Just because Logic Studio now includes everything from every previous GarageBand Jam Pack doesn't mean that Apple (www.apple.com) has stopped developing new sound libraries for purchase. The latest Jam Pack, Voices ($99), supplies nearly 3 GB comprising more than 1,500 Apple Loops and 28 software instruments constructed from sampled vocals. The variety of sounds is impressive, from divas, rappers, and classical ensembles to vocoder and human beatbox. You'll find all manner of background harmonies, lyrical passages, and solo embellishments in styles ranging from pop, jazz, and gospel to square-dance calls and Bollywood. In addition to several complete choirs, Voice's selection of software instruments furnishes spoken phrases, shouts, whistles, and body sounds.

The hang is a unique handmade acoustic instrument whose popularity has been catapulted by YouTube. It's a sort of hollow steel drum (aka steel pan) played with the fingers. The hang is made only by a tiny Swiss company called PanArt and resulted from years of research on resonating percussion from around the world. Soniccouture (www.soniccouture.com), always on the prowl for esoteric sounds, has sampled two models of the hang and created Hang Drum ($100 download, $106 disc), a 2.4 GB library for Kontakt 2 and 3. With as many as 21 Velocity layers, each instrument takes advantage of Kontakt's scripting and has a built-in generative pattern sequencer. Hang Drum also allows you to use MIDI Control Changes for real-time parameter control.