Blue Cat Audio has released Blue Cat’s Plug’n Script 3.6, a free update for its audio and MIDI scripting software that can be programmed to create your own effects or virtual instruments.

This major update brings long-awaited features including private output parameters, DSP state persistency, enhanced MIDI control, Windows multitouch support, performance improvements, numerous fixes, and a lot more.

New In Plug’n Script 3.6:

Scripting / Audio DSP:

• Private output params support (same as outputParams, but not exposed to host).
• Script state persistency API to save the dsp script’s internal state.
• Fixed DSP script sometimes reloaded twice upon preset load.
• Fixed rare « Internal error » popup messages upon loading the user interface under heavy memory load and many user interface scripts.
• Fixed VST3 Instrument plug-in version not routing to aux channels properly in some host applications and sometimes producing white noise instead of silence.
• Reduced CPU usage in DSP thread.
• Fixed output strings corruption and random crashes when switching quickly between scripts that use different output string sizes.

User Interface:

• Added 20 new knobs styles, and 3 types of sliders for automatically generated user interfaces.
• New scalable vector graphics for parameters groups.
• New graphics for built-in analog meters.
• Windows multitouch support (manipulate multiple controls at the same time with several fingers).
• Export plug-in windows is now non-modal, fixing crashes when trying to export a plug-in while hosted in Logic Pro.
• Reload script icon is back in the main toolbar.
• Windows accessibility: native system widgets are now scaled according to text size settings on Windows 8 and newer in settings windows.
• Minor Graphics optimizations for Hi resolution displays.
• Improved user interface loading time on slow hard drives.
• Optimized size of image resources for GUIs.
• Fixed window opacity changes not shown in plug-in when host application modifies it.
• Fixed selected text in text edit box sometimes not easy to read on Mac depending on the color scheme.
• Fixed text edit boxes sometimes loosing focus when hovering mouse over other controls.
• Fixed Mac installers not showing brand image in dark mode.
• Fixed audio I/O selection not always appearing in audio/MIDI settings for exported standalone applications.
• Fixed some exported plug-ins starting with no parameters upon launch.
• Fixed 3D Views openGL issues on retina displays for recent versions of MacOS.
• Windows: multiple GUI display and HiDPI performance improvements.
• Windows: fixed context menu not always displayed in the right position when the window spans across several screens with different DPI.
• Windows: fixed return key sometimes unexpectedly forwarded to host while typing in a text edit box.
• Fixed revert current preset not always triggering undo properly.
• Fixed gradients not displayed properly on MacOS Tahoe when loaded in applications built with older versions of the MacOS SDK (Apple Bug).

MIDI Control:

• All plug-in parameters can now be controlled with MIDI notes, pitch bend, NRPN, 14-bit CCs, aftertouch or channel pressure, in addition to MIDI CC.
• MIDI settings window can now be resized to display more parameters.
• Optimized MIDI settings window display on Windows (load time and scroll).
• MIDI Settings window now splits parameters into multiple pages for faster access.
• MIDI Settings window now shows custom display names if any.
• Optimized preset load upon MIDI messages when using several hundreds of user presets.
• Fixed plug-in sending Bank number 0 when loading a preset that is not located in a bank.
• Fixed audio dropouts when navigating presets via next/previous and plug-in set to send MIDI Program Change messages.

Standalone Application:

• Windows: ASIO driver now keeps running when ASIO Control panel is opened from the app audio preferences.
• Windows: the application now follows ASIO driver buffer changes made in the ASIO control panel or external ASIO configuration app.
• Performance: application now automatically selects the minimum number of I/O required from the driver.
• Fixed audio dropouts when selecting MIDI output devices in preferences while using many MIDI devices.

Pricing & Availability

The update is free for registered V3 customers and can be downloaded from the same location as the original full version. Demo versions are available for download on www.bluecataudio.com for Mac and PC, and a special offer (20% off) is in place until March 31st (79 EUR or $79 instead of 99).

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Sound-design experts BOOM Library have just launched a new and improved library that improves upon one of their most popular legacy titles. 

Yesterday was 3 March – thus 303 Day, an annual – and somewhat niche – celebration of the iconic Roland TB-303 Bass Line synthesizer.

But even if you missed the day itself, fear not, as Plugin Boutique is hosting this killer deal on Roland’s own TB-303 plugin version until 8 March, which includes 67% off, bringing the price tag down from £133 to just £43.

[deals ids=”7dAHxL0IZ0Aa6iYud1CHk4″]

Though now an iconic unit and something of a cult classic, the physical Roland TB-303 has had a rocky history. 

Launched in 1981, the TB-303 was a synthesizer which emulated the sound of real bass guitars, but became known for its somewhat unnatural, squelchy character and was initially a commercial failure, leading to its discontinuation in 1984.

• READ MORE: “There’s no other machine that has a sound so remarkable” – Artists give their take on the TB-303

In the years following, producers recognised its potential for EDM subgenres like acid house and techno, and it has since built a cult following among electronic musicians.

The original TB-303 featured a single oscillator which offered either a sawtooth or square wave, followed by a 24 dB/octave low-pass filter and envelope generator. Roland’s TB-303 Software Bass Line stays true to the original architecture, giving producers the sound that helped shape genres in a single plugin.

