Music and Audio Product Center

Digidesign unveils 003 Rack+ Factory interface

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:18:00 -0700

Digidesign unveiled a new audio interface that features eight built-in preamps.

Digidesign previews Pro Tools 8

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:50:00 -0700

The new version of Pro Tools will have a completely redesigned user interface, as well as added track support.

Fretlight guitar Lesson Player software released for Mac

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:09:00 -0700

Fretlight's Lesson Player software is now available for the Mac.

VisualHub developer Techspansion shuts down

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:49:00 -0700

Techspansion, maker of media conversion utilities VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint, has decided to close its doors.

Apple releases iTunes, Apple TV updates

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:02:00 -0700

Apple on Thursday released updates for iTunes and Apple TV, fixing security holes and adding new features.

Music royalty rates to remain at current level

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:29:00 -0700

A decision by the Copyright Royalty Board keeps royalty rates for songwriters at 9.1 cents per track, a big relief for companies such as Apple that sell music.

Prevent iTunes 8 from adding track numbers to filenames

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:20:00 -0700

One of the preferences removed in iTunes 8 was the ability to control whether or not iTunes would add track (and disc) numbers to songs’ filenames. Learn how to regain control, and fix filenames if they’ve been modified.

Finale NotePad 2009 and Finale Reader music software released

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:35:00 -0700

Finale NotePad 2009 and Finale Reader are both available for download from MakeMusic's Web site.

Keyboard shortcuts for iTunes’ Get Info window

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:01:00 -0700

Learn how to navigate the Get Info (and Multiple Item Info) window via the keyboard.

Norway pressures Apple to ditch iTunes DRM

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:33:00 -0700

Norway’s top consumer advocate plans to ask a government court in that country to force Apple to open the iTunes Store to users who own music players other than the iPod.

Kenbushi jukebox software goes multi-lingual

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:56:00 -0700

Kenbushi, the multi-platform jukebox software, now supports multiple languages.

Secret controls for the new iTunes 8 visualizer

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:45:00 -0700

Learn a few undocumented keys you can use to control the new iTunes 8 visualizer.

Sync devices in iTunes via keyboard shortcut

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:13:00 -0700

Learn how to create a keyboard shortcut for syncing iPhones and iPods in iTunes.

New CS4 video tutorial Web site launches

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:43:00 -0700

A new Web site is offering video tutorials to help users of Adobe Creative Suite 4 get the most out of the applications.

Finale PrintMusic 2009 released

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:12:00 -0700

Finale PrintMusic 2009 has been released, highlighted by an improved interface and changes to creating and editing expressions.

Quickly access Grid view options in iTunes 8

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:50:00 -0700

Learn a bit more about Grid view in iTunes 8, including a faster way to access its settings for grouping and sorting.

Best Buy offers $121 million for Napster

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:26:00 -0700

Best Buy has agreed to pay around US$121 million in cash for online music retailer Napster

Review: iTunes 8

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:03:00 -0700

iTunes 8 isn’t a revolution in media players, but its new features make an already capable application even more indispensable

iPod Access app get iTunes 8 fix

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:24:00 -0700

Findley's iPod Access application now works properly with iTunes 8.

Abaltat Express 2.0 music tool sports new interface

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:27:00 -0700

Abaltat Express, an automatic soundtrack production tool, is now shipping.

Set some missing iTunes 8 preferences

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:21:00 -0700

Learn how to disable the Genre column in browse mode, turn off the iTunes Store arrow links, automatically play music while importing, and delay iTunes Store previews until fully download in iTunes 8.

SmartMusic 11 music learning software released

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:35:00 -0700

SmartMusic 11 music learning software adds easier setup, hundreds of new compositions and more.

Let’s Rock event updates that should have been

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:25:00 -0700

PC World’s Brennon Slattery laments the absence of five announcements he wanted to hear at Tuesday’s iPod event.

First Look: iTunes 8.0

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:36:00 -0700

Apple released a new version of iTunes Tuesday highlighted by the addition of an automatic playlist generator called Genius. But that’s just one of the changes you’ll find in iTunes 8. Rob Griffiths walks you through the additions and enhancements in the latest version of iTunes.

iToner ringtone maker updated for iTunes 8

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:53:00 -0700

iToner, Ambrosia's ringtone software tool for the iPhone, has been updated for iTunes 8.

Apple posts 'Lets Rock' event video

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:24:00 -0700

Apple has posted a video of its "Let's Rock" September event.

Apple updates QuickTime, Front Row for iTunes 8

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:23:00 -0700

Apple has posted point updates to QuickTime and Front Row following iTunes 8's release.

Apple releases iTunes 8, welcomes NBC back to store

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:16:00 -0700

A playlist-generating feature called Genius highlights the additions to iTunes 8. Apple also announced new additions to its online digital content store, including the return of NBC programming after a year-long feud.

Do subscriptions make sense for iTunes?

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:22:00 -0700

One of the rumors heading into Tuesday’s music event is that Apple will add a subscription component to its iTunes Store. Is that a good idea? Christopher Breen and Philip Michaels duke it out.

Musinaut unveils interactive digital audio format

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:22:00 -0700

A new audio format allows musicians to input lyrics and other information into their songs.

Introducing the Digital Music & Video Superguide

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Macworld is introducing a new book, the Macworld Digital Music and Video Superguide.

Review: Hear 1.0

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:12:00 -0700

Hear enhances audio by letting you apply a range of effects via a paned interface. It is quite configurable through its 13 tabs, which have controls for modifying EQ, enhancing 3-D space, and applying limiting and compressor effects (for limiting volume peaks and generally smoothing out volumes).

Steinberg releases Cubase 4.5

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:58:00 -0700

Steinberg upgraded Cubase on Wednesday adding compatibility with Sequel 2, among other changes.

Native Instruments launches Guitar Rig Hero contest

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:24:00 -0700

Native Instruments launched a new Guitar Rig Hero contest that gives real guitarists a chance to show their chops for celebrity judges.

Come September: iPods

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:03:00 -0700

Apple has announced a press event for next week, with all signs pointing to iPod-related news. Christopher Breen dons his speculation hat to ponder what September 9 might bring.

Apple announces special event September 9

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:35:00 -0700

Apple will hold a special event on September 9 to potentially launch new iPods.

New BFD2 drum expansion kit released

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:19:00 -0700

FXpansion released a new expansion kit for BFD2 owners called BFD2 JEX Expansion Kit.

Native Instruments introduces Kore Electronic Experience

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:55:00 -0700

Native Instruments bundled seven of its Kore Soundpacks together to offer the Kore Electronic Experience.

Ease the Safari-to-iTunes lyric pasting task

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:29:00 -0700

Use a simple AppleScript to make it simpler to copy lyrics from Safari (or any other browser) to iTunes.

Bugs & Fixes: iTunes’ CD mounting bug

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:39:00 -0700

Ted Landau looks at a bug introduced in iTunes 7.7 that occurs when you insert a CD to import into iTunes.

Salling Media Sync transfers music to your phone

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:05:00 -0700

Non-iPhone users can now sync music with their Sony, Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones with Salling Media Sync.

Sound Studio 3.5.7 released

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:31:00 -0700

Sound Studio has been updated fixing a bug that would not allow AppleScripts to open files.

FaderWorks audio plug-in updated

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:03:00 -0700

A new version of FaderWorks has been released that fixes a bug the plug-in had with Pro Tools resetting shared data.

Sony Ericsson adds DRM free music to mobile content store

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Sony is pushing DRM-free music as one of the attractions of its rebranded PlayNow Arena online store.