Waves Audio is now shipping the Waves Pianos & Keys Bundle, an addition to its expanding line of virtual instruments. This iconic keyboard collection is a hand-picked suite of the electric and acoustic keys that have defined pop, rock, funk, soul and R&B, faithfully sampled and revived. It includes five VST instruments: Waves Grand Rhapsody Piano (sampled from the Fazioli F228 grand piano at London's Metropolis Studios), Waves Electric 88 Piano (top of the class Fender Rhodes VIs), Waves Electric 200 Piano (sampled from an original 200A-model electric piano), Waves Electric Grand 80 Piano (hybrid electric-acoustic CP-80 model piano), and Waves Clavinet (sampled from an original D6-model Clavinet). The bundle features global tune, velocity & FX controls; plug-in or stand-alone operation; is MIDI-assigning; NKS support for NI Komplete Kontrol and Maschine; 64-bit and 32-bit versions; and high-definition as well as SD sample libraries. Out now for an introductory price of 145 USD (299 USD regular). [source]

Plug-in developer Brainworx announced the availability of bx_console E -- their flagship plug-in that pairs a 72-channel emulation of the high-end, hit-making British E-Series console complete with comprehensive compressor/limiter, expander/gate, four-band parametric EQ, and wide-ranging filter sections, together with flexible signal routing, just like the original console. Brainworx's brainchild is more than a channel strip plug-in with multiway routing, however: its patent-pending TMT (Tolerance Modeling Technology) simulates the channel-to-channel variances of the E Series' electronic components on each and every instance of the plug-in. 72 slightly different-sounding plug-in channels collectively (re)produce all the complexity, depth, nuance, and width with which high-end analog consoles are held in such high regard. Bx_console E is available as an AAX Native & DSP-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plug-in for Mac OS X and Windows -- exclusively from Plugin Alliance for an introductory promo price of 179 USD until August 31, 2017, rising to 299 USD thereafter. [source]

Pixar Animation Studios gave a special preview of upcoming technologies at the 2017 RenderMan Art & Science Fair, including new interactive capabilities for RenderMan 22 and work on 'XPU' rendering using CPU+GPU cores together. Demonstrations of RenderMan 21.5, released July 26th, showcased break-through technologies for rendering CGI characters, including state-of-the-art skin and hair based on Path-Traced Subsurface Scattering. Presentations from Pixar and ILM revealed how feature films such as Cars 3, Coco, and Rogue One drive enhancements to RenderMan's core technology. RenderMan 22 will feature 'always-on' rendering embedded in artist applications, responding instantly to geometry, camera, light and material edits. This new live rendering mode delivers interactive frame rates with the same renderer used for batch renders. Other RenderMan 22 technologies like fast vectorized OSL shader network evaluation on Intel scalable-SIMD CPUs were also shown. RenderMan 21.5 is available for download today at renderman.pixar.com. Customers on annual maintenance can immediately begin using this major update. New purchases are 495 USD each for permanent licenses, with volume discounts and short-term loan options available. Researchers and non-commercial users can access Educational Grants and single-user Non-Commercial RenderMan, free of charge. [source]

Panasonic disclosed additional information, including pricing and specification data, about the upcoming AU-EVA1 5.7K hand-held cinema camera. Previewed this spring at Cine Gear Expo, the EVA1 will ship this Fall with a suggested list price of 7,495 USD. Technical specifications now include a pixel count of 5720 x 3016 (17.25 million), confirmed Dual Native ISO ratings of 800 and 2,500, and 14-stops of dynamic range. With an active resolution of 5720 x 3016, the EVA1 delivers more than 17.25 million photosites, nearly double the 8.8 million for 4K DCI (4096 x 2160). By starting at a higher native resolution, the 5.7K sensor yields a higher resolving image when down-sampled to 4K, UHD, 2K, or even 720p. Additionally, the increased color information results in a finer, more accurate finished image. More details in the Preliminary Brochure PDF. [source]

