Dave Smith and Roger Linn have announced at Winter NAMM 2007 the BoomChik, their new rhythm machine project.

Since, no news.

Till today :
the "BoomChik" name has been discarded. Instead, there will be two models : the digital LinnDrum II and the LinnDrum II Analog, which adds a 4-voice analog synth and 27 dual-function voicing knobs.
The LinnDrum II will be available from Roger Linn Design and the LinnDrum II Analog will be available from Dave Smith Instruments.

Both are supposed to be shipping by mid-2008.

VirSyn, creator of Poseidon, Cube, Cantor, Tera and others, continues its series of plugs with Matrix, a vocoder featuring precise analog modelling 8-pole filters and extremely fast envelope followers.

Here are some of the Matrix features:

-32 channel filter bank
-stereophonic synthesis
-voiced/unvoiced detection
-Pitch tracking
-Formant shift
-Pause filling
-Channel matrix
- Pan position and level for each channel
-16 internal oscillators
-Easy user interface.

The plug is compatible Mac/PC (AU, VST2.4 and RTAS) and is protected by Syncrosoft copy protection device. A demo is available (needs Syncrosoft key).
Till January 31st, 2008, VirSyn offers a special introductory price, at 129 euros instead of 199.

We've published a new review in our article section : "EZDrummer, virtual drumming made easy"

As says Babaille, our reviewer : "This plug is one of the easiest to use and it offers an excellent sound quality. Kits are well detailed, complete and original, even if it's a bit annoying to wait for long seconds while they are loading.

It's power relies in its simplicity, its ergonomy, in the sound quality and versatility of the drum kits, in its expansion abilities and the possibility to use its MIDI patterns as starting points in our favorite sequencer."

GenoQs Machines has released the Octopus BlackSea, a special edition of their high end Midi Control Sequencer. This version also brings the brand new OS 1.40.

Pre-installed on all BlackSea, and of course installable on all Octopus machines, OS 1.40 adds several features with focus on live play.

Some of the new features :

- Step Length multiplier, to have steps play up to 8 full notes at normal track speed
- Increased resolution of the MIDI CC stream, with CC messages sent in-between steps
- Page EDIT mode - a toy in itself
- Step selection stores, to quickly switch between groups of selected steps
- Step selection inverse editing - you just have to try this

Sonart Audio is a new company in the beautiful world of sample libraries. SONART team begins a new era of sample libraries with the release of 20 new magnificent collections of sounds.

Each library in a new series contains more than 1Gb of new material. Libraries contain samples, loops and new virtual instruments (Bass, Guitars, Pianos, Electro Pianos, Synths, Symphonic Strings, Drums) in all popular formats. Full size of all 20 libraries over 37 GB.

All libraries are available for immediate purchase and download only from Sonart Audio web site. The price of each library is $ 39.95.