Digidesign announces SoundFuel SOLID, a synthesizer plug-in for Pro Tools|HD systems, developed by SoundFuel in collaboration with Digidesign. This plug-in recreates the warm and analog sounds of '70s and '80s synthesizers while also offering modern patches that are perfect for dance or electronica. Solid is currently supported by Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems running Pro Tools 6.7.

SoundFuel Solid costs $495.

Nomad Factory (with Tascam) has released Essential Studio Suite plugin bundle, which features processing using a double floating point, with up to 192kHz sample rates supported. The bundle includes Multiband Compressor, Essential Channel, Essential Graphic EQ, Essential Compressor, Essential Noise Gate, Multiband Loudness Maximizer, Loudness Maximizer, Tube/Tape Warmer, and Retro-Vox.

Essential Studio Suite (Audio Units, VST, RTAS, HTDM) costs $399.

Just checked for a version for a friend, tried the update preferences and… bingo, a small security update of 1.1 MB. Right now I don't have details on what it does exactly.

EDIT: it's for iSync.

At NAB, Apple's senior director of audio and video marketing Frank Casanova presented the new iChat AV version 3. Wiredmetro reports that "Casanova called up a producer at one location, and a video editor at another. The middle "guest" wasn't a person at all. It was the output of Final Cut Pro 5. In this manner, the post house can now be seen anywhere - in fact, in more than one place at the same time. What this means is that the material being edited can be reviewed and commented on by people nowhere near the editing facility."

AudioEase updated (again...) its convolution reverb Altiverb to version 5.0.3, which features : error 5505 on install fixed, gain correction info in SDII and AV IR files now works, improved speaker placer mono/stereo configurationn, and CPU meter error fixed (in Audio Units version).