Minnetonka Audio Software has announced the release of a new version of its AudioTools Audio Workflow Engine software product. The product is certified to run on Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard."

AudioTools AWE is a complete solution for the automated alteration of digital audio assets. Existing files can be post–processed or repurposed quickly and easily, in a completely predefined way. With over two dozen different signal and file processing functions, AudioTools AWE allows you to specify an end–to–end file handling and DSP chain of actions that can be run in an unattended fashion.

With eleven new features to enhance operation, along with performance and stability improvements and user interface updates, AudioTools AWE version 1.5 significantly reduces an engineer's need to perform repetitive tasks. Via the Output Sets feature, a single interleaved source file can be deinterleaved, processed through a complex DSP chain including VST plug–ins, and then delivered as multiple output files in multiple formats simultaneously. Output formats include AIFF, AC-3, AU, MP3, SDII, W64 and WAV.

AudioTools AWE version 1.5 also speeds surround sound jobs with improved multi-channel I/O handling. Support has been added for upmixing plug–ins that generate multiple output files from stereo sources. Hot Folders, directories automatically watched by AWE for source file additions, are now surround–aware as well.

"The development team has really expanded AWE 1.5 by adding multiple output file types from a single source file. Along with improvements for handling very large source file collections and surround I/O, this new version of AudioTools AWE is a boon for broadcasters, A/V and film post houses, game developers, music libraries and mastering facilities everywhere," said John Schur, President of Minnetonka Audio Software. "Considering that the product provides certified support for key audio technologies for entertainment, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and the increasingly popular Dolby Media Meter, AWE is an indispensable application for any audio post facility."

Version 1.5 of the AudioTools AWE automated signal processing package is a free upgrade for existing users, and is available from Minnetonka Audio Software online or at your local retailer for $795.