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BOSS's Micro BR-80 digital multitrack and field recorder fits the band and studio in your hand
Who needs a recording studio -- or even a full band -- for that next demo? Grab your guitar, BOSS' latest portable Micro BR digital recorder and a fistful of ego for a do-it-yourself session that only a mother could love. The BR-80 lets you record two tracks at once and offers eight tracks of playback along with 64 virtual tracks to mix and master any epics you're dreaming up. For hookup, it's packing aux and 1/4-inch inputs, a headphone out, and even a USB port to interface with a computer. You can also record using its onboard stereo field mics if you lose your cables at a gig. Inside, it's packing four and six-string COSM effects, DNA from its VE-20 to spice up your vocals, and eBand options. There's support for WAV and MP3 formats, but better yet, SD cards up to 32GB giving you a whopping 550 hours of recording time to lay those burnin' licks down. It's currently available and shipping for about 300 bones -- eRoadies not included. Full PR after the break.
Laser Pitch Detection system turns your axe into a luminous, latency-free MIDI machine (video)
Here's a fact you should remember about lasers: they make everything better. Even musical instruments. Anyone who has ever tried to use their trusty six-string as a MIDI controller knows the pain of the latency introduced by trying to convert string vibrations into digital signals. M3i's Laser Pitch Detection (LPD) system skirts this issue by running a laser beam under each string. Instead of detecting vibrations the optical pickup measures the distance between the diode and the depressed string, then converts that into a pitch. That not only means there's no delay, but also that no need to actually tune your instrument -- it combines all the laziness of Antares' ATG-6 with the class of Beamz. If you're curious, there's a demo video after the break.
iPhone 4 captures guitar strings in action
This is one of the slickest iPhone 4 videos I've seen in a long time. A guitarist (justkylevids on YouTube) apparently wondered what it was like being inside his guitar while playing, so he dropped his iPhone 4 in with the video camera running and captured this incredible video. The effect you see is mesmerizing, but not really representative of the way that guitar strings actually oscillate. Instead, it's another example of how the iPhone 4's rolling shutter can create some interesting photos and video. Still, it's fun to watch.
DiaForce film captures your virtuoso performance, could replace guitar pickups
Do you shred it up on the guitar and wish there were a way to capture your one-of-a-kind technique -- every bend, hammer and slide? Well then, get thee to the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering where a few musically-inclined scientists -- closet Hendrix fans, we assume -- have managed to translate every pluck of the string into a laptop-processed digital control signal. To do this the team layered guitar tailpieces with a ten-micrometer piece of the powerfully named, piezoresistive DiaForce film and recorded string tension with absolute precision. The project, developed in conjunction with M3i Technologies and Thin Films IST, will eventually port its pressure-sensitive tech to other stringed instruments -- once engineers can figure out how to mass produce the stuff, that is. Research is also underway to replace the clunky, old world pickup cramping your electric axe's style with an extra-sensitive coating of this resistive film. While you wah-wah wait for this tech to make its way to a Guitar Center near you, make sure to check the full release after the break.
Air Pick finally lets you ditch that dumb guitar
Every guitar player in history, no matter how cool he or she might be, has had one fatal flaw -- that goofy stringed instrument. Finally, one brave company is liberating rockstars from their leash-like attachment to the thing. Flair's Air Pick is an oversized guitar pick that features built-in jams like "Satisfaction," "Born to be Wild," "Smoke on the Water," and "Sweet Home Alabama" -- you know, the sort of songs you used to have to own a guitar or a funny-looking belt to play. The toys are set to hit stores in the next few weeks, so you may want to hold onto those real life guitars for a little bit longer.
