Avid Technology will aquire Pinnacle in a cash and stock transaction deal valued at $462 million or a 30% premium over Pinnacle's closing stock price of $4.97. Avid said that Pinnacle's professional products will enhance its end-to-end broadcast production pipeline and that the company's consumer video business will form the basis for a new consumer video division. "We see this acquisition as the next logical step in our long-term strategy. Just as our acquisition of M-Audio in 2004 brought us into the consumer audio business, by acquiring Pinnacle's consumer video business, Avid will be able to tap into the next generation of video editors while they are still learning their craft."

Audio Ease has updated Altiverb to v4.2.7. Altiverb is a sampled acoustics processor that offers realistic one, two and four channel sampled acoustics of real halls, cathedrals, bathrooms — and virtually any acoustic environment. This new releases features : fixed problem with loading Altiverb 3 settings in all hosts, HTDM version fixes a problem with plug-in shuffling, bypass is automatable in HTDM and RTAS version, and HTDM and RTAS improvements according to latest Digidesign specifications.

Natives instruments has updated Vokator to version 1.1.1. Vokator defines a new standard for vocoding transparency, detail, and smoothness. In addition to an exceptional vocoder, it boasts a sophisticated synthesizer and a granular sampler. This new 1.1.1 release feature : supports MIDI FX, now works as an effect in DP 4.5 and Logic Pro 7 (in AU version), MIDI node fix in RTAS version and enhancements for all platforms.

Novation are announces the release of the eagerly-awaited Bass-Station 1.4, an improved and updated version of the original classic software synthesizer (emulation of the Bass-Station Keyboard / Rack). This brand new release includes numerous bug fixes, enhanced compatibility and simplified registration.

DiskDriver by Visual Steel is a webware application that allows you to share high quality MP3 songs and tracks you develop with the World easily. A light and free version, DiskDriver Mini, is also available.

Info and download in the MacMusic softwares section.