IK Multimedia and Digidesign are teaming up once again to equip musicians with SampleTank. Registered Digidesign SampleTank 1 SE users can now update to SampleTank 2 SE for Free. SampleTank 2 SE is a major upgrade to the version of SampleTank that was included in Digidesign systems at purchase. SampleTank 2 SE has many of the functionalities of the full version of SampleTank 2 with the following limitations: plays only the included sounds and cannot import samples.

Apple has updated iTunes to version 4.8. This new version includes new Music Store features and support for transferring contacts and calendars from your computer to your iPod (requires Mac OS X version 10.4 on your computer)

Sibelius announces that all of Sibelius Software's products have been tested on Apple's latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, and have been found to work without any serious problems. The applications Sibelius tested and found to have no problems include:

- Sibelius 3.1.x
- Kontakt Player Silver
- Kontakt Player Gold
- Sibelius 2.1.1
- G7 Kontakt Edition (v3.3)
- Sibelius Instruments
- Sibelius Compass
- Sibelius Notes
- Auralia

Note that if you have Adobe Reader 7 installed on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Sibelius Starclass may give an error message about QuickTime when it tries to play sounds. If you encounter this problem, we suggest you download and install Adobe Reader 6.

Finalemusic announces they recently discovered a change from beta version of Tiger that causes the fonts to not appear initially in Finale. So after updating to 10.4, if you notice that fonts in Finale do not appear, follow these steps:

- Go to Macintosh HD/Library/Caches
- Delete com.apple.ATS (user will be prompted for an admin password)
- Restart
- Empty Trash

The com file will be regenerated and properly updated, and Finale should be fine.

NUSofting has released Peti Harmonium-Accordion plug-in for Mac OS X. Peti uses hybrid FM synthesis technology to emulate the sounds of the Harmonium, and it is capable of emulating a wide variety of reed organ variations, as well as timbres which resemble instruments from accordions to pipe organs. It also emulates various features of the Harmonium, including the noise of air in the bellows and chambers, and a 'musette' tremolo feature.

Peti (VST and Audio Units) costs $46.90 and a demo version is available.