M-Audio announces the ProKeys Sono 61 and the ProKeys Sono 88 which are respectively a 61-Key / 88-Key Portable Digital Piano with Audio Interface.

Features :

- 61-key / 88-Key portable digital piano with 2 x 2 USB audio interface
- semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keys
- 5 / 7 built-in sounds > instant access to piano, clav, organ and more
- line and microphone inputs > record vocals and instruments
- includes on-board General MIDI sound set > 128 total sounds plus drum kits and sound effects

Pricing :
ProKeys Sono 61 > $449.95
ProKeys Sono 88 > $549.95

Solid State Logic has also announced the release of MadiXtreme, a new family of multichannel PCIe audio cards for Mac and PC. Featuring "SSL's revolutionary" PCIe-Core Audio Pipeline technology, MadiXtreme is one of the first audio devices to take full advantage of the high speeds and incredible bandwidth offered by the PCIe bus on modern computers. There are two versions available; the single head MadiXtreme 64 and the dual head MadiXtreme 128.

MadiXtreme 64 features one optical MADI connector for 64 simultaneous I/Os while MadiXtreme 128 features two optical MADI Connector for up to 128 simultaneous I/Os. Both of them also features a word clock connector.

Compatible Mac OS X (10.4 or later) and Windows (XP or Vista 32 Bit), MadiXtreme will be available worldwide through selected SSL Resellers from May 2008.

Pricing:
MadiXtreme 64 ; MSRP of £449+ Local Tax.
MadiXtreme 128 ; MSRP of £669+ Local Tax.

SM Pro Audio demonstrates three new products at the MusikMesse, the V-Box, V-Rack, and V-Pedal which are stand-alone VST plug-in compatible hardware units .

Based around the recently developed 'Powered by VFX' hardware platform, VST and VSTi plug-ins can be loaded directly into the V-Box, V-Pedal, or V-Rack which all offer VST/VSTi plug-in compatibility in stand-alone hardware units without the need for a standard PC/Mac computer.

V-Box
The V-Box is a compact VST/VSTi hardware playback module built for performance keyboard players and DJ's. It allows you to take your plug-ins on the road or into the studio and access them live without a computer. Multiple plug-ins can be pre-loaded into bank/preset memories for immediate access. You can combine VST and VSTi plug-ins into chai ...

Ambrosia Software, Inc. has announced the release of WireTap Studio 1.0.5. This updated version, which is free to all registered users of WireTap Studio 1.0.x, provides custom genre tag support, improved iPhone export support, along with many other fixes and enhancements.

Changes / Enhancements :

- Switched to ID3v2 tags, custom genres now supported
- WAVE and AIFF files can now be up to 4GB in length
- Added 24kHz, 64kHz, and 192kHz support to AIFF and AIFC
- Various other fixes and enhancements

This updated version, which is free to all registered users of WireTap Studio 1.0.x, may be downloaded at :

Celemony introduces Direct Note Access for Melodyne at the Frankfurt Musikmesse, heralding a whole new age in audio editing. With Direct Note Access it is possible for the first time to edit individual notes within polyphonic audio material. Possible applications range from the simple correction of errors to the complete refashioning of harmonies and timing.

With Direct Note Access, polyphonic audio material is 'exploded' in the Melodyne Editor's display, so that the user can see the individual notes of a chord displayed at their various pitches and edit them individually using the familiar Melodyne tools. As parameters, you therefore have access to the pitch, position in time and duration of each note as well as its vibrato, pitch drift and formant spectrum – you can also change the volume and even the internal evolution of each note.

The first product to feature the revolutionary Direct Note Access will be Melodyne plugin 2, which is due for release in late summer as a VST, AU and RTAS plug-in. The full version will cost 349 €/399 US$; the update from Version 1 will cost 129 €/129 US$. Customers purchasing Melodyne plugin after the 12th March 2008 will receive the update free of charge. The update will also be free of charge for the version of Melodyne plugin included with Melodyne studio provided the purchase was made after the 12th March 2008.