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New littleBits modules make the Synth Kit more powerful and versatile
Click 'em together, make some noise. Littlebits are like Lego for music nerds (like us). That's fun and all, but currently, once you've built your mini-modular synth creation, there isn't really much else you can do with it. That won't be the case for much longer though, as three new modules are coming along to spice things up. We are raising the ceiling of complexity of what you can do with littleBits, adding wireless control, programmability, and now audio control to allow you to make sophisticated electronics in a fraction of the time and cost, allowing for whole new experiences. -- Ayah Bdeir (Founder, littleBits) A new MIDI block lets you hook into music making software like Ableton or Logic, while the CV block means you can connect your littleBits to older/analog gear. If you just want to play with sound, a USB I/O module will let you pipe the littleBits' audio directly into your PC. No word on price, but expect to see them come to market in time for the (now noisier) holidays.
PUC interface connects iOS, MIDI devices wirelessly [Updated]
The PUC MIDI interface (US$129.99) connects MIDI devices (keyboards, drum machines/pads, DJ controller, floor pedal, etc) to iOS devices (or Macs) wirelessly. This is fantastic news, because the joy of the iPad and iPhone is that they're wireless, multi-function devices. Connecting wires makes them stationary and often singular in purpose, which is more often than not a nuisance. Hardware The PUC looks like, well.. You guessed it. A puck. It's round, plastic, black and fits in the palm of your hand. On the top is a single power button and a light indicator shaped like Apple's symbol for wireless connectivity. The underside has a removable cap, which exposes a compartment for two AA batteries (included). On the front side is a standard MIDI port connector (cable included, too). The backside has a micro-USB input for auxiliary power. The top and bottom of the PUC are covered in a shiny, glossy plastic, while the sides are covered in a lighter colored, rubber-like material. It's a good looking design, with a pleasant feel to it. With the two AA batteries inserted, the PUC feels weighty and solid, just like a real puck! Functionality The PUC is really easy to use. Connect the MIDI cable to the PUC input and the other end to the output of a MIDI device -- I used a M-Audio Axiom 49 MIDI keyboard. To turn on the PUC, press the power button on the device after making sure you've inserted the AA batteries or you're connected to a power source via the micro-USB port. You'll see the power button light up in green as well as the wireless connectivity symbol flashing green. This means the PUC is waiting to be connected. On your iOS device, download the free PUC Connect app (iOS App Store link). Once downloaded, connect your iOS device's wireless network to the PUC's network and open the app to complete the connection. The flashing green on the wireless indicator turns solid, indicating that you're connected. From there, I launched GarageBand and started playing through the various MIDI keybaords, synths and drums without a hitch. A nice touch is that whenever a signal is being sent from the MIDI device through the PUC to the iPad, the solid green lighting on the PUC flashes red. Conclusion Not having wires connected between my MIDI device and iPad was a great experience. Too often I've felt the process of using my iPad as part of a music setup -- requiring wires trailing all over the place between devices -- cumbersome and frustrating. Thanks to the PUC, the process was a pleasure. I could move my iPad around, get someone else to tweak a sound setting, or even just pick it up and walk away without worrying about cables or disrupting the setup. That's exactly why the PUC is awesome, because any scenario where you don't have to use a cable is a good one - especially when it comes to the creative process in a portable context. The PUC is available for pre-order now and will ship in mid-June. Update: Regarding latency, during my test there were a couple moments where I did wonder if I could hear a slight latency between triggering a sound on the MIDI controller and that sound registering on the iPad. I got in touch with Zivix, makers of the PUC, to ask them about latency. They said, "The Zivix team has noticed a negligible latency between the PUC and an iOS device registering a MIDI signal, and one that doesn't affect the overall performance or experience by using the PUC." I do agree with Zivix. While there may be a slight latency, in most applications I can't foresee it being a problem. It's worth noting that the MIDI controller simply triggers the audio that's stored on the iOS device (or Mac). That audio is not traveling through the PUC, just the MIDI signal that triggers it.