Marshall updates Major headphone with in-line mic for more talkin' between rockin'
Marshall struck solid gold when it lent spare amp parts to Zound Industries (Urbanears) for the Major and Minor headphones, and is now releasing a remixed version of the original smash hit. The updated headset is by all means a Major headphone, but it now features an in-line remote with a mic that's sure to please on-the-move fans of the supra-aural fit. At $119, the new cans will set you back about 20 bones more than the original, although you can't put a price on the amount of rockstar-cred you'll gain. The Major is available now from Marshall Headphones' web store and at your local brick and mortar if you're GASing for some new JCM-esque headgear. %Gallery-126735%
Insert Coin: Air Guitar Move for iPhone (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We're not sure proper air guitarists would ever consider adding a bonafide pick to their cherished imaginary pastime, but what if a petite plastic plectrum could turn those strokes into stringed acoustics that more than just you can hear? That's the idea behind Air Guitar Move, a $50 motion-sensing guitar pick that pairs with a dedicated iPhone app using a single dock-connected string. The minds behind Move aren't new to product design -- Colin Karpfinger created Thumbies, a suction cup-based gaming control accessory for iPhone, and Ronald Mannak has launched other freestyle electronic toys, including the V-Beat AirDrums and AirGuitar -- so if they meet their $25,000 funding goal, we imagine that we'll have a very solid iPhone accessory on our hands. A $39 pledge gets you a single Move with a 20 percent discount, and a pledge of $49 will net you a pick from the first shipment, so you'll be strumming away a month before folks in the first group. The creators have yet to commit to a ship date, but head over to Kickstarter if you'd like to make a pledge, or jump past the break for the intro video and an update on our last featured product, ZionEyez.
JVC Kaboom adds a guitar input, dares you to get the band back together
New audio input capabilities are nothing new for JVC, but soon you'll be able to show off your guitar chops alongside whatever bands you choose to idolize -- so long as you're kosher with rocking a boombox atop your left shoulder, of course. The company has announced that the 2011 offering from its Kaboom line will showcase a guitar / microphone input (1/4-inch) with mixing capabilities to allow for gigs to be played from anywhere you darn well please. The RV-NB70 will have all the key ingredients of previous models, including an iPod dock (updated to be both iPod and iPhone compatible), a USB host that enables use of a mass storage device, an audio input and CD / radio playback. True to the original's design, this fellow features much of the same look while promising 40 watts of guitar soloing power. Your next box 'o fury can be had right now for $299.95, and if you're eager for an encore, the full presser (as well as a demo vid) is just past the break.
Google doodle lets you play a recordable guitar ditty in honor of Les Paul
Have you been to Google's home page recently? Do it, you've got less than 24 hours to check out its guitar-inspired doodle celebrating the birthday of Les Paul. The "Google" script is highly interactive thanks to a combination of JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, and even Flash (providing the audio). Click the compose button at the base of the second "g" and begin recording your own 30 second tribute to one of music's most innovative pioneers using your keyboard to play specific notes or mouse for virtual strumming. Unfortunately, the recording and sharing aspect appears limited to US Googlers. Impressive stuff from a typically impressive company. Update: After holding the doodle over an extra day, it looks like Google has given the tribute a permanent home, like Pac-Man before it.
DIY breakout dock looks to get professional sound out of iPad 2
The iPad is an excellent device for creating and editing sound, but sometimes, just using that headphone port isn't enough. For that, DIY musician Qubais "Reed" Ghazala built this custom-made iPad dock, which plugs the iPad into a whole row of various sound-related ins and outs, from a line input and output to even a video interface. Yes, it's not quite as finished as a professional setup might be, but the DIY style works well here. Read more of this post to watch a video of the dock in action that includes some tips on its construction in case you want to try putting one together on your own. Ghazala used a PodBreakout board to get all of the data he needed to and from the tablet, and a MacAlly iPad stand as the base unit.
