Steinberg have not even announced Cubase SX4 yet, but screenshots have appeared on the Web already. The screenshots are available on the Music Thing site and show the new version looking not too different from the old, but a little reminiscent of Ableton Live. (Isn’t everything?)Judging by the screenshots there will be a few new plugins. They look great, but it’s too early to tell how well they will work… (more…)

Sony have just released Acid Pro 6, the latest update to their loop-based music creation suite. They call version 6 “The most significant upgrade in ACID history, but then they would say that, wouldn’t they? The most important new features are multitrack recording and full MIDI functionality, meaning Acid could now conceivably be used as your main (or even only) application for creating new music. In particular, the ability to edit MIDI data using the traditional piano roll interface makes Acid a lot more attractive to the laptop studio musician. Acid 6 also supports control surfaces like the lovely Tranzport — they really are moving more to the serious end of the music-making spectrum. (more…)

GarageBand 3, the latest version of Apple’s simple yet sophisticated music workstation for the masses,, is out now. It’s still looks to be an excellent product, though the new features in version 3 won’t set the laptop studio world on fire. The focus is on podcasting, and there are many features to make sure the web will be completely overrun by podcasts from enthusiastic Mac users before the year is out. (more…)

Toast Titamium 7 has been reviewed by CNet. Toast has been one of the best, if not the best, disc-burning package for the Mac, and they say that this version just makes a good product even better. The ease of use is still very good, despite a raft of new features. (more…)

Electroplankton, the uncategorizable game/sequencer/oddity for the Nintendo DS, is out now in the US. I wrote about it in a previous article about music on handheld game consoles, but now it’s been released outside Japan there’s a bit more English-language information about. Though some of it does sound as if it’s been translated from the Japanese: “It’s tough to slap a label on Electroplankton. It’s not a game, but you play it on a game device. There’s no set purpose to it, but the end result can sweep you up in its charm. Most of all, its innovation sings out loud and true. ” (more…)

Peak Pro 5 XT is a software bundle including the Peak Pro 5 audio editor and a suite of mastering effects and noise-reduction and audio-restoration application. MacWorld give it a very good review, praising both the Peak Pro application itself as well as the extras. (more…)

Native Instruments’ Reaktor has been updated to version 5.1. The usual slew of bug fixes abound, along with several new synths and updates to some old ones. “The total number of synthesizers, samplers and effects included has risen to a staggering total of 63!”I hope you’re sitting down. The new synths are: (more…)

GForce‘s Minimonsta, another clone of the much-loved Minimoog portable synth, has been reviewed by Computer Music magazine. They give it special awards for both Performance and Innovation and generally think it’s a pretty great piece of software. If you’ve ever used a real Minimoog, you’ll be right at home, since the Minimonsta is laid out pretty much the same as the original. The reviewers approve of the layout of the Minimonsta window and think some of the details are very nice. They single out the “flying faders”, which you can use to smoothly adjust knobs and faders with a simple mouse gesture: “Little touches like this make the software great fun to use.” (more…)

Cakewalk are now shipping SONAR 5, the latest and greatest version of their music production suite. Cakewalk say that version 5 adds an arsenal of responsive instruments, more effects, and powerful editing tools including Roland V-Vocal VariPhrase technology. These features are complemented by a double precision floating point engine that delivers dramatic increases in dynamic range. SONAR’s pristine 64-bit audio engine, seamless and accessible even on 32-bit computers, sets new standards for digital mixing. In addition, SONAR 5 introduces ground-breaking advances in RAM and native processing power on systems running Windows XP x64 Edition. Even in SONAR’s 64-bit environment, their BitBridge technology enables 32-bit VST effects and instruments. (more…)

Native Instruments have unveiled Guitar Rig 2, the latest version of their package for guitar and bass production. It’s a hardware/software combination that includes a foot controller with two inputs and six switches, and an audio software package that simulates several different amps, speakers and microphones and includes 40 effects. There’s also a fascinating module called the Loop Machine for creating and playing back loops on the fly: “Layer different leads, riffs and rhythms on top of one another and gradually build up entire guitar sections. Tools such as the Crossover and Split offer unique potential while the Modifiers’ ability to modulate any of the parameters in real-time far exceed the realms of conventional set-ups.” I saw a fantastic bass player called Eberhard Weber do something like this last year at a Jan Garbarek gig. I don’t know what he was using but the effect was amazing. (more…)