Platinum Samples has announced the release of its first BFD expansion pack featuring multi-platinum award producing recording engineers. The first engineer featured in the series is Andy Johns (The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, Goat's Head Soup, Led Zeppelin's II, III, IV, Physical Graffiti, etc...).
Available on 6 DVD's with unmatched detail, the Platinum Samples expansion pack has 4 installation options to best suit your needs with the 70GB SuperSize installation having as many 250 velocity levels, while the 30GB Small install option has a maximum of 20 velocity levels. The Classic Drums expansion pack includes over 250 MIDI Grooves and Fills and a QuickTime video featuring recording tips by Andy Johns. Note that over 190 additional MIDI Grooves and Fills, and more drum samples ...

Surround SFX has announced the availability of NE01: Twilight, the first in a series of specialized Model-/Sound-Sets for the Hartmann Neuron synthesizer.
NE01:Twilight focuses on dark sound-scapes and otherworldly textures for post-, soundtrack- and music-production, carefully sculpted using state-of-the-art tools. Wether you are looking for finished backdrops or raw material to create your own: Twilight delivers.

Features :

• 100 Sounds
• 50 stereo Models, 100 in total
• seamlessly looped where applicable
• multi-sampled where beneficial
• fully assigned realtime controls
• detailed documentation

NE01: Twilight is available for purchase as a DVD from the Surround SFX website at a retail price of 95.20 €.

Sonic Studio has announced the release of a new option for soundBlade, Sonic EQ native. Sonic EQ native is a proprietary implementation of equalizer that includes 12 different topologies, including multi-order parametrics, multi-order shelves, multi-order high/low pass, multi-order bandpass/bandstop, infinite notch, DC removal and de-emphasis for both AES/EBU emphasis and RIAA pre-emphasis.

Sonic EQ native is available now for $495.

Rupert Neve Designs announces the launch of the Portico 5014 Stereo Field Editor, an all new approach to stereo that redefines the boundaries and limitations of traditional 2 channel recording and playback. For mix, mastering and live sound engineers, the Portico 5014 allows users to control stereo ambience with its width adjustment, position images forward or backward in the stereo field with its depth control and provides the ability to further manipulate source material with its difference channel eq and insert.

For more information, please visit their web site.

Spectrasonics has released a free support update for Stylus RMX - Realtime Groove Module on the Intel-Mac platform. The new version 1.6.0 supports all Mac OS X Universal Binary VST, Audio Unit and RTAS hosts, including Logic Pro 7.2, Digital Performer 5.1, Cubase 4, Garageband 3, Ableton Live 6 and Pro Tools 7.1.1 or higher.

Note that Universal Binary versions of Spectrasonics' other two virtual instruments, Atmosphere and Trilogy, are scheduled to be released later this year (Fall).