“Some instruments are so groundbreaking they create entire musical genres,” says Plugin Boutique. “The TB-303 is one of these influential instruments, but it wasn’t always seen that way.

“ When Roland released the TB-303 in 1981, it was marketed as a computerised bass machine to simulate a traditional bass guitar, but didn’t quite catch on. Later on, inventive electronic musicians discovered the 303, often on the secondhand market, and found new uses for its recognisably fluid low end…

“While we may never really understand why the 303 sound makes people want to dance, there’s no denying its power, influence and unwavering ability to get a party started.

It’s a rich legacy, and one which you can add to your production arsenal right now for just £43.

Learn more at Plugin Boutique.

The post Missed 303 Day? Fear not – this Roland TB-303 plugin is still 67% off until 8 March appeared first on MusicTech.

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Apple has unveiled its latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, featuring its next-generation M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, delivering “blazing-fast” performance for the most demanding of music projects.

The new MacBook Pro comes in 14- and 16-inch configurations, with the former available with an M5, M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, and the latter with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. Meanwhile the fresh MacBook Air comes in 13- and 15-inch options, with the M5 chip as standard in both.

• READ MORE: We’re deep into a RAM crisis — will music gear prices go up?

These machines – the new MacBook Pro, in particular – are squarely aimed at professionals seeking the most up-to-date and technologically capable laptop for their most demanding projects. So for musicians and music producers working with complex and CPU-intensive projects on the regular, they’ll come as a tantalising prospect.

• READ MORE: Novation unveils the latest generation of its Launch Control DAW controller: here’s everything you need to know

Should you consider the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air as a music producer?

Any of us who work with modern music software are well aware of its CPU demands, particularly when you get into complex-project territory with lots of tracks and plugins all operating simultaneously.

You’ll also sympathise with the feeling that a machine that felt fast and capable when you bought it seems to grow slower over time as new software is released with greater and greater system requirements.

These new MacBook models and their respective M5 chips arrive as the most up-to-date and advanced of Apple’s current lineup, and promise to comfortably handle even the most demanding of DAW projects.

Generally, music production isn’t quite as taxing on a computer as other disciplines like video editing, with the latter placing relatively greater demands on the machine’s CPU and GPU. The case could be made therefore that for many producers, the latest MacBooks and their chips – particularly the M5 Pro and M5 Max – might be a little overkill. Unless you’re working with incredibly complex projects – with stacks of CPU-intensive plugins running in tandem – you’ll probably get by just fine with one of Apple’s older MacBooks.

Generally, as a minimum requirement for music production, you’ll want your machine to have a quad-core processor and at least 8GB RAM (16GB is generally recommended). The new MacBooks’ M5 chips feature up to 18 cores, with “unified memory” – meaning the CPU, GPU and RAM are all on a single chip – starting at 24GB or 36GB. So it’s more than enough, put it that way.

That said, you can never have too much processing power, so if you’ve got the cash to spend, nabbing a one of the new M5-equipped MacBooks could be a smart way to future-proof your workflow for years to come.

New MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – features at a glance

The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips found in the new MacBook Pro feature Apple-designed Fusion Architecture and are “engineered from the ground up for AI”, Apple says. They feature up to 18 cores, with six super cores (“the world’s fastest core”) and 12 new performance cores, optimised for “multithreaded pro workloads” and delivering up to 30% faster performance.

Elsewhere, the new MacBook Pro promises up to 2x faster read/write performance than the previous generation, with speeds up to 14.5GB/s.

In terms of storage, the M5 Pro-equipped MacBook Pro comes with 1TB of storage as standard, while the M5 Max-equipped MacBook Pro comes with 2TB. Meanwhile, the 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with 1TB storage.

It’s worth noting, too, that the previous generation M4 Pro-equipped MacBook Pro started with 512GB storage, so considering the ever-increasing size of music software libraries, the new generation MacBook Pro could be a solid future-proofing option.

Elsewhere, you get a best-in-class Liquid Retina XDR display and a host of connectivity including three Thunderbolt 5 ports, 8K compatible HDMI, an SDXC card slot for quick media import, and MagSafe 3 charger port for fast charging.

Meanwhile, the new MacBook Air comes with a 10-core M5 chip with a Neural Accelerator in each core for enhanced workflows, plus 512GB starting storage and a Liquid Retina display, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Both the new MacBook Pro and MacBook feature a wealth of specs geared towards AI and LLM processing in a range of disciplines from image generation and video editing to music production.

New MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – pricing and availability

• MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 Pro – starts at $2,199 / $2,049 for education
• MacBook Pro 16-inch with M5 Pro – starts at $2,699 / $2,499 for education
• MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 Max – starts at $3,599 / $3,299 for education
• MacBook Pro 16-inch with M5 Max – starts at $3,899 / $3,599 for education
• MacBook Air 13-inch with M5 – starts at $1,099 / $999 for education
• MacBook Air 15-inch with M5 – starts at $1,299 / $1,199 for education

All models are available for pre-order now, with Apple promising the first models to be delivered to customers and available in Apple Store locations and at Apple Authorized Resellers starting Wednesday, 11 March.

The MacBook Pro in all configurations comes in both space black and silver, while the MacBook Air comes in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

Learn more at the Apple Newsroom.

The post How Apple’s new M5 Pro and M5 Max-equipped MacBook Pro could supercharge your music projects appeared first on MusicTech.

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