Antares ATG-6 brings auto-tune to the guitar, can't retroactively save Lil' Wayne's SNL solo
Antares ain't the first company to provide individual control to each string on a guitar (hello, Roland!), but the outfit's new ATG-6 technology takes things one step closer to being acceptable by the mainstream. Rather than forcing users to process separate string signals via an external device, this here rendition aims to tuck everything within the body. In the demo just past the break, a Seymour Duncan HEX pickup is used, and while it's connected via a MIDI cable, it's most certainly not a MIDI guitar -- that's strictly used for control. It's also worth pointing out a key quote from Antares product manager Max Mobley -- he's using a $99 guitar "with about $40,000 worth of technology inside of it," giving us the impression that this is nowhere near mass commercialization. Rather than using auto-tune to utterly destroy the genuineness of music (and produce one of the most hilarious Bud Light commercials to date), these axes are hoping to provide legitimate guitarists with added functionality; things like flawless intonation and bolstered tonal flexibility. The system is reportedly capable of constantly monitoring the pitch of each individual string to ensure that every riff and lick is in tune, but it's smart enough to back off when you want to manually manipulate things. We're told to hang tight for more details, but for now, we'd invite you to have a glance at the company's current progress (and a brutal flashback from 2008) below.
New Signal Process introduces BreakOut Stereo and Stomp for the most serious of iOS musicians
If your iPad or iPhone is set to play a starring role at your next, sold-out concert, you may want to check out two new, iOS-friendly interfaces from New Signal Process. Pictured above is NSP's BreakOut Stomp -- a die cast aluminum-encased pedal that promises to transmit guitar signals to and from your iDevice, without any unwanted distortions or detection interference. All you have to do is slide the stompbox into your pedal board, hook it up to your iPhone's headphone jack and fire up your favorite recording or mixing apps. Whereas the stomp was designed with guitarists in mind, the recently unveiled BreakOut Stereo is geared more toward the DJ demographic. The device offers essentially the same iOS-interfacing capabilities of its pedal-based counterpart, serving as a portable conduit between an iPad and an amp or tabletop unit. Boasting two mono output jacks, this little guy can also be used with guitars, mics or mixing boards and is durable enough to survive the rough and tumble of your next world tour. As far as prices go, the BreakOut Stomp is selling for $155, whereas the Stereo will set you back $135. Groove past the break to see an image of the latter, or hit the source link to find out how to order one.
Guitar solo on iPad shreds
At first I kind of made fun of GarageBand on the iPad because I never thought anyone could make truly compelling music on a touch device. That's all changed after I saw Cult of Mac point out George Lambro's guitar solo on the iPad. I'll let the music speak for itself, but I will say this is how the iPad becomes "magical," as Apple likes to put it. It's not so much what the device can do, but what people can do with the device. See the video on the next page.
KR1 DIY guitar / synth makes its debut at Castle Frightenstein
We've seen a few Zoybar-based behemoths since we were hepped to the modular guitar platform way back in '08, but few have caught our fancy like Kevin Rupp's KR1. Featuring a Korg Kaossilator synth, both the Pocket Pod and a wireless transmitter from Line 6, and the beloved Sanyo Pedal Juice battery pack, this bad boy can do double duty as both your ax and your backing band. But enough of our jabber jaw -- you want to see it in action, right? Check it out after the break. [Thanks, TK]
Storyboard: Archetype discussion -- the Strawman
We've saved the best for last in our archetype discussions, because this character is the best. Without a doubt. He is pure, unadulterated awesome distilled into walking, talking form, and you could only hope to be half as great as he is. He saves princesses, slays dragons, and wins kingdoms, even if the game doesn't feature any of the above, because he is just that great. Whatever you do, he knows about it, and whatever you think you've mastered, he's even better. Don't hate him just because he's outdoing you at everything you try. The Strawman is our last archetype out of the initial round, and he's without a doubt better than any of the other loser types that we've covered up until now. After all, they all had one crippling flaw or another, and the Strawman neatly sidesteps all of those problems. He's the man with the plan, the dude with a justified attitude, and the solution rather than cause of all the problems your group of fellow players will encounter.
Mega Man 3's Proto Man theme gets shredded, moves us
We typically wouldn't characterize most video game theme song covers that get sent our way as "soulful" or "profound," but then again, most covers that get sent our way aren't as incredible as Dario Montanino's electric take on Mega Man 3's Proto Man theme. Check it out in the video below.
