Today's Top Stories:

  JBL LSR4300 Series Monitors Now in Stock
Only the JBL LSR4300 Series was designed from the ground up to be the very first professional studio monitor with comprehensive computer connectivity, networking capabilities, and JBL's awesome automatic room compensation. There are two monitors in the series, the LSR4326 and the LSR4328. Both are 2-way bi-amplified speakers, but the LSR 4326 has a 6" woofer and 1" tweeter, while the LSR4328 has an 8" woofer and 1" tweeter. Both are available individually or in pairs. Both incorporate JBL's latest studio innovation, Linear Spacial Reference Technology. JBL's RMC (Room Mode Correction) system includes a specially designed analyzer built into each speaker that automatically analyzes and compensates for room problems caused by standing waves and boundary proximity (which, trust us, are bad things). Just plug the LSR4300 calibration microphone into the speaker and push a button. Yup, it's that easy to assure you get a perfect mix every time.

  $50 Back!
It's always nice to find an extra $50 in your pocket and even more so during the holidays. The generous people over at Antares must think so, too, because they announced a $50 factory rebate on any copy of AVOX purchased by a registered owner of Auto-Tune 4 from now until January 15th of 2006. If you purchased Auto-Tune 4, you'll be getting an e-mail message from Antares announcing the rebate. Once you buy and register a copy of AVOX, all you'll have to do is go to a special Antares Web page where you'll provide the purchase date, the dealer's name (Sweetwater, of course) and your name and address. If you don't already own a copy of Auto-Tune, you can purchase it along with AVOX and get the $50 check as long as the purchase is made before January 15th.

  Texas Attorney General Takes Action Against Sony
We told you recently about some software that Sony added to a number of CDs. The company's reasoning was sound: They wanted to protect their music releases against piracy. Unfortunately, the company went just a wee bit over the line and now Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, is taking Sony BMG Music Entertainment to court for its use of "illegal spyware." The suit is the first filed since the state passed an anti-spyware law earlier this year and it alleges that Sony installed hidden spyware on millions of CDs which, if inserted into a computer, could severely compromise the integrity of the entire system. Essentially, the CDs in question would install files onto consumers' computers that hide - or "cloak" - other files that can potentially cause these computers to become easy prey to viruses and other malicious forms of attack. On its Web site, Sony says that all affected CDs were recalled, however investigators say they were able to purchase such discs as recently as this past Sunday. For each violation of the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005, the Attorney General is seeking civil penalties of $10,000 plus attorney's fees and investigation costs.

  New In Stock At Sweetwater

• Korg TR76 Music Workstation - For those who wanted a 76-note version of the new Korg TR Series Music Workstation, it's here! The TR61 is already one of the hottest keyboards we have and the TR76 should prove just as popular with its extended velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard. The onboard sounds, which include a new stereo grand piano, are superb, and there are plenty of them, with 470 high-quality multisamples and 518 drum and percussion sounds. The TR76 is built around the time-tested Korg Hyper Integrated sound engine and includes all the features you'd expect from a sophisticated workstation, like a killer arpeggiator, onboard 200,000-note sequencer, studio-quality multi-effects, and much more. What you won't expect is the surprisingly affordable price.
• TASCAM HD-P2 Portable High Definition Recorder - We originally told you about the HD-P2 last month. Now it's here and it's even cooler than we anticipated. Co-developed with Frontier Systems, this is compact, portable recorder can record audio via onboard XLR mic inputs (with phantom power) onto convenient Compact Flash media at resolutions up to 24-bit and sampling rates up to 192kHz. The audio files can transferred to Mac or PC via a FireWire connection. It has lots of high-end features, such as built-in synchronization using timecode, a large, angled LCD display, and an intuitive user interface.

  Guitar Of The Day
To date, we have not included a single nylon-string guitar in our "Guitar of the Day" feature. Let's take this opportunity to rectify this oversight. First a tiny bit of trivia: Until recently, the terms "Spanish" guitar, "classical" guitar and "nylon-string" guitar were used pretty interchangeably. If you want to get picky about it, all acoustic guitar designs are decendents of the early Spanish stringed instruments of the late 18th century. By the 1800s, several prominent luthiers were building what we might today call a nylon-string classical guitar. The first steel-string acoustics weren't built until the C. F. Martin company introduced their small-bodied Style 17 in about 1922. By the 1930s, the company expanded its steel-string line, while continuing to also build "traditional" nylon-string instruments. Today, many companies offer nylon-string guitars, but only a few build true "classical" nylon-string guitars, and that includes Manuel Rodriguez. Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide, the Rodriguez 100th Anniversary model features a solid German spruce top and solid Madagascar rosewood back and sides. Inside the body is a special label signed by Manuel Sr., Manuel Jr., and Norman Rodriguez. This very special guitar was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rodriguez family's line of premier classical guitars. Naturally, a guitar this special includes a special hardshell case. A signed copy of the Hal Leonard book, "Rodriguez: The Art and Craft of Making Classical Guitars" is also included with each guitar. While there are many very fine classical guitars now being built by many companies, it's not until you play an instrument as special as this that you really appreciate the sound of a premium nylon-string guitar. The 100th Anniversary Rodriguez projects beautifully, with a silky smooth tone that's appreciated by anyone who hears it, even if they aren't guitar players. We were fortunate enough to get one of the 100 guitars built to commemorate this company's heritage as a master builder of classical guitars. If you've ever dreamed of owning a very special classical guitar, now is your chance!