Blue Microphones is now shipping the Snowball USB Microphone, designed for desktop recording applications such as podcasting. The new Snowball USB features : USB connectivity, dual capsule design with 3 position switch (cardioid, cardioid pad, omni), capable of handling a wide variety of instruments and vocals, rugged ABS construction.

The Snowball retails for $155.

At the AES SoundToys (formerly Wave Mechanics) is announcing the new SoundToys TDM Effects Bundle for ProTools TDM on Mac OSX. The new comprehensive effects bundle includes nine effects plug-ins for professional audio, sound design, post production, and audio for gaming : EchoBoy, SoundBlender, FilterFreak, PhaseMistress, PurePitch, PitchDoctor, Tremolator, SPEED and Crystallizer.

SoundToys TDM Effects Bundle will be available in early Q4 2005 for $1,195.00.

Cakewalk has announced Dimension Pro, a new Mac virtual a synthesizer that combines real instruments with advanced synthesis. It offers an abundance of sounds that range from pristine realistic acoustic instruments, thumping basses, cutting leads, to complex, evolving atmospheres, along with sound-sculpting engine with analog sound generation.

It will be available in VST, DX and AU plug-in formats from early November 2005 at $359.

Cycling '74 announced the development of UpMix, a surround processing and mixing software package. UpMix has been developed and tested by a team of surround sound professionals and utilizes proprietary algorithms to convert stereo audio into an immersive 6-channel mix suitable for Film, DVD, HD Broadcast and Music surround formats.

UpMix will be available in first quarter 2006.

At AES, Mackie has introduced the new Onyx 1200F, a 30-by-34 channel, 24-bit/192kHz-capable FireWire audio/MIDI interface that features 12 of Mackie Onyx preamps, on-board DSP matrix mixing, an advanced monitoring/headphone control section with four user-assignable headphone outputs, two stereo control room outputs, built-in talkback mic input, and remote switching capability. The rear panel will include 12 combo mic/line inputs, balanced TRS sends and returns for the first two mic inputs, eight balanced line outputs, dual stereo control room outputs, Word Clock I/O, 2 x 2 MIDI I/O, dual ADAT I/O, SPDIF I/O, AES/EBU I/O, and two FireWire ports.

The Onyx 1200F will be available in 2006 at $1,999.00.