Digidesign has unveiled the third and newest member of its Digidesign 003 family : the 003 Rack+ Factory. Featuring 8 high-quality microphone preamps, the 003 Rack+ Factory is a powerful option for those needing additional mic inputs to handle more complex recording projects.

With 18 simultaneous channels of I/O, 003 boasts the most extensive array of analog and digital audio I/O ever available from a Pro Tools LE system. Topping the I/O list are eight studio-quality mic preamps, which each feature switchable 48V phantom power and 20 dB pads, high-quality analog high-pass filters, and front-panel trim controls. For instruments and line-level connections, it offers eight analog DI/line inputs and outputs, including one DI/line input on the front panel for quick and easy plug-and-play recording. Digital connections include eight channels of ADAT optical I/O and two channels of S/PDIF digital I/O, along with 16 channels of MIDI I/O.

Dedicated studio monitor outputs and alternate control room outputs allow for connecting two sets of speakers, and dual discrete headphone outputs are ideal for providing separate mixes for the artist and recording engineer. Also included are a host of professional features, including BNC Word Clock I/O and alternate source input for external device monitoring.

003 Rack+ Factory comes bundled with Pro Tools LE 7.4 software ; initial purchasers will be eligible to receive a free software upgrade to Pro Tools LE 8 when it becomes available. 003 Rack+ Factory also includes over 80 professional effects and virtual instrument plug-ins (valued at over $3,000), supports a wide variety of third-party plug-ins and software options, and allows for powerful expandability through Digidesign toolkit software options.

003 Rack+ Factory is available for pre-order, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,695. Digidesign has also reduced the price of the 003 Rack Factory to $1,495 (reflecting a $200 price drop). In addition, Digidesign offers a unique hardware exchange program, allowing legacy Pro Tools LE and select competitive product owners to trade in their hardware for a discount toward the purchase of a new 003 system; the program will be extended to include the new 003 Rack+ Factory as well.

Prosoniq and GenAudio have announced a strategic partnership to combine state-of-the-art technologies from both companies creating the next generation of "truly immersive multi-dimensional audio".

GenAudio's AstoundSound and AstoundStereo technologies, both of which are upcoming industry standards for processing tracks during or after mixing, respectively, deliver true 4-dimensional sound localization processing. Combining this unique 4D spatial audio software based processing with Prosoniq's sophisticated RayVerb software based processing, which uses an advanced inverse ray tracing algorithm for precise analysis and room simulation processing, offers mix engineers the ability to create a totally new, extremely immersive, high fidelity audio experience for music, video games, film, Broadcast, and many other applications.

Fully integrated into any compatible host software this technology allows the user to create static or moving sound sources localized around the listener's position without requiring specialized encoding/decoding hardware. It can be experienced with 2-channel audio (stereo) or by integrating it into multi-channel audio delivery formats (Surround Sound).

Already used in the production of 6 bonus tracks for the latest album of singer/songwriter Robin Thicke, this technology truly redefines what can be done with 2-channel audio.

Listen to an audio example at :

IZotope has announced that the new version of its software mastering suite Ozone will be released in January 2009.

Ozone 4 features a new Intelligent Loudness Maximizer, "Perfect Reconstruction" crossovers, mid/side processing for superior control over the sound stage, and a new True Envelope dynamics processing mode. In addition, iZotope claims that numerous interface improvements and ease-of-use additions make Ozone even more accessible to musicians and engineers who want to quickly finalize their projects.

Ozone 4 will be available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU, DirectX, RTAS/AudioSuite and MAS plug-in formats with an MSRP of $249. iZotope Ozone 4 will be distributed worldwide by M-Audio, and will also be available direct from iZotope online. Customers who buy Ozone 3 after October 1, 2008 are eligible for a free upgrade to Ozone 4 when it is released.

Toontrack Music announced that as of October 6, 2008, they will join Waves' Virtual Stock Software Distribution (VSSD) fulfillment program, as an alternative means of product distribution. Now, end-users will always have access to the complete range of Toontrack products from their favorite authorized Toontrack music retailer, and they will never be "out-of-stock."

After customers purchase a Toontrack product, the dealer will enter the order number and instantly receive copy-protected software with unique serial numbers to unlock the product. The serial is printed on the customer's receipt.

Noteflight officially launched its new online music software today, dramatically changing the way musicians create, edit and share musical compositions.

Now available as a free public beta release, Noteflight is a Web-based application requiring no software installation that enables anyone with a standard Web browser to create a score using standard music notation. The score can be played directly from the browser, shared with individuals, published online or printed as sheet music for use by live musicians. Scores may also be embedded in other pages such as blogs or personal websites.

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