Here's a newcomer in the R-Series microphone line designed by Royer Labs, the R-122V, which is the first commercially produced vacuum tube ribbon microphone available.

This compact, monaural and bi-directional microphone has a flat frequency response and just like its predecessors his ability to withstand high SPL levels makes it well suited for applications that were previously considered off limits to ribbon microphones.
By incorporating vacuum tube electronics into the same transducer system used in the R-121 and R-122 ribbon microphones, the R-122V provides an output of -37dB, which is approximately 13dB hotter than an R-121.

The new R-122V Vacuum Tube Ribbon Microphone carries a suggested retail price of $2,995.00 and is available now.

Surge is now available as 1.2 Universal Binary version, in Audio Units and VST formats, and adds support for new Intel-based Macs. Surge is an hypbrid synth, which combines wavetable and analog-style oscillators with a highly innovative filter array and an abundance of effects.

Allen & Heath has released a new software suite comprising new firmware and Mac configuration utility software for its mixer/controller, the Xone:3D. The updates include an improved interface for Mac users and greater MIDI functionality. Key to the firmware release is the inclusion of a MIDI merge facility, which enables MIDI data from external devices to be combined with the MIDI data from the Xone:3D control surface and passed via USB to the software.

This new version - v1.10 - also includes :
- Full duplex MIDI
- MIDI Pass-Through
- Internal MIDI clock can now be switched OFF to allow external sync to pass through
- Improved tolerance to out-of-spec computer generated USB audio clocks
- Additional smoothing of auto BPM to MIDI clock generation
- Improved resolution on encoders and jog wheels

v1.10 is available as a free download but you will need to have your Xone:3D serial number to complete the process.

Access announces a software update for the Virus TI synthesizer. This new version is a Universal Binary build supporting PowerPC and Intel based Macintosh computers. It also improves the startup behaviour of the Virus Control plug-in, feels much snappier, fixes a couple of bugs which caused crackling with certain patches and lowers the CPU consumption when the plug-in window is open.

The free update requires Windows XP SP2 or MacOS 10.4 and is available now.

Modartt Just announced the launch of Pianoteq. It is a high-class virtual instrument using breakthrough technology, available for PC and Mac with any VST or AudioUnit host. Pianoteq is issued from academic research and results in what they call "the fourth piano generation". This is the very first, and only, piano available that belongs to this generation.

Feature Highlights :
- Responds in real time to pianist's interpretation
- Sounds and behaves just like a real piano
- Extraordinary playability and expressiveness
- Advanced tuning, voicing and soundboard adjustment
- Extremely small (8 MB) and fast loading