SONiVOX has announced Playa, a hip-hop virtual instrument plug-in. Designed for sequencing, beat construction, and hands-on remixing, Playa combines MPC-style beat creation with a virtual instrument environment. The plug-in contains over 450 instruments, 16 user programmable and assignable pads, and more than 50 pad presets. Users can also interface their MIDI pad controllers and controller keyboards directly with the software.

More features provides a keys mode for standard keyboard performance, an onboard FX and graphic equalizer, and works as a Mac plug-in with support for AU, VST and RTAS, or PC plug-in supporting VST and RTAS.

Playa will be available in the beginning of February, is retail priced at $150 (with a limited time introductory offer of $100). It runs on Mac OS X 10.4.1 or higher and requires an Intel-based Mac.