Today's Top Stories:

  GearFest '08 Workshops Part III
As part of our continued look at the workshops you'll be able to attend at our upcoming GearFest '08 Pro Audio and Music Expo on May 31st, here are the four workshops that will take place at 1:00PM:

Video with Vegas Pro
Representatives from Sony will be taking you step-by-step through all the features of their highly acclaimed Vegas Pro 8 video production suite. Learn exactly how today's professionals edit video and audio, add surround sound music and effects, and author DVDs.

The MOTU Studio
Presenter Dave Roberts will show you how MOTU's Digital Performer, audio and MIDI interfaces, and virtual instruments offer a complete recording solution. Come away with a better understanding of the many ways MOTU can streamline the process of capturing, editing, and sweetening your audio.

Sound for Worship & the Peavey Sanctuary Series
Presenter Kent Morris will show you ways to make your worship system sound even better, without even breaking a sweat. Kent knows what he's talking about; he's the technical editor and an advisor for publications that include Worship Leader, CCM, Your Church, and Technologies for Worship.

Multi Platinum Pro Tools Production with Pro Tools
Presenter Nathan Adam will help you learn the production techniques of the pros! He'll take you through the process of song production, right from the rough tracks to a polished, produced final mix. If you're a new Pro Tools user (or even a veteran), ' be certain to come away with a few new tricks up your sleeve!

...and that's just at 1:00 - for full details, check out the complete GearFest event schedule. We hope we'll see you there!

  Updates and Upgrades
There is a new public beta version of the popular Access Virus TI software. Version 2.7 provides initial support for the new Virus TI Snow. Along with its bug fixes, it also provides some exciting new features, plus additional USB outputs and support for multiple Viruses in a single system. Just a few of the new features include:

• The Atomizer: a Glitch/Beat chop effect, controllable via keyboard.
  
• Extra USB outputs, bringing the total USB outputs to three. Note: accessing this feature removes the ability to use the TI as an audio interface.
  

  Guitar of the Day
At first glance, you might think you're looking at a Les Paul Goldtop with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece added. Now look closer. Okay, there's a sharper point on the cutaway. The correct term for this is a Florentine cutaway. The position markers are pearl parallelograms and the pickguard has a handpainted floral and vine pattern. So is this an ES-295? No, since those had hollow bodies with real f-holes. What you're actually admiring is a brand-new hybrid between a Les Paul and an ES-295 called (appropriately enough) the LP-295! For those of you who have always wished Gibson would build a Les Paul again with the Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, this could be exactly what you're looking for. You certainly don't need us to tell you that Les Paul Goldtops are hot again, and this Guitar of the Day is practically smoking! Under the gold paint job is a solid carved maple top set onto a premium mahogany body - just like all Les Pauls. And those of you who love that '50s rounded profile neck will be thrilled that Gibson chose it over the thinner '60s "slim-taper" neck.

The single-ply binding is antique cream colored and perfectly matches the color of both the pickguard and the pickup rings. The choice rosewood fingerboard has the warm feel you've come to love and the pearl position markers add just the right touch of class. For a guitar this special, Gibson wasn't about to just drop in any old humbucking pickup. No sir, these are '57 Classic humbuckers (with a '57 Classic Plus in the bridge position), so when this baby sings, the tone is smooth and smoky with all the complex midrange you expect from a premium humbucker, not to mention the tight bass and richly detailed treble. But, of course, the star of the show just might be the addition of the stainless steel Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. Very few Les Pauls were made back in the 1950s with Bigsbys, and the ones that were often got replaced with the standard Gibson stop tailpiece. Sacrilege! What were these people thinking? With the right touch, Bigsbys never have tuning problems. They're not meant for dive-bomb drops or wide waggles, but those who have owned a Bigsby-equipped guitar know they are truly unique! Gibson is only going to build 1,000 of these, thus assuring collectibility somewhere down the road. Add in a deluxe, plush-lined hardshell case, and free FedEx shipping right to your door. Now you're talking our language!