Logic Express 9 Update

Today Apple released a major update to Logic Studio with more than over 200 new features and enhancements. The new version includes Logic Pro 9, MainStage 2, Soundtrack Pro 3, Compressor 3.5, and WaveBurner 1.6.

Apple says Logic is for “guitar players, live performers, and all musicians who record, edit, and mix their own music.

The center of Logic Studio is Logic Pro 9, which makes it easier than ever to create your own compositions. Produce and play nearly any sound imaginable with a huge collection of effects, instruments, and loops, including the new Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins. Use MainStage 2 to perform live with the instruments, amps, effects, and sounds you used to make your tracks. Logic Studio also comes with applications and utilities that expand your creative options into audio post-production and mastering.

Logic boasts:

* Flex Time lets you manipulate audio timing and tempo like never before.
* Build dream guitar rigs with the new Amp Designer and Pedalboard.
MainStage 2 with new Playback and Loopback features let you take your Mac to the stage.
* Inspire your music with more than 1,000 instruments.
* Everything musicians need to write, record, produce, and perform on a Mac.
* Logic Pro 9 for do-it-yourself musicians to write, edit, record, and mix their own compositions.
* Shape your sound using more than 80 studio-quality effect plug-ins, including vintage and modern compressors, delays, reverbs, and more.
* New Amp Designer to help you re-create the sound of 25 legendary amps and 25 speaker cabinets.
* New Pedalboard with an assortment of 30 virtual stompbox pedals inspired by the classics.
* 20,000 royalty-free Apple Loops from all the Jam Pack collections.
* Soundtrack Pro 3, a streamlined audio post-production application for film and video.

The U.S. retail price of Logic Studio is $499.99. Current owners of Logic Studio or Logic Pro can purchase an upgrade for $199.99. Current owners of Logic Express can purchase an upgrade for $299.99. Upgrades are available only for retail versions.

“Click here to see Logic Studio.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74231
“Click here to see the Logic Studio Upgrade from Logic Pro 6, 7, or Logic Platinum or Gold 5, 6.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74232
“Click here to see the Apple Logic Studio Upgrade from Logic Express 6, 7, or 8.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74233

If you’re a musician that uses GarageBand, you must “read this excellent GarageBand vs Logic Comparison on Macworld.com”:http://www.macworld.com/article/141775/2009/07/logic_studio_garageband.html

I got an email today from my brother who said that his iPhone had gotten wet. There’s definitely hope for it, but it was an important reminder that the best thing to do when a computer, phone or other device meets potentially disastrous liquid consequences is to turn it off and leave it off.

The worst thing that can happen is that if you turn the device on while it’s still wet, it may short circuit because the electricity + water = bad. Advice ranges from using low heat to putting the device in rice to help suck out the moisture. Neither will hurt it, but the best advice our techs can give is to simply leave the affected device off for 3-5 days.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes. Stay tuned for our regular news in next week’s issue!

Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Kali & Ed_

__See below for rebate details.__

Microsoft has released a *Service Pack update for Office 2008 for Mac,* and it delivers substantial changes. Service Pack 2 not only includes stability fixes, but additional features for PowerPoint and speed increases for Word and Excel.

Among the featured *general Office 2008 improvements* (from Microsoft):

* *Stability is improved.*
This update fixes an issue that causes Office 2008 applications to exit unexpectedly when you open or use the applications.

* *New controls for changing the alignment of text on chart elements.*
This update includes new controls for setting the vertical position, orientation, and custom angle of text in chart elements. It also includes controls for data label positions.

Among the improvements in *Word:*

* *Notebook Layout View recovers audio notes after Word closes unexpectedly.*
This update fixes an issue that causes users to lose their audio notes when Word closes unexpectedly. When you restart Word, the AutoRecover file does not include the audio notes. This issue is fixed now.

* *Compatibility with Word 2007 is improved.*
This update fixes an issue that causes a Word 2007 document that has table borders not to be displayed correctly when the document is viewed in Word 2008 for Mac.

Among the improvements in *Excel:*

* *Reliability is improved when you open a protected workbook.*
This update fixes an issue that causes a protected workbook not to open.

* *Performance and Stability are improved.*
This update fixes an issue that causes slow performance and fixes an issue that causes Excel to close unexpectedly when you enter arguments in a specific order or when you right-click a Chart Sheet, and then you click Select Data.

Among the improvements in *PowerPoint:*

* *Double-clicking a slide to add a text box.*
This update lets you double-click a slide to add a text box.

* *Path animation enables an object to trace a custom path.*
This update now lets you add and edit path animations on a PowerPoint slide. Path animation (also known as motion path) for an object traces a custom path for the object to follow across a slide. Unlike the entrance or exit effect, you can use a path animation to move the object on the slide from one position to another in any direction you want. You can apply path animation to any object, such as shapes, text, tables, or pictures.

The update applies to all versions of the Office 2008 suite as well as the individual applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel); it is just under 300MB(!).

“Download here”:http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.mspx or use the Microsoft AutoUpdate within your application to install this update. (To use Microsoft AutoUpdate, click Check for Updates once you’ve launched any component of Office 2008 and follow the instructions.)

__Be prepared: This update may take a little while to download. In my case, it seemed like foooorever…__

For a complete list of the new features and improvements, visit “Microsoft’s Support page for Office 2008.”:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973254

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*BONUS: We’re offering an instant $20 rebate on Microsoft Office 2008 Home and Student Edition. Final cost: $129.99.*
“Buy it now!”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/70713

_Dear Friends,_

It’s Kali, writing for Don this week while he and Grace are cavorting down South on their latest motorcycle journey. It’s been an exciting week due to the surprise upgrades to Final Cut Studio, Logic Studio and Logic Express.

Ed has covered the upgrades to Final Cut Studio 3, Logic Studio and Logic Express 9 in-depth below, and he’s a great one to write about them because he’s our resident video specialist and has extensive experience with the software.

To see what Final Cut 3 is capable of, “view it in action here.”:http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/in-action/

We’re offering an instant $100 rebate on Final Cut 3, along with some other goodies, as well as an instant $25 rebate on the Final Cut Studio 3 Upgrade–all with free shipping. (Scroll down for more.) Other big news? Apple has also once again returned huge numbers in their Q3 earnings announcement.

We also have been hard at work tweaking our mail server so that we can be sure that Kibbles & Bytes is delivered to you in a timely fashion (and just once)! We apologize to those of you who have gotten duplicates in the past week. If you have any further issues with delivery, please direct your emails to the “Contact Us” link in the footer of this newsletter.

If you would like to read past copies of Kibbles & Bytes, click below to view our archives:
“Kibbles & Bytes Archives”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/

Read on for all of the exciting product updates and more!

This week we have great offer on a Small Dog Refurbished 4GB iPod nano 3G in silver. This is the square iPod nano that came out before the current rectangular version. The iPod nano 3G can play music, videos, podcasts, some games, and is compatible with the Nike+ Sport Kit.

We’ve bundled it with an arm band, screen protecter, and car charger, all for only $89.99. “Click here to see this.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag19317

Small Dog’s Apple-certified technicians test and bring the product to current specifications. iPods carry a 90-day Small Dog Electronics limited warranty come complete with all accessories (unless otherwise noted).