Vista

Musicmesse 2009: Cakewalk announced an update to the Roland Ethernet Audio Communication (REAC) driver for the SONAR REAC Recording System.

Driver Version 1.1 offers new functionality, including:

• Vista x64 support
• Compatibility with SONAR Producer versions 7 and 8
• RSS M-400 1.5 and 2.0 firmware support
• RSS M-48 Live Personal Monitor support

Included in this update is full support for Vista x64 operating systems and SONAR 8 Producer. REAC customers can now upgrade to the x64 version of Windows Vista to access the improved processing efficiency and extended RAM that the OS provides. Read more…

Max 5 is now available for download. A 30-day demo download is available that combines Max & Jitter.

Max is an interactive programming environment for music, audio, and media. Jitter is a set of video, matrix, and 3D graphics objects for Max.

Max is a true cross-platform system compatible with both Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista.

Max/MSP/Jitter is now one installer. If you have Max 4.6 already installed on your computer, Max 5 will not conflict. They are separate applications.

PCAudioLabs now offers the Eclipse server, an AMD-based dual processor hardcore monster system featuring 14 terabytes of storage housed in a 3U rack using Windows XP x64 software.

If you’re always running out of space for audio files, this may be what you need….as long as you’ve got an extra 14k to spare. It can hold up to 3,500,000 songs.

“Modern recording and composing require a lot of storage, transfer and fast access. Be it for sample libraries or high resolution tracking, the process of sharing information with multiple systems can cause chaos and bog down your whole production. The Eclipse server provides the power to easily manage all of these issues,” said Gregory Butler of PCAudioLabs.

Eclipse 3U Server Chassis:

• 16 Hot-Swap Removable Hard Drives
• Slim DVD-ROM drive
• Redundant 800W power supply
• Dimensions: 5.2″ x 17.2″ x 25.5″ (H x W x D)
• 7 Full-Height, Full-Length Expansion Slots
• 3 x 80mm Hot-Swap Fans + 2 x 80mm Rear Fans
• 2 x USB Ports on the front

Motherboard:

• Tyan Dual Opteron Motherboard
• Expansion Slots: 2x PCIe x16, 3x PCI-X, 1x PCI
• USB 2.0: 4 ports (back) + 2 ports (front) + 2 ports (back optional)
• FireWire: 1 port (back)
• Network Ports: 2 x 1000Mbps ports
• Memory Slots: 8x DDR-400 slots (16GB max)
• Onboard Serial ATA: 4 x SATA ports w/RAID options
• Built-in Audio: Built-in AC97 audio with I/O ports

CPU: Dual AMD Opteron 275 dual core 2.2GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR400 ECC (4 x 1GB)

PCAudioLabs has released Impact, a computer case designed specifically for use with professional studio/music applications. The case was designed from the ground up taking into account how computers are used during the process of making music.

Features:

• Modular Design: The external 5.25″ drive carriage can rotate 360 degrees, allowing impact to be set up as a rackmount or a desktop. This provides compatibility with the large variety of hardware configurations on the market today and in the future.
• Aluminum Shell: Aluminum cases are lighter and they conduct heat more efficiently than steel or plastic, so the fans don’t have to work as hard (less noise, less wear and tear).
• Shock-Mounted Hard Drive Carriage: Inside Impact is a shock-mounted hard drive carriage capable of holding 7 internal hard drives. Shock mounting the hard drives serves two purposes: one is that it blocks hard drive vibrations from transferring to the case (reducing noise), and the other is that it protects the hard drives in transit.
• Acoustical Foam Insulation: The inside of Impact is lined with a rubber backed sound dampening foam which reduces internal ambient noise and noise caused by vibration to keep it operating quietly under any CPU load. The inside front door of impact is also lined with the same acoustic material for extra sound absorption.
• Near-Silent Cooling Fans: Air flow throughout impact is handled by near-silent 120mm and 80mm cooling fans, featuring optimized fan blade geometry allowing for 10% more cooling efficiently than ordinary high-end fans, and at a low dBA.
• 80 PLUS Power Supply: The 80 PLUS performance specification requires power supplies in computers to have 80% or greater energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater. This translates into better sounding audio, a lower electricity bill, more stable power under heavy CPU load, and in our case, a near-silent power supply.
• Recessed USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 Front Ports: On the front of impact are 2 USB 2.0 ports, and 1 FireWire 400 port. Both ports are recessed 1/2″ to prevent a USB dongle or external hard drive from being unplugged or damaged accidentally. Because of the location and orientation of the front ports, access to them is unrestricted and in an Impact tower configuration, cables can be more easily routed out of harm’s way.
• Recessed Power Button: Impact features a recessed power button to prevent accidental power-off. This also allows impact to be powered on without opening the front door.
• Recessed Expansion Slots: A 3/4″ recessed rear panel adds protection for the cables and ports on the back of your system during transport and during use.

Prices for configured Impact audio workstations start at US $2,675. Details at the PCAudiolabs site.

Cakewalk has published a new resource, the Vista for Musicians’ Resource Page, that is designed to provide information on Windows Vista and the benefits it provides to the audio community.

Their timing is good, because it seems like a lot of musicians are bailing on Windows and moving to Macs. Cakewalk has put together a lot of useful information that should help people that want to stick with Windows make the most of Vista.

The site provides links to hardware and software products that natively support Windows Vista, and information on how to choose the right version of Vista. The site also has news stories that concern Vista and it’s applications for music creation and audio production.