TC Electronic announces that the LM5 Loudness Radar Meter plug-in for ProTools|HD is now shipping. LM5 derives statistical information from the ITU-R BS.1770 standard to visualize instant loudness and loudness history, thereby helping engineers to realize the dynamic range at their disposal during production, and to predict the dynamic range restriction needed during distribution to various platforms. LM5 is suitable for use in broadcast, post production, film and music alike.

In the radar view, LM5 displays real-time loudness (LU or LFS) and true-peak level along with loudness history. The angular, color-coded display makes it easy for an editor to balance audio visually, and to see when level falls below or exceeds the end-listener's dynamic range tolerance. The true-peak level display even warns the operator when excessive peaks are at the risk of creating distortion in downstream equipment such as data reduction codecs or DA converters. LM5 enables easy and predictable level management across distribution and broadcast platforms with or without the use of metadata. In either case, the meter can help improve speech intelligibility and reduce level jumps on all platforms from MobileTV to HDTV using AAC or Dolby AC3.

LM5 is available now at a suggested retail price of €999.

Today Audio Damage releases a new multi-tap delay plug-in : Ricochet. Featuring a 16-step grid for programming tap time, Ricochet is right at home in modern electronic music production, designed specifically for that context, and is much quicker to program than the run-of-the-mill multi-tap.

Features :

- Five independently controllable taps with individual multi-mode filter, panning, level, sync, mute, solo, and time.
- Unique dual-filter model for overall tone control.
- Two feedback modes (master and tap).
- A specially designed chorus that affects only the taps, for feedback smearing effects.
- Tempo-sync or free time operation per tap and overall.
- Full MIDI learn for CC control of every parameter (VST only)

Ricochet is available now for Mac OS X and Windows in VST and AU formats for a fee of $49.

Grooveboxmusic.com has just released a new video tutorials series called "Music Production with Logic 8". Presented by Apple Certified Logic Trainer and Logic virtuoso Doug Zangar, you'll get a behind the scenes look at how a true Logic master builds a song from the ground up in Logic 8. Many new Logic 8 features and functions, keyboard shortcuts as well as customization tips and tricks are revealed in this new Logic 8 video series.

Over 2.5 hours of tutorials from the collection are available immediately and many more will come every 2 weeks until the collection is finished. You can view all the tutorials in the growing collection as many times as you like, right now with a monthly subscription of $14.99.

Schaack Audio Technologies has just released Transient Shaper v1.0 which is a dynamics plug-in that allows "shaping" of the Attack and Release phases of the sound with 2 knobs only. The effect ranges from gate-like to compressor-like. Transient Shaper is aimed to be used with percussion, but can also be used to process individual channels or loops.

Features :

- Makes your sound louder, gives it more expressiveness and more punch.
- Ideal for individual or summed drums/percussions shaping.
- Unique two-knob manipulation characteristics, not obtainable with any other type of gear.
- Gate replacement (sounds smoother than a gate).
- Processed sound ranges from gate-like to compression-like.
- Resizable GUI (minimized by clicking in top left corner).
- Low CPU Usage (typically less than 1% on half-decent systems).

Transient Shaper is available now as a VST plug-in for Windows and costs €49 (+VAT). Apple OS X AudioUnit version will be available before the end of February. Note that audio samples and a demo version are available at :

[CodeOperator] has just released PlugAdmin Pro for Mac OS X. PlugAdmin Pro now makes administration of many different types of plug-ins possible, including audio, graphics and operating system plugins.

The number of plugins installed on computers is increasing rapidly. It occurs often that a plugin runs smoothly with one host software, but causes problems with another host software. PlugAdmin Pro enables you to administrate all plugins that are installed on your computer (e.g. activate/deactivate). The new Pro version also offers you features such as creating plugin groups and backup your plugins for data security. PlugAdmin Pro now supports the management of audio plugins as well as Adobe Photoshop plugins, Illustrator Plugins and InDesign plugins. OS plugins such as Input Manager and ...