Vir2 Instruments has just announced the release of World Impact: Global Percussion.

Featuring a massive collection of varied percussion samples, World Impact spans the globe featuring percussion instruments from large to small, west to east, north to south, and traditional to rare. Sampled in meticulous detail and programmed for maximum and instant musical usability, the collection includes hundreds of varied percussion instruments from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and more. A massive 4.2-gigabyte collection of Japanese Taiko drums recorded from multiple microphone positions forms a central part of the library. Each instrument has been recorded with numerous alternate takes and velocity layers, assuring realistic and dramatically expressive sonic results.

Beyond the in ...

IMSTA (the International Music Software Trade Association) has just deployed its 2009 "Let's Talk Piracy" survey, which will be active until December 31st 2009. The non-profit association aims to reduce the demand for pirated music software through campaigns that are designed to raise awareness and change user behaviour. The 2009 survey features a contest in which 10 lucky winners will receive prizes donated by IMSTA member companies.

IMSTA's goal is to collect information from software users on an annual basis, in order to identify specific trends in attitude towards the use of pirated software. The 2008 survey prompted over 3700 responses from 83 countries, with IMSTA member companies playing an active role in promoting the survey on websites, in newsletters and via e-blasts to registered users. The 2009 survey uses the same questions, enabling IMSTA to compare data year on year.

The annual survey is one of IMSTA's most valuable pieces of research. Since survey participants can choose to remain anonymous, it is believed that the responses will give an accurate picture of their views. IMSTA is hoping that the 2009 survey will attract a large number of new participants, but we'd also strongly encourage 2008 participants to come back and re-visit the questions. It may be that their views on certain issues have changed over the course of a year and this is just the kind of information IMSTA would like to have.

To take the "Let's Talk Piracy" survey, please visit the link below :

Apple has unveiled several new hardware offerings, including new Mac mini, MacBook, iMac and a curious new mouse.

The Mac mini line has been improved and a new Mac mini with Mac OS X Server bundled in is now available, more details available here.

The new MacBook ($999) now features a durable polycarbonate unibody design, a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple's innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life.

Apple has also presented

Fink Audio unveils the CS2-FA Dual Channel Strip.

The CS2-FA is a dual channel strip that features 2 channels of tube 610-style mic pre, 3 band tube Pultec-style EQ and tube 1176-style compression. Record 2 separate sources, 1 stereo source or pump your mix through it. Your choice.

Pricing and availability TBA.

Channel strip... it doesn't roll off the tongue or smack of a high fidelity recording device. Maybe thats why its taken Grace Design so long to build one. But they got over it. All labels aside, the new m103 is a powerful tracking tool for virtually any recording scenario. It starts with their m101 transformerless microphone preamplifier circuity. Headroom, detail, clarity, musicality – its all there. Complete with their exclusive ribbon mic mode, a 75Hz HPF and 48V phantom.

The 3 band EQ section is built around single stage parallel tuning architecture, which minimizes circuitry and delivers natural, musical tonal shaping at all frequencies. Controls include a fully parametric mid, with shelving and peak modes on the high and low bands.

The compressor circuit is based on an optical ...