Are you interested by a Pianoteq license ? Well, Modartt has just launched a contest, open for everybody, where there will be 3 winners, each receiving a license of Pianoteq. Note that if you already own a license, you will be offered a free upgrade to a forthcoming product !

And what is the contest about ? In an audio file, you will hear a medley of classical piano works by famous composers. Tell them which composers you can hear in this medley. If you manage to recognize all of them, in the correct order, you will participate in the lottery of 3 Pianoteq licenses. The lottery will take place on May 31 which is the last day to participate.

There are a total of 10 excerpts of piano works by 10 composers. Some may be piano transcriptions of orchestral works, some may be easily recognized, others may be a challenge. Credits will be given to the performers when announcing the winners, together with a description of each work.

McDSP has released Emerald Pack 3.0 (HD and Native) to include the new DE555 De-esser, FutzBox Lo-Fi Distortion Effects, and NF575 Noise Filter plug-ins. Emerald Pack 3.0 also includes existing products; Analog Channel, Channel G, Chrome Tone, CompressorBank, FilterBank, MC2000, ML4000, Revolver and Synthesizer One.

On top of that, for the month of May, purchase or upgrade to Emerald Pack HD 3.0 and be eligible to purchase Emerald Pack Native 3.0 for only $995, saving $600 over retail price.

Last but not least, McDSP has extended the April Project Studio Bundle Special to any and all users for $295 for the month of May.

Ableton has just released the Orchestral Instruments, four sampled instrument collections representing the four sections of an orchestra.

The instrument collections are available individually or as an attractively priced bundle and bring rich, authentic, symphonic sound to Ableton Live. Strings, Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion have been painstakingly recorded in a number of velocities and articulations, employing the expertise of world-class musicians, engineers and producers. The Orchestral Instruments are seamlessly integrated into the Ableton Live environment and use a technology called SmartPriming to manage system resources efficiently, providing big symphonic sound with a minimum of CPU action.

Produced in partnership with SONiVOX, the instruments include violin, viola, cello, double bass, French horn, trombone, trumpet, tuba, flute, clarinet, bassoon, oboe, English horn, vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, crotales, glockenspiel, tubular bells, cymbals and timpani. Many instruments are provided in solo and ensemble variants and multiple articulations. Each instrument is available in a high-fidelity version for studio production and a lower-fidelity configuration for decreased overhead and instant performance.

The Orchestral Instruments are available now and priced as following :

- Orchestral Instruments Collection : €499/$599
- Orchestral Strings : €159/$189
- Orchestral Brass : €159/$189
- Orchestral Woodwinds : €159/$189
- Orchestral Percussion : €129/$159

Digidesign today unveiled theTransfuser Preview, a free three-month prerelease version of Transfuser, a new upcoming RTAS virtual instrument plug-in for Pro Tools from the Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research (A.I.R.) group.

Transfuser is a real-time loop, phrase, and groove creation virtual instrument designed for quickly and easily creating, manipulating, and performing loop- and rhythm-based music on the fly within Pro Tools. It also offers users a quick and easy way to modify existing loop libraries to breathe new life into their creations.

Features :

- Easily develop and tweak grooves on the fly within Pro Tools
- Offers unique tools for working with audio files, including :

- Real-time slicing and tagging of loops
- Automatic conversion of loops into MIDI patterns/drum kits
- Sound replacement in existing loops on the fly

- Musically intelligent randomization of loops for instantly crafting variations on a whim
- Offers a wide range of real-time effects for electronic, hip-hop, and dance music creation
- Includes a variety of loops and phrases, and breathes new life into existing loop libraries
- Supports full drag and drop of Pro Tools regions and audio files from your computer browser
- Powerful live performance-oriented features allow for both creative arranging and performing of grooves

For a limited time through June 25, 2008, Digidesign is offering a free download of the Transfuser Preview to every Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered user. This free prerelease version of Transfuser is fully functional for three months, and enables all Pro Tools users to discover and experiment with the capabilities of Transfuser. To download the Transfuser Preview please visit the :

Our partner Sweetwater has declared May "Portable Recorder Month," and to properly observe the occasion, they're holding a 12-day Recorder Giveaway.

Starting May 19, Sweetwater will give away one portable recorder each day for 12 days. Manufacturers include Boss, Edirol, HHB, Korg, Marantz, M-Audio, Roland, Sony, Sound Devices, TASCAM, Yamaha, and Zoom. One entry makes you eligible for all 12 prizes.