Cycling '74 have released MAX/MSP v4.5, a major upgrade to its graphical programming environment for audio and media. This release also sees the introduction of compatibility updates of Pluggo (v3.2), Mode (v1.1) and Jitter.

New Features in Max/MSP include:

• Complete ReWire slave support with objects for retrieving and controlling all ReWire host information.
• Visualization tools for audio signals, including sonogram and spectrogram displays and a new VU-style meter with adjustable ballistics.
• Anti-aliased oscillators with a warm, analog sound.
• A preset management system with parameter morphing and file storage in human-readable XML.
• Sample-accurate audio signal step sequencing.
• New high-quality realtime pitch and frequency shifting objects based on intelligent audio signal analysis.
• Mastering quality dynamics-processing objects based on using award-winning technology licensed from Octiv Inc.
• Scalable anti-aliased 2-D and 3-D graphical user interface elements driven by JavaScript.
• The ability to define new Max objects using JavaScript, with built-in script editing and more than 40 included examples.
• Integrated Java language support, including dozens of networking, multimedia and list-handling example applications.

Max and Max/MSP 4.5 are now available for both Mac OS X and Windows XP at Cycling '74 dealers worldwide. Registered Max users can upgrade to Max 4.5 for $100 ($120 after September 30) and Max/MSP users can upgrade for $149 ($179 after September 30) directly from Cycling '74. The MSRP for Max 4.5 is $250, Max/MSP is $495, and the Max/MSP/Jitter bundle is $850.