Ubisoft's Rocksmith aims to prove anyone can play guitar
Well, it looks like Ubisoft still thinks there some room left in the rhythm game genre. It's just announced that it will be releasing Rocksmith for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime this fall, which is actually a revamped version of the Guitar Rising game that has been in development at GameTank for some time now. The hook with this one is that it'll actually let you use any real guitar to play the game, and it even promises to teach you how to play if you don't know already. Ubisoft also says that you won't need an amplifier to play -- you just plug your guitar right into your console, apparently with a standard USB instrument cable. Details on the game itself are otherwise fairly light, although it does seem like you'll have a pretty solid lineup of music to play along with, including tracks from David Bowie, The Black Keys, Interpol, Nirvana and The Rolling Stones. Head on past the break for a teaser video.
Ubisoft announces Rocksmith, a rhythm game that uses real guitars
In one of the timeliest strategic moves in the video game industry's recorded history, Ubisoft has announced an upcoming rhythm title from a totally new IP, called Rocksmith. The game lets players strum through tunes by artists such as, David Bowie, Interpol, and The Rolling Stones using any real electric guitar they may have sitting around the house with a quarter-inch input jack. As pointed out by internet sleuth supererogatory, the portfolio of illustrator Greg Korn reveals that the title is actually Guitar Rising, a piece of vaporware long in development at GameTank. Korn explains the project was "purchased by Ubisoft and currently in development for consoles." This certainly sounds like the very same thing. The remaining mystery is how the guitar will track the notes plucked or strummed by players -- the Squier Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 can only do so using built-in semiconducters on each fret and a MIDI adapter. Is the game going to pick up on the actual note produced by the guitar? At the very latest, we'll find out when Rocksmith drops during the second half of 2011. For now, check out the screens and trailer below to get a feel for how cool you're going to look while playing. %Gallery-119122%
Apogee's Jam connects your guitar to your iPad
We've seen the iRig and the AmpKit, two interfaces for getting a line-in from your guitar or bass. Both come with effect racks and sound pretty darn good. But where do you go from there? How about a dock interface that records 44.1 kHz, 24-bit audio without line noise? Apogee's Jam guitar interface does just that, and it throws in hardware gain control and LED peak monitoring. It plugs into your Mac, too! I saw something similar at Macworld, though I don't think it was this particular model. I sat down and played an acoustic with pickups through my iPhone, though, and I was blown away by the clarity of the audio. The dock connector is, in my newly-formed opinion, the way to go. The problem at the time was that it didn't come with any effects, and the convenience of the AmpliTube and AmpKit setups was more convincing to my limited budget. However, with Apple's announcement of GarageBand on the iPad, the tables have turned. GarageBand's full set of effects, combined with a crisp guitar input, plus editing and multi-track capabilities (all with the polish of an Apple product) make this an amazing prospect. I'm sure I'll be picking one up, as they'll be retailing at US$99 and will be available later this month. See the Jam page at Apogee's site for more info. [via Gizmag]
Gear up for the apocalypse with a Fallen Earth giveaway
When the world as we know it ends, future generations will most likely discover what we were like and cared about through the junk we left behind. So if you really want to impress your great-great-great-great-great-nephew Zodak, it might be a good idea to get in on Fallen Earth's Epic Gear Giveaway and score some sweet loot. By filling out a multiple-choice questionairre, contestants have a shot at winning one of two packages. The grand prize bundles together an iPad, Alienware headphones, an LTD guitar and a bunch of other goodies. The 20 runners-up will be treated to a set of decals and mousepad as well as an Alienware backpack and drink Koozie. What's a Koozie? I dunno, what's a Koozie with you? And even if all of the real-world gear isn't enough to tempt you into participating, Icarus is promising all winners a special (but unnamed) in-game item as an additional prize. Head on over to the Fallen Earth Epic Gear Giveaway page for more info.
