Guitar Combos by Native Instruments is a series of three charismatic amp emulations that combine studio-grade sound quality with maximum ease of use. The Guitar Combos series consists of the Twang Combo, the AC Box Combo and the Plexi Combo. The Twang Combo is modelled after the Fender Twin Reverb and delivers a wide range of clean and crunch tones suitable for Pop, Jazz, Blues and Country styles. The AC Box Combo is modelled after the Vox AC-30 and delivers a wide range of clean and crunch sounds that lend itself to Pop, Rock, and Alternative styles. The Plexi Combo is modelled after the Marshall JMP50 and delivers a wide range of crunch and overdrive sounds, which makes it the first choice for various flavors of Rock, Metal and Psychedelic.

Guitar Combos will be available in May 2005 for $79 for each combo. Furthermore, a bundle version with all three combos will be available for $199.

Apple has just updated its audio software Logic to version 7.1, which now features : full native plug-in delay compensation and over 70 new key commands. It provides greater facility for creating and managing Apple Loops and a convenient new method for re-ordering Channel Strip plug-in configurations. Logic Pro 7.1 further extends the creative options with 5 new plug-ins including a Bass Amp and two hybrid synthesizers. The update is rounded out by a host of optimizations and refinements that significantly improve the performance and stability of both Logic Pro and the included, updated version of Waveburner, and much more (Follow Tempo Option for Recorded Audio, Support for 9 additional Control Surfaces,...).

Logic Pro 7.1 is available to all Logic Pro users possessing an XSkey authorized for Logic Pro 7.0 and costs $19.95. ps : an update to v7.1 is available for Logic Express too

Synthetic Drums 2 is a huge new collection of drum and percussion sounds, created in cooperation with more than twenty of the world's most innovative electronic music producers and sound designers. The latest addition to the NI soundline range is loaded with 36 drum kits that offer material for all contemporary and upcoming styles of electronic music - including various flavours of techno and house,hiphop, R&B, ambient, two-step, drum&bass, tech funk, IDM, breakbeat, electro, industrial,electronica, big beat, downbeat, experimental and avantgarde.

All drum kits in Synthetic Drums 2 exist in Battery 2 and Kontakt formats, and will be soon available.

Native Instruments has announced that Electronic Instruments 2 XT is now available. Electronic Instruments 2 XT is the extended version of NI second Reaktor instrument collection. Each of the eight instruments in Electronic Instruments 2 XT can be run both standalone as well as in all major plugin formats. The eight instruments included in Electronic Instruments 2 XT are:

- Photone - hybrid master synthesizer
- Limelite - advanced beat composer
- Metaphysical Function - soundscape synthesizer
- Krypt - granular drum machine
- Akkord - sequenced chord generator
- Fast FX - advanced performance effects
- Resochord - programmable polyphonic resonator
- Cyan - extended vintage chorus

Electronic Instruments 2 XT is available now for $169 or €149.

Steinberg today announced the release of a new version of its standard ASIO protocol: ASIO 2.1. The latest version of the Audio Stream Input Output now offers support for the DSD format. Following from an intense technological cooperation with Sony, Steinberg has updated its ASIO protocol to support the Direct Stream Digital standard. ASIO 2.1 allows the transport of DSD format audio between audio applications and hardware that support the standard.