirSyn has announced an update to version 1.5 for Canto. This release is a major upgrade incorporating a completely revised vocal synthesis engine. The new engine makes it now much easier to produce intelligible vocal lines.  This was achieved with an improved filter model and a new kind of rule based phoneme sequencer which adapts the phoneme transitions according to the context inside a word. 

E-LAB has announced that a demo version of Foundation is now available. Foundation is a loop based virtual instrument which features more than 3.7 Gb of samples, 3000 drum loops, 5000 drum samples, 8 tracks of simultaneous drum loop playback with an interactive groove system, MIDI CC Learn, and flexible editing functions for each individual drumloop track.

The full version in VSTi, AudioUnits & RTAS for MacOSX is scheduled to be released in January/February 2005.

Pinnacle has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Germany-based Steinberg audio software business to Yamaha Corporation. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed during Pinnacle's third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2005. As part of the transaction, Steinberg and Pinnacle will cross-license certain intellectual property on a royalty-free basis and Pinnacle will continue to distribute Steinberg's WaveLab Lite audio editing product with Pinnacle Studio Media Suite.

Rumours have been growing since Pascal Cagni - Apple vice president and Europe chairman - moved to London and today rumours have proved true : Apple Europe is about to leave Greater Paris to settle in the British capital. If we trust the various sites spreading rumours and the English press, Apple would have undertaken to rent for a period of 15 years the 2000 sqm of offices located just above the Regent Street Apple Store. Apple does not communicate on this subject but had given a very simple explanation for Mr Cagni's move to London, saying it was due to a surprising, according to me, "increase in power of the British market." Apple "Europe" in the country which hates Euro, it's funny !

For the next Apple Expo, I therefore suggest other countries whose markets are increasing in power : Andorra, Gibraltar, Guernesey, Jersey, Luxemburg, Madeira, Isle of Man and Monaco.

Done ! Digidesign has sold 150 ICON integrated console systems since the product began shipping on April 18, 2004. The 150th ICON system was sold to producer and engineer Nathaniel Kunkel. ICON is Digidesign's integrated console environment featuring the all-new D-Control tactile worksurface, Pro Tools|HD Accel as its core DSP engine, and modular Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces for analog and digital I/O.

For more information, visit Digidesign web site.