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).

Native Instruments announces that Kontakt is updated to version 2.0.1. This release features convolution and database improvements, adds support for Giga 3, Kurzweil K2x00, and Ensoniq ASR-10/EPS formats, import command now supports disk images in .IMG, .ISO, .NRG, and .DMG. formats, and adds several improvements and bug fixes.