Audiofile Engineering has released 1.1 of FiRe their professional field recording App for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Features include varispeed playback, multiple VU meter styles including K-System scales, adjustable input gain plus public or private uploads to SoundCloud, web server authentication, the ability to add a picture reference to the recording, and the ability to name and rename marker points. The app is $5.99 and requires Alesis ProTrack (www.alesis.com) or Blue Mikey (www.bluemic.com) hardware.

Waves’ responsed to queries about the move with this:

“If users wish to purchase the APA we will take the order , however it is important they understand it is V5 supported only. As we do not wish to confuse the users, we removed it from the (product) list and deal with the requests directly, this way we can explain the system and its support directly to the end user.”

I realize it’s a touchy issue whenever a company backs away from a product, especially in this price range, but this seems like an odd way to do it. There’s no mention of the products in the hardware section of their website, nor did they announce the move to stop supporting the units with software updates past version 5. However, if you happen to ask about it, they’ll sell you one.

The Model 76DB Central Controller is rack mountable and offers two surround (5.1) and three stereo (2-channel) digital inputs that are compatible with AES3id sources. Sample rates of up to 192 kHz and bit depth of up to 24 are directly supported. Exceptional dynamic range and extremely low distortion ensure that the audio quality of each source is maintained. Sample rate conversion (SRC) is available on one input (stereo input C).