Jaws dropped during our live demonstrations, where NAMM attendees got a sneak peek at version 6. Now a full-featured digital audio workstation, ACID Pro 6 software is music creation reformulated, with professional features such as multitrack audio and MIDI recording, comprehensive MIDI sequencing, and Mackie® Control support. You'll see this new DAW functionality graphically represented with the equation shown above, which uses icons to represent loops, multitrack recording, and MIDI sequencing.

George Ware, Greg Mitchell and Billy Townes from the MacMoney production team demonstrated some of these incredible new features, showcasing live keyboard and vocal performances that kept the booth buzzing about new ACID capabilities.

ACID Pro 6 software wasn't the only big news at NAMM. We also had 'Fretless Monster' Tony Franklin (The Firm, Whitesnake) on hand to perform and discuss the creation of our new loop library, Tony Franklin: Not Just Another Pretty Bass. To celebrate the launch, we held a drawing for a brand new Fender® Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass®. This release is the first of two collections in our Artist Integrated™ series, a new concept in loop libraries designed to help you make better music, faster.

Music legend Mick Fleetwood also stopped by to sign copies of his Total Drumming loop library. Fleetwood discussed the legitimacy of computer musicians, and offers his loop collection as a way for you to incorporate his signature drumming style into your own music productions.

For more information about ACID Pro 6 software or the Sony® Sound Series™ loops and samples collection, visit our website.

Welcome to the world of Artist Integrated loop libraries! A fresh, exciting new concept in loop library design and implementation, Artist Integrated libraries help you create better music, faster.

A Sony Sound Series exclusive, the Artist Integrated series includes pairs or groups of sample libraries that are designed to work seamlessly together. How? Each Artist Integrated library has fifteen sessions. Each session's loops are contained in a seperate folder on the CD, and they fully integrate with the loops in the same folder on that library's Artist Integrated partner title(s). Work within the sessions to get the tightest possible loop combinations and the quickest results.

Our first Artist Integrated release includes Tony Franklin: Not Just Another Pretty Bass and The Best of Siggi Baldursson: The Drum Loops. Hear for yourself the difference Artist Integration makes. To listen to sample tracks or watch a video interview with Tony Franklin, click here.

They say two heads are better than one, and two programs can be better than one as well. ACID Pro software certainly subscribes to that philosophy, because it incorporates the ReWire™ protocol.

ReWire allows two compatible programs to work together as one integrated program. For example, although ACID Pro 5 software ships with three software synthesizers, those who are deep into its MIDI capabilities might like to incorporate a larger suite of synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers.

ReWire to the rescue: It's possible to ReWire Propellerhead Reason™, which includes a ton of great sound generators, into ACID Pro software and treat Reason like an ACID "synth rack." Cakewalk Project5™ and Arturia® Storm Music Studio are other ReWire-compatible programs that are packed with instruments and work well with ACID Pro software. Basically, an ACID Pro MIDI track drives each software synthesizer, and each synth output shows up as a channel in the ACID mixer window. Yes, it's that simple.

Incidentally, some people think that ReWire is a CPU-intensive protocol, but it's not. Running two sophisticated programs at the same time can hit your computer hard, but ACID Pro software is quite efficient; most modern (or even semi-modern computers) should be able to run ACID Pro software and a second ReWire-compatible program without problems.

Here's how to rewire Reason into ACID Pro software. In ACID, go to Insert > Soft Synth. Instead of inserting a soft synth, click on the "ReWire Devices" tab. You'll see a list of ReWire-compatible devices installed on your computer, along with their available outputs. Continued

We've got the drummer. We've got the bass player. Now all we need is you to create a winning rock power trio á la Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Nirvana, and The Police.

Using loops from our new Artist Integrated sample libraries, create a 30-second slice of power music that not only displays your chops, but demonstrates your ability to interconnect your playing with the backing tracks. Integrate yourself with our Artist Integrated libraries!

The Grand Prize winner will receive a SWR WorkingPro™ 15 200 Watt 1x15" Bass Combo Amp. For contest details or to enter, go to http://www.acidplanet.com/powertrip. Rock on!

Called "the hottest thing since the Chicago fire," the Lavender Cabaret is bringing classic burlesque with a few modern touches to the Chicago stage. Founded by Michelle "Toots" L'amour and Franky Vivid in 2001, LavCab recalls Busby Berkeley productions and the Zeigfield Follies rather than the "go-go" acts of the 1950s and 60s. "We... opt for a 'less is more' attitude," says Mr. Vivid, LavCab's musician and videographer. "Although we maintain a nostalgic feel for entertainment, we set everything in a modern setting, using the best cutting edge technology and multimedia. We don't aim to copy what the pioneers did, but to do what they might do today given today's resources."

Those resources include the exclusive use of Sony Creative Software products ACID Pro, Sound Forge®, Vegas, and DVD Architect software. "Vegas software is the most important tool in our show," states Vivid. "We use LOTS of multimedia and project it on giant screens on the stage. We film original pieces to compliment the live show in addition to creating visual backdrops for the big performance numbers." In addition to the bump and grind numbers one expects from a burlesque show, Lavender Cabaret produces a "Follies" style floorshow called "FemmeTV." The show features Ms. L'amour and her Fabulous Sugarbabies spoofing television shows and commercials. "Sound Forge software is a valuable tool to help design the sound of the show," says Vivid. "We use it for sound effects as well as dividing up the old jazz pieces into individual beats to make it possible to remix them; those old burlesque jazz cats were never anywhere close to a steady tempo… they must've have been paying more attention to the dancing girls." Read the full story