VirtuosoWork announces the upcoming release of version 1.5 of Notion. This music composition and performance software combines a full-featured music notation system with interpretive algorithms linked to a proprietary playback engine that offers samples of thousands of individual notes and articulations played by the London Symphony Orchestra and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Notion 1.5 includes MIDI entry, Music XML import, and NotionPlayer conducting tools. NotionPlayer allows the user to "conduct" the software to accompany live performers, making NOTION a versatile and practical live performance system.

Notion 1.5 will be available in February 2006 for $599 or $399 for the academic version.

Muse Research has announced that its UniWire audio and MIDI networking technology is now available to the public in beta form. The company is showing its UniWire technology in booth 1109 at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, and expects the final VST version to be released in February. The company's UniWire technology allows you to connect your Receptor hardware plug-in player directly to your laptop or desktop computer using only a single Ethernet cable, and get complete integration of MIDI, audio, and remote control data to and from the Receptor. In doing so, UniWire allows you to run your plug-ins on Receptor but control them as if they were running inside your host computer. UniWire is a free upgrade to all Receptor customers, and is compatible with most VST hosts on either the Mac or PC.

Source Elements announces a further broadening of its product lineup by releasing a lower cost version of Source-Connect while at the same time enhancing the capabilities of the newly released Source-Connect Pro 2.5. The Source-Connect family of products continues to be the Pro Tools connectivity toolset of choice, enabling real-time, high-quality, low cost connectivity options such as DSL, cable or T-1 lines. Current Source-Connect Pro users include hundreds of the top studios around the world.

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.