AcousticsampleS has updated the Kawai-EX Pro.

"We have been working hard with Lance Herring on this new release, the Kawai-EX pro sounds now a lot better."

Here are some of the enhancements:

• Numerous voicing improvements that make releases more accurate and consistent,
• New release samples for some keys,
• Improved dynamic range,
• Improved pedal behaviour,
• More consistency when using custom controls,
• New formats (SFZ, HALION 3, EXS24, Mach5),
• Added compatibility to Kontakt 2,
• Whole new version for Kontakt 4 and the new scripting capabilities,
• New GUI for the Kontakt 4 version.

This update is free for registered users.

Toontrack Music announces the release of the Music City USA SDX for Superior Drummer 2.0. Here's what they say about it :

"Like it, love it or leave it, Nashville Tennessee is Music City USA. With more labels, publishers, writers, producers, musicians and artists per capita than any other city in North America, Nashville knows a thing or two about great music, and more importantly - great sounding music.

With the city's history & culture so steeped in the art of making and recording music, the team could think of no better place on earth to record a library of drums that would be at home in music ranging from rock to reggae, metal to gospel or punk to polka. Oh yeah... they're good for country & rock too!

Introducing the Music City USA SDX , the newest library of drum samples and MIDI grooves for our award winning, industry standard drum production platform, Superior Drummer® 2.0.

Much like its sibling, the Nashville EZX®, the Music City USA SDX found us working with Harry Stinson and Chuck Ainlay, two of the best, most experienced players and producers in the business."

The Music City USA SDX is available now at a price of £119.00 / €139.00.

IZotope recently learned that under rare circumstances, installing an iZotope product or demo and then applying any Mac OS X 10.6 update can cause some computers to experience problems booting. They have identified the cause of this issue and have provided a simple fix. Here's what they say about it :

"Please download and install this patch immediately, even if you have not experienced any issues at this time. Also, make sure you delete and re-download the latest iZotope installers for Mac OS X. Please note that as of today (May 7, 2010), all of the Mac OS X installers on the iZotope website have been updated so that they no longer cause this issue to occur.

If you suspect your computer has already been affected by this issue and you are unable to boot your computer, please follow the steps to fix in the iZotope Knowledge Base."

Artificial Audio has announced Quartz, a new multi-effect plug-in that turns the simplest sounds into ever evolving rhythmic soundscapes. But that's not everything. It is also a source of creative modulation which can be used to control parameters outside of Quartz such as software instruments, plug-ins or even external MIDI equipment.

Quartz gets its name from the fact that all Line and LFO modulations work to the audio sample rate, ensuring sample accurate parameter modulation.

Quartz effect modules and features:
• Auto - Panning.
• Auto - Gain.
• Two independent Multimode Filters with high quality oversampling modes.
• Tempo-synced Stereo Delay to create dub- and tape-delay effects.
• Wave Shaper to add extra distortion and saturation.
• 4 independent, tempo-syncable LFOs (0.01Hz up to 2.1 kHz).
• 4 unique Modulation Lines (each with up to 200 points).
• Quick-access browsers and a huge library of Presets and Modulation Line templates.

Quartz will be released end of May 2010 for Windows and Mac OS X in VST and AU plug-in formats. It will have an MSRP of €99 but be available initially for an introductory price of €79.

PreSonus is pleased to announce that the StudioLive 24.4.2 digital mixer is now shipping. Like the 16-channel StudioLive 16.4.2, the 24-channel StudioLive 24.4.2 is designed for both studio recording and live sound, without compromising the requirements for either.

StudioLive 24.4.2 sports the same friendly user interface, robust feature set, and extensive I/O configuration as the StudioLive 16.4.2 but with several significant additions and enhancements. The most obvious difference is that the new mixer provides 24 input channels, rather than 16. As with the 16.4.2, each input features a trim pot, XLR mic input with XMAX mic preamp, 1/4-inch TRS balanced line inputs and unbalanced insert points. Like the 16.4.2, the StudioLive 24.4.2 offers 4 subgroup outputs, but where the 16-channel model offers 6 aux buses, the 24.4.2 provides 10 aux buses.

Expected street price : $3,299