Insert Piz has released Mr. Alias 2, its new free virtual synth which is now open source and cross-platform.

Mr. Alias 2 uses non-bandlimited oscillators which can be transposed near to and beyond the Nyquist frequency, causing most of their spectra to be aliased back into audible non-harmonic frequencies. The sound can then be further processed by a number of crude "effects."

Though it is based on the same concept as the original, Mr. Alias 2 is completely rewritten for cross-platform compatibility, and has a number of significant improvements.

Some highlights :

- 2 oscillators.
- 18 waveforms.
- Full stereo processing.
- 6 filter types including a formant filter.
- Filter envelope.
- External audio processing.
- Patch randomizer button.
- Highly configurable MIDI control with MIDI learn.
- MIDI-controllable patch morphing.
- Drag & drop preset and MIDI map loading.
- Resizable GUI.

Mr. Alias 2 is available now for free as a VSTi for both Windows and Mac OS X, an AU version is also available for Mac users.

Four free EXS24 instruments have been posted at Practical Sampling. The site is provided as a companion to the Focal Press book Audio Sampling. The free instruments are a portion of the final projects of students at the University of Colorado at Denver who participated in a Sampling class last semester.

The instruments include :

- Toy Piano
- Toy Accordian
- Simple Guitar
- Bilhorn Organ

According to the site's blog, more instruments will be posted soon.

Waves has just announced that its GTR Solo software is now available for free for one full year.

GTR Solo features :

- 10 Amp Models (Fender, Marshall, Vox, etc...)
- 13 Stomp FX (distortion, wahwah, flanger, etc...)
- 10 Cabs

GTR Solo is available for Mac OS X and Windows in VST, AU and RTAS plug-in formats.

The d16 Group has just released the newest plug-in from their SilverLine effects family - the Redoptor - which is a Vintage Tube Distortion emulator based on typical guitar tube amplifier. Unlike regular amplifier Redoptor has an adjustable preamp characteristic and more control over the tube distortion. It also contains a fully controllable 4-band parametric equaliser.

Features :

- Exact tube and tube's circuits emulation.
- Crossfade between tube and transistor distortion.
- Adjustable power of new harmonics.
- Tunable preamp filters.
- Fully equipped parametric equaliser.
- Presets organised into groups.
- MIDI learn function.
- 64-bit internal processing.
- Multi-mode distortion's quality adjustment.

Priced at €35, Redoptor is available now for both Mac OS X and Windows in VST and AU plug-in formats. A demo version is also available.

SAE London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Oxford are opening their doors to all this spring – everyone's invited to come and see the facilities that make SAE the "world's number one school for anyone wanting to get ahead in the fields of Audio, Film and Multimedia".

The Open Day takes place on Sunday, January 18th.

The Open Day will run from 10am to 5pm, and all are welcome to attend demonstrations for Audio and Digital Film courses in the studios and classrooms – including London's Music Business course that's geared towards those needing a solid understanding of the business side of the world's most dynamic and exciting industry.

Tours take place between 10am and 5pm, but for those who can't make it on the 18th January all colleges will be running Twilight Tours on Wednesday 21st January between 5pm and 8pm.