Elysia is now shipping its Alpha compressor, a high-end product designed especially for mastering applications. The Alpha's design is based on discrete Class-A technology and features an integrated M/S matrix, sidechain and audio filters, mix stages for onboard parallel compression and soft-clip limiters for protecting A/D converters.

DUY has announced that the new versions of all its native plug-ins are compatible with Apple's Intel-based Mac computers.Compatibility for the TDM versions will follow before the end of 2006. The available plug-ins compatible with Intel-based Mac computers are the following:

* Magic Spectrum 2.0 for RTAS, Audio Units, MAS and VST.
* MagicEQ LE 2.0 for RTAS, Audio Units, MAS and VST.
* EverPack Bundle Multihost 3.0 for RTAS, Audio Units, MAS and VST.

Registered users of the native versions of Magic Spectrum and MagicEQ can download the new versions for free. Users of EverPack 2.5 (Multihost) are also entitled to a free upgrade. Upgrade pricing applies to users of previous versions of EverPack (there is no increase in price: they are set at the same value as the upgrades to version 2.5).

Please let me introduce you to Reactable, a research project from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. It's a translucent table with a camera and a projector underneath. The camera scans the positions of various blocks, which can be twisted and linked. Several simultaneous performers share complete control over the instrument by moving physical artefacts on the table surface and constructing different audio topologies in a kind of tangible modular synthesizer or graspable flow-controlled programming language... The sounds - as implemented - are quite "experimental" but the design of the hardware is just incredible ! Just have a look at their web site and let me know !

MODARTT has released two new add-ons for use with Pianoteq: a Conrad Graf (1826) and a Johann Schantz (1790), two pianoforte built in Vienna. They complement the two other pianoforte already available: a Donat Schöffstoss (1812) and a Johann Evangelist Schmidt (1790). These four pianoforte represent the important period of piano music around 1800, and are located in Kremsegg Schloss museum, Kremsmünster, Austria, and Handelhaus museum, Halle, Germany. These add-ons are offered for free for use with Pianoteq. They are created in the frame of the non profit cultural project KIViR (Keyboard Instrument Virtual Restoration) which concerns historic keyboard instruments museums.
On a long-term basis, MODARTT aims to build an important collection of digital copies of historic instruments from all parts of the world, serving as maintainable testimony of the past.

ReFuse Software has announced Lowender, a subharmonic synthesizer, reminiscent of classic analog dual-band bass enhancer circuits. While taking classic subharmonic generator circuitry as its core, the Lowender expands on the concept in several ways :

- First, it offers switchable frequency ranges, so that the low end frequencies generated can be selected to fit the program material. In addition to the "Classic" frequency range (generating subharmonics from 24-56 Hz), there are also ranges suitable for the lowest octaves of guitar and bass.

- Second, the generated subharmonics pass through a gate tailored for low frequencies, which is useful for cleaning up unwanted bass rumble (e.g. from between kick drum hits in a drum loop).

- Third, the Lowender passes the bass material thro ...