Cakewalk announces that a demo version of Rapture, its new wavetable synthesizer designed to produce pop, dance and electronic sounds, is now available. Rapture combines an advanced modulation system with an non-aliasing wavetable resampling engine. It features 40 Envelope Generators, LFOs, and Step Generators per patch, and comes with more than 500 programs including Basses, Leads, Pads, Arpeggios, Textures, Electronic Percussion and Sequences.

This demo version has some limitations (mute, ...) and is avalable on the Cakewalk web site.

Steinberg has updated its Nuendo to version 3.2.1. This release features : new option "process all" in the Detect Silence dialog allows processing of all selected events in a project in one go with the detect silence functionality, and on the Yamaha 02R96, the User Defined Functions (UDF) are now implemented. Nuendo is a recording, editing and automated mixing tool for film score, post production, creating a musical masterpiece or surround sound design for a new video game, television show, or even a radio play.

Digidesign VENUEPack 2.0 is is now available. It's an updated version of the software bundle that is included with every VENUE live sound environment, and contains : Digidesign Impact, Reverb One, ReVibe, Smack!, Digidesign/Bomb Factory BF-3A, Pultec Bundle, Slightly Rude Compressor, Classic Compressors Bundle, Moogerfooger Bundle, Focusrite d2, Focusrite d3 and Troodon Technologies TrooTrace Audio Analysis Bundle. VENUEPack Pro 2.0 offers five additional plug-ins with the purchase of a D-Show Mix Engine DSP card : Digidesign/Bomb Factory JOEMEEK Bundle, Fairchild Bundle, Voce Bundle, Line 6 Amp Farm 3 and Line 6 Echo Farm.

From April 18, VENUEPack 2.0 will be included with all VENUE systems and with the D-Show 2.0 paid upgrade. VENUEPack Pro 2.0 will be included with each D-Show Mix Engine DSP Card purchased on or after April 18.

MsPinky's BinkyToy Application allows DJs to play digital audio files (.WAV, .AIFF, and .MP3) using the MsPinky vinyl records and standard DJ turntables. The physical location stamps on the vinyl are used by BinkyToy to cue up your file and play it just as if it were a track recorded on vinyl. BinkyToy has two waveform displays for each file in a session. The smaller of the waveform displays shows a condensed view of the whole file. The larger waveform display shows a zoomed-in view of the track which scrolls automatically as the track plays.

The current version of the BinkyToy is for Mac OS9 and OSX

For a limited time, Digidesign is offering a free Native Instruments AC BOX guitar combo plug-in—an $80 value—when you buy a Digi 002 Factory system. As an additional bonus, Native Instruments will let you upgrade to the full Guitar Rig 2 product for the special price of $399—more than 30% off the regular price.

This promotion is valid for customers who bought their Digi 002 Factory system on or after February 15, 2006, and will run through September 15, 2006.