Yamaha unveils at NAMM two new USB mixing studios : NW10 and NW 12. These two portable recording solutions include bundled Steinberg Cubase LE and feature :

- MW 10 : 10 inputs (with four preamp Phantom power), 3-band EQ, mix master section includes Aux/Send/Return, stereo master, control room and hedphones outputs, Insert I/O on channels 1 and 2.

- MW 12 : same specifications but 12 inputs with six powered mic pramps, Insert I/O on channels 1-4, Stereo 2-track USB return with volurme control.

The MW10 ($249) and MW12 ($379) will available in February 2006.

Bias announced at Winter NAMM'06 that the Master Perfection Suite, a new ensemble of six professional audio processing plug-ins, will be shipping in March 2006 for AU,, RTAS, and VST host applications on Mac OS X. The suite includes: Repli-Q (spectral matching), PitchCraft (pitch correction/manipulation), Reveal (analysis), Sqweez-3 & -5 (multi-band dynamic processing), SuperFreq (parametric EQ), and GateEx (gate/expander).

The Master Perfection Suite - currently bundled with the Peak Pro XT Edition ($1199 US SRP) - will be available separately in March 2006 for $599 US, and $399 US for the academic edition.

TC-Helicon, inventors of VoicePro and many other respected vocal processors employing cutting-edge harmony technology, announced today the Harmony4 plug-in for Pro Tools|HD and TC's PowerCore platform. With TC-Helicon's Harmony4 plug-in, producers, engineers and songwriters can fatten existing harmony tracks, add new 1- to 4-part harmonies after the singer has left the studio. Harmony4 will be available March 2006 for PowerCore at EUR 599 and GBP 410 retail, and for Pro Tools|HD at EUR 799 and GBP 550 retail.

To follow up its ASB series, Creamware announced the B4000, which incarnate something looking a lot like some well know drawbar organ. Based on their B2003 software, this hardware incarnation of a B3 with leslie if needed (but everyone needs a Leslie!) has controls and drawbars by handfulls. Each parameters is here even the ones to help you incarnate your favorite sound as no B3 sound like another, even tone wheels long time use wear is adjustable. The best news is it's modeling throughout so the best that can be done digitally, and not only modeling, but virtual circuit modeling (it goes down to the caps and resistors).

While the words portable and affordable describe the K-Series USB-MIDI Studio Controllers, they by no means define them. Each model features solid, full-size keys, and a selection of four velocity curves. Available in 25, 49 and 61 key versions, their octave shift keys provide access to the full range of notes, and the key transpose function lets you reach them comfortably – or instantly match the range of another performer. Authentic baroque and classical temperaments add even more versatility.

The K25, K49, and K61 are graced with a variety of sophisticated controllers, including Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels, a joystick (used either as an X/Y joystick or as a USB mouse), two assignable switches that can be set to either momentary or toggle operation, an assignable slider, and an assignable foot switch input on the back panel.

Using the free editor software that comes with the K-Series, you can create and save custom controller assignments – or scenes – in an easy, visual manner. The new K-Series controllers even come with a free M1 Le software synthesizer. Prices and Availability TBA.