Leading up to SIGGRAPH 2017, Autodesk released a series of updates for its media and entertainment tools, including Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection, Maya, Shotgun, Arnold, 3ds Max, and Flame. Maya 2018 offers additional character creation, motion graphics, and rendering functionality, and is available with the latest version of Arnold; Shotgun 7.3 features include smart data retention for improved site performance and community-driven enhancements including improved action menu items (AMIs) and the ability to restart your own site; Arnold 5.0.1 builds on the strengths of the recent 5.0 release, and includes new functionality like AOV shaders for cryptomatte workflows, thin film for standard surface shader and additional updates and optimizations; the newest 2018.1 update to 3ds Max adds VR authoring tools for design visualization artists and generalists, and additional UX and UV unwrap improvements; Flame Family 2018.2 introduces new creative tools that enhance artist productivity and expand pipeline integration possibilities. Some new features in Flame 2018.2 are Pybox, a python scriptable software handler for processing images via external renderers; projector functionality, map inputs and a contextual menu in action; smart merge for the connected conform workflow; and the ability to drive the batch environment via scriptable commands. [source]

Eventide announced the availability of UltraTap -- inaugurating its H9 Plug-in Series as a unique multi-tap effects plug-in capable of rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, pad-like volume swells, and extraordinary modulation derived from its TEC Award-winning H9 Harmonizer Effects Processor. UltraTap is available now (as an AAX/AU/VST plug-in for Mac OS and Windows) at an introductory price of 49 USD (rising to an MSRP of 79 USD thereafter) from Eventide dealers and Eventide website. A fully-functional 30-day demo version is available; UltraTap is also available as part of Eventide's Ensemble Subscription bundle. [source]

Until August 31, Cubase users can benefit from exceptional price reductions on upgrades to Cubase Pro 9 and Cubase Artist 9. Both music production systems offer an array of new creative tools and workflow enhancements, including the anticipated Sampler Track, MixConsole History and more. Learn more about how to get your Cubase 9 upgrade by visiting Steinberg promotional website. This upgrade offer is exclusively available through the Steinberg Online Shop. [source]

Blackmagic Design announced Fusion 9, a major update to its visual effects, compositing, 3D and motion graphics software. Fusion 9 has been designed to support the latest workflows and features new VR tools, entirely new keyer technology, planar tracking, camera tracking, multi user collaboration tools and more. Users get a full 360-degree 3D workspace, along with a new panoramic viewer and support for popular VR headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. GPU acceleration makes it extremely fast so users can wear a headset and interact with elements in a VR scene in real-time. In addition to all of the new features, Fusion 9 has more GPU and OpenCL acceleration, and support for additional formats and file types such as DNxHR, and MXF. Blackmagic Design also announced a price reduction for Fusion Studio from 995 to only 299 USD. It costs less than most annual cloud based subscription plans! [source]

Red Giant Software announced Trapcode Suite 14, a major update of its popular toolset for creating motion graphics and visual effects in Adobe After Effects. It introduces new versions of Trapcode Particular (v3.0), and Trapcode Form (v3.0), as well as an updated version of Trapcode Tao. The new Trapcode Particular 3 features GPU acceleration through OpenGL, newly overhauled Designer, multiple systems, the ability to use 3D models and animated OBJ sequences as particle emitters and images in compositions as particles by assigning them to a 2D sprite or textured polygon, new presets, and more. The new Trapcode Form 3 also adds new Designer, 3D model support, sprites and polygons etc. Trapcode Suite 14 is out now priced at 199 USD, upgrades and academic licenses are 99 USD. [source]

IK Multimedia announced that Syntronik, their synth powerhouse for Mac and PC, is now available and shipping from the IK Online Store and select IK resellers for 299.99 USD/EUR, and 199.99 USD/EUR cross grade price ex. VAT. The virtual synthesizer combines advanced sampling techniques with a new hybrid sampling and modeling synthesis engine to provide players and producers with an expansive collection of vintage synthesizers to date. Syntronik contains 17 instruments -- available as a single collection or separately -- and more than 2000 ready-to-use presets that recreate 38 of the most iconic and rare synthesizers ever produced including Moog Modular, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, ARP 2600, Oberheim SEM, Yamaha CS-80, Roland Jupiter-4, Roland TB-303, Alesis Andromeda and more! Each synth in Syntronik was meticulously multi-sampled using the most advanced techniques available, creating a library of over 50 GB and 70,000 samples. [source]