Acoustica has released Mixcraft 4 recording studio software (Windows; $64.95 download, $74.95 boxed). This new version adds virtual instruments and MIDI sequencing to the software's existing feature set, allowing you to record, compose, edit, and mix music, all within the same application.

Mixcraft 4 comes bundled with a number of virtual instruments, including the MinimogueVA classic analog synthesizer recreation, the VB3 Organ virtual tonewheel organ with rotary speaker emulator, the Impulse polyphonic analog synthesizer, the Acoustica Instruments collection of multisampled instruments, and the Acoustica Grand Piano and Acoustica Classical Piano sampled grand pianos. The software also works with third-party virtual instruments in VSTi format.

Furthermore, Mixcraft 4 includes a guitar amplifier modeling plug-in effect, a visual spectrum analyzer effect, and 880 new sound effects.

Mixcraft 4 is optimized for use in Microsoft Windows Vista. You can download a free 7-day trial of Mixcraft 4 at www.acoustica.com/mixcraft. Please check Acoustica's Web site for upgrade pricing.