RME has announced that the HDSPe AES is now shipping. This new PCI Express card is fully identical to the successful HDSP AES-32, a PCI based card. Both cards can be used simultaneously in one computer, thus using the available slots (PCI / PCIe) as efficient as possible. These cards provide 8 AES inputs (16 channels) and 8 AES outputs (16 channels) at 192 kHz sample rate. They support Single, Double and Quad Wire transfer and direct conversion between these formats. Two MIDI I/O ports and a word clock I/O are also available. The word clock input adapts to Single, Double and Quad Speed automatically.

Features Highlight :

- Support for 192 kHz at full channel count
- Native support for Double and Quad Wire transfer
- Direct conversion between these formats
- SteadyClock for highest jitter suppression and clock regeneration
- Intuitive and clearly laid-out user interface
- TotalMix: 512 channel mixer with 42 bit internal resolution
- 48 level meter Peak/RMS, hardware-computed

Delano Audio has announced the release of it's new website of downloadable sound effects and samples, created by sound professionals for professional sound users. Debuting with over 14,000 sound effects, the Delano Audio site focuses on professional formatted downloads of Broacastwave files, 4 channel Surroundsound, Appleloops Sound Effects and Reason Refills.

The inital offerings are sounds from the prestigious Digiffects Sound Library and the online search system is fast, fun and effective. Individual Broadcast Wave sounds start at $4.99 each and Surround Sounds are available for $7.99.

Studio Electronics unveils the Orion Galaxy Omega 8, a new all-analog 8-voice poly synth. In fact the synth isn't completely new, it's "just" an Omega 8 in a wonderful seventies flavoured design.

Here is the description found on their website :

"what is this? it is art. it is light. it is glorious design brought to life by Antoine Argentieres, the man, who sagely let his fondness for Stanley Kubrick's past century enigmatic odyssian vision of the future (and re-visioning of pivotal past events) inspire a house fit for the majestic voice and verve of the Omega8––a cathedral of transformation; the great work of the synth; a mind before matter mystical alignment of awareness: light and sound waves that reveal the ORION GALAXY, expanding and growing and luminous."

Price and availability TBA.

Today LinPlug has released SaxLab 2 for Mac OS X. The main concern in this upgrade was to prevent easy handling, improve the sound quality to obtain the best possible result and to support all types of saxophones.

Main Features :

- High-Quality Soundsets for bass, baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophone.
- Monophonic with real sax behaviour
- Adjustable mix of the Air layer, the Keys layer and the main tonal layer
- User-definable, velocity-sensitive amplitude envelope
- Tonal characteristics of the instruments overall sound are user definable
- Real-time control of amplitude, brightness and the roaring of the sound.
- Three modes of mono performance: Legato, Retrigger and Alternate
- Separate control of Up/Down PitchBend and Scoop
- Adjustable pitch, air and body frequency deviation per note
- Envelope, LFO and MIDI-controlled vibrato and tremolo
- Specialized Stereo Chorus and Stereo Reverb effects
- Full Micro Tuning capability (loads TUN files)
- MidiLearn available for every control
- Sample accurate timing, full automation and settings are saved with the song

SaxLab2 is available now for Mac OS X in VST and AU formats. The license fee is $199 / €149 including a comprehensive 38 page manual in English, French and German. Anyone who purchased SaxLab 1 on 1st December 2007 or later will be shipped a free SaxLab 2 upgrade license, for other users the upgrade from SaxLab 1 is $39 / €39. A demo version is available.

Koblo has released Centaurus, a new mini virtual synth "with a GREAT BIG sound".

Features :

- Frequency and Pulse width Modulation
- Key Sync
- Multi-waveform LFO
- Mod Envelope
- Filter from the Koblo's Vibra9000 developed by Max Gronlund

Centaurus is available now for Mac OS X and Windows in VST, AU and Standalone versions at a special price of $7.49 through Aug 31st.