ESI introduces Midimate II, a convenient USB 2.0 MIDI interface cable with up to 32 input or 32 output channels for PC and Macintosh systems.

With Midimate II you can obtain perfect MIDI timing and performance at an extremly affordable price. The interface cable is compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista as well as Mac OS X and instantly works after you plug it in - no driver installation is required. There is more, Midimate II even automatically detects the incoming and outgoing MIDI signals, which means that both connectors work as input or output. You can use as 1 simultaneous input and 1 simultaneous output (with 16 channels each), 2 input (32 channels) or 2 output (32 channel) device.

Features :

• USB MIDI interface with 2 MIDI connectors, each can work as independent input or output
• high-speed connection to USB 2.0 or 1.1 equipped PC or Macintosh system
bus powered, requires no external power supply
• no driver needed for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X

Midimate II costs $34 / €27 / £24.

The originators of multi sampled drums and Drumkit From Hell, Toontrack Music presents an all-new SDX expansion pack for Superior Drummer 2.0 - The Metal Foundry SDX.

The Metal Foundry SDX is an all-new recording with Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake, featuring seven massive drum kits, spanning 300,000 sound files of raw, single hit drum recordings in the vein of Drumkit From Hell and dfh Superior, covering Hard Rock to Metal, from the early Blues tinged sound of the late 60s to the fragmentation of todays music, from Power through Thrash, Death and Progressive Metal.

The Metal Foundry SDX celebrates the Toontrack Music Hard Rock and Heavy Metal legacy of the first Drumkit From Hell, on which the company has built its following. This in turn has spawned such groundbreaking products as d ...

SoundLib today announces the availability of G-Player version 1.1

G-Player is a GigaStudio file player for Mac OS X available as a stand-alone application, VST and AudioUnit Plugin (RTAS should be available soon). No conversion required, the audio engine of G-Player was created from scratch to fully support the Giga format. Complex features such as dimensions, key switch and multi-layered instruments with individual cross-fades are natively supported. G-Player runs on PowerPC and Intel Mac with low CPU and RAM usage.

G-Player 1.1 includes the following improvements :

• New user interface
• MIDI LED indicators
• User configurable Pitch Bend
• User configurable Filter
• The filter can now be manually activated
• Support of the 3 GigaStudio velocity curves
• Built in Giga file browser
• G-Solo has its own keyboard
• Increased stability and streaming capacity

G-Player (including G-Solo) price is currently $139. Last but not least, G-Player can also be purchased at DontCrac[k] via instant download delivery for only $129 !!! Up to 20% extra discount can be obtained by adding other products to the shopping cart (-5% per product added). That is DontCrack's permanent "Make your own Bundle" offer which is quite a good deal if you look at it closely.

In this 3rd installment of the Guitar Rack series, Puremagnetik has cranked it up a notch! This Micropak includes a collection of highly expressive guitar instruments as recorded from a classic 1963 Guild Starfire hollow body. Slides, hammer-ons, staccato and jazz articulations are all available at your fingertips with Guitar Rack 3.

Guitar Rack Volume 3 includes 5 expertly programmed multisample instruments complete with easy edit controls. Menus like "WalkingChord" and "OctaveLead" put the classic sound of the hollow body directly in your hands. Over 70 looped clips for are ready for immediate playing in your session. Each Live Clip comes with a preloaded amp effect while the Logic version contains a library of Apple Loops ready for rocking!

Additionally, the Ableton Live version includes an add-on amplifier effect pack for Live 8. Making use of the latest features in Live 8, PM's resident guitar gurus have programmed a healthy dosage of raw rock effects!

Guitar Rack Volume 3 Includes :

• Over 700 24-bit multisamples
• 5 sophisticated hollow body instruments
• Over 70 Live Clips and Apple Loops
• Add-on Amp Effect Pack for Live 8
• Custom Kontakt KSP GUI and native Kontakt effects

Pricing : Basic Monthly Subscription: $5.75/Month Basic Yearly Subscription: $60/Year All Access Pass - $198/Year.

It's been 70 years since the original Shure model 55SH Series II Unidyne Microphone debuted in 1939. Now, the model once advertised as 'The Microphone That Needs No Name' is getting an upgrade. Shure has taken the iconic 55SH body that has been in production since 1951, dropped in a new supercardioid motor, and added some vibrant blue color. The resulting hot rod has the same retro-cool look as the original when parked on a mic stand but with a contemporary upgrade in performance. Its name is the Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone.

Features :

• Modern Sound : Tailored frequency response for natural vocals and speech
• High Output : Neodymium magnet and output transformer for increased sensitivity
• Vintage Design : Iconic chrome-plated design with vibrant blue color additions
• Supercardioid Polar Pattern : High gain-before feedback and excellent off-axis rejection
• Internal Shock Mount : Minimizes handling/stage noise and ensures quiet operation
• Rugged Die-Cast Chrome Casing : Reliable under rigorous conditions

The Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone is now shipping for $249 and carries a two-year limited warranty. Note that the current 55SH Series II model will continue to be available at a price of $179.