Alesis presents the AM3, a stereo USB condenser microphone for directly recording stereo audio into your computer. Perfect for portable stereo recording, musicians, journalists and other audio enthusiasts will find the AM3 convenient and easy to use.

The AM3 features a dual-capsule condenser microphone design that enables users to record detailed stereo audio. The microphone's wide 30 — 20,000 Hz frequency response rivals that of far more expensive microphones. Its analog-to-digital conversion creates a stereo signal at 16-bit, 44.1 or 48kHz resolution and sample rate. The body features a gain control for adjusting the input trim with no computer control required.

The AM3 requires nothing more than a standard USB port on a Mac or PC.
The AM3 comes with a free Alesis podcast-hosting subscription, enabling users to share their recordings with the world. The AM3 also comes with a carry case, mic clip and cable.

The AM3 will be available from musical instrument and professional audio retailers in April 2009.

Solid State Logic announces the forthcoming release of MX4, a PCIe Card which delivers outstanding performance to demanding 'inside the box' users who refuse to compromise on quality. It combines three central system elements : a high channel count/high quality audio interface, a versatile Software Mixer and DSP powered plug-ins that provide console grade precision processing with legendary SSL audio characteristics.

Solid State Logic announces the release of Pro-Convert V5.5 for Apple Macintosh computers.

The much anticipated release of Pro-convert for the Mac computer platform brings the freedom to exchange projects between DAW's to a wider user base and introduces a new user interface for the application.

Pro-Convert enables workstation users to convert session files from one format to another. The new Mac version supports the most popular workstation formats; ProTools 7.x, Cubase/Nuendo, Logic, Final Cut Pro and SSL's own Soundscape.

The Mac version also sees the introduction of a completely new user interface that will be made available to PC users in autumn 2009. The new interface presents a single control window from which all project settings can be manipulated. The new interface provides identical functionality to the PC version of Pro-Convert but streamlines the user experience and facilitates the ability to save conversion presets that enable users to return to frequently used project configurations quickly and efficiently.

Pro-Convert for Mac will be available from May 2009 via SSL Resellers and direct from the Solid State Logic web store.

Steinberg Media Technologies has announced the upcoming release of an update to its HALion 3 virtual sampler VST instrument that adds support for 64-bit editions of Windows Vista. The update to version 3.5 will be available in Q2 2009 as a free download from their website for registered HALion 3 customers.


"Because it adds compatibility to 64-bit Vista, HALion 3.5 can address vast amounts of memory, allowing many more additional instruments to be loaded simultaneously," comments Helge Vogt, Steinberg's Product Marketing Manager for Cubase and HALion. "This frees up even more creative potential because it puts even more instruments and articulations at the artist's fingertips. And when used with Cubase 5 as the host application, and the 64-bit-ready MR816 CSX/X FireWire audio hardware, HALion 3.5 is a key part of our complete 64-bit production solution," Vogt adds.

Ableton has just announced the release of Live 8 and Ableton Suite 8.

New in Ableton Live 8:

- New groove engine: new groove library, extract grooves from audio or MIDI, real-time groove quantize. Includes grooves from the legendary Akai MPC and E-mu SP-1200 machines
- New warping engine: warp audio events by adjusting the events on the timeline, updated Beats Warp Mode, new Complex Warp Mode, slice audio files to MIDI tracks based on transients
- Looper: classic sound-on-sound looping without the limitations of a hardware device. Record, overdub, undo and more without touching the computer. "First loop sync," simple loop management