Roland announces it is now shipping the much anticipated SP-404 Portable Power Sampler. Picking up where Roland popular SP-303 sampler left off, the new SP-404 is built on a foundation of more: more features, more voices, more pads, and more memory.The SP-404's onboard pattern sequencer allows up to 8,000 notes to be recorded. Up to 24 patterns, each 1–99 measures long, can be stored in the internal memory simultaneously. The the SP-404 also provides a Lo-Fi sampling mode. WAV and AIF files can be imported and exported via CompactFlash card.

McDSP will launch a new RTAS plugin bundle, the Project Studio bundle 1.0, which will contain five McDSP plugins : Revolver LE, FilterBank LE, CompressorBank LE, Chrome Tone LE and Synthesizer One LE. This pack will come with a pre-programmed McDSP Green iLok.

ProjectStudio bundle will be available in November for $495. Owner of two or more plugins included can upgrade for $195.

Luxonix announces the release of its new virtual sound workstation software, Purity. It will be available in October and will feature : GM (General MIDI) Compatible, 16-part Multi-instrument, integrated Pattern Sequencer, Super-fast Preset Browser, over 1000 Factory Sound Presets, integrated mixer, 2 Stereo Send-Return Effect Buses, Chorus/Reverb, 24 types of Insert Effect and VST/AU plug-in interface.

Purity will be available as standalone application, and as ASIO and CoreAudio versions.

According to Apple, Soundtrack Pro is not only an update to its audio software Soundtrack, but "a new way of working with digital audio". So MacMusic is very proud to publish a review of Apple's Soundtrack Pro, written by our friend Jay Shaeffer from Macaudioguy.com