IK Multimedia's iRing music motion controller arrives
Ever since the invention of the theremin back in 1928, musicians have sought a way to create music simply by moving their hands. The theremin was an early electronic instrument that provided many of those eerie sounds heard in bad horror and sci-fi flicks from the mid 20th-century and never really reached mainstream. Now IK Multimedia has announced another way to wave your hands and magically create music with the iRing motion controller (US$24.99). The iRing consists of two double-sided "rings" that are placed between two fingers on each hand. One has three black dots on it that are placed in a triangular pattern, while the other has three dots in a row. Your iOS device picks up the 3D position of your hands by recognizing and tracking those dot patterns, then translates the position into MIDI information. At $25, it's certainly more affordable than the much-ballyhooed Leap Motion Controller ($80). Of course, "hardware" is of no use without apps to generate some practical output, and that's why the company provides iRing Music Maker and iRing FX/Controller to musicians for free. The former app uses loops that can be remixed by waving your hands in front of your iPhone or iPad, changing beats, controlling rhythmic elements, playing synth parts, or controlling effects. iRing FX/Controller is billed as a real-time audio effects processor and MIDI controller for skilled musicians. IK is also offering developers a free SDK and licensing program to take advantage of the iRing in their own music apps. TUAW will have a full review of the iRing and iRing Music Maker in the near future.
Max Mathews' one-man electronic orchestra
Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills. Conduct an electronic orchestra, right from your living room! It may seem like a fever dream headline from the 1950s, but the physical results of Max Mathews' years of work in computer music wouldn't fully materialize until the '80s. His Radio Drum (aka Radio Baton) -- although a continual work-in-progress -- was a groundbreaking method of controlling computer-synthesized sound through a predominantly wireless three-dimensional interface. Many of its unique abilities were courtesy of technological visionary Bob Boie's capacitance research, creating "a much more participatory way of enjoying music," as Mathews described in Stanford University's Brainstorm. The Radio Drum could track surface hits and even hovering positions, and use that data to control a multitude of audio parameters. It was one of many projects that Mathews worked on during his lifetime and played a part in earning him the honorary title of "Father of Computer Music."
This kit lets you build a musical instrument from just about anything
Wish you could easily craft a musical instrument out of whatever you have lying around the house? You'll get that opportunity if Yuri Suzuki's team at Dentaku brings its crowdfunded Ototo kit to market. The synthesizer turns any conductive material into an instrument, changing its sound based on the nature of the object. An eggplant will carry a different tune than tinfoil, for instance. You can take greater control of your performance through optional light-, touch- and even breath-sensitive sensors; the gadget also connects to computers through USB if you'd like to use it as a MIDI controller. It will take a minimum £45 pledge ($74 plus $8 in shipping) to reserve Ototo ahead of its planned launch in June, but it may be worth the expense if you're tired of conventional music-making.
Yes, you can play WoW on a MIDI keyboard
Though we hadn't previously considered this particular gameplay option, Reddit user Apterygiformes has rigged up a MIDI keyboard to send commands to his computer that are read as keystrokes in WoW. It doesn't look terribly practical -- Apterygiformes says the project is just for fun -- but we have to admit, the piano accompaniment to this lowbie hunter's gameplay is certainly interesting... though we're guessing it took some setup to give it any kind of musical quality. But it leaves us wondering what other WoW classes might sound like when played in this manner. With different skills and cooldowns, wouldn't each class would have its own musical soundtrack to enjoy? Without any musical skill of our own, we'll have to content ourselves with seeing if Apterygiformes continues this particular experiment.
Motion made music: AUUG Motion Synth nearing Kickstarter goal
Imagine being able to play notes and alter sounds through the motion of your hand and arm, using an iPhone or iPod touch. That's the idea behind the AUUG Motion Synth, a unique musical instrument and controller that is getting close to its Kickstarter goal with another eight days to go in the campaign. The developers of the AUUG Motion Synth are looking for US$70,000 in funding and have achieved just over $57,000. The AUUG Motion Synth consists of an app to convert your hand motions to output (either sounds or MIDI actions) and a wearable grip that holds the iOS device and provides tactile feedback for virtual keys on the screen of the device. It supports wireless and cabled MIDI, so just about any musical hardware or external synthesizer can be controlled by hand and arm gestures. There's also a cloud component to AUUG: The company hopes to have a cloud service that will let users share settings and ideas. Some of those settings include presets for the AUUG app to work with other iOS music apps. One of the videos we've attached to this post shows how easy it is to set up the AUUG Motion Synth to work with other apps as simple as GarageBand or as complex as Ableton Live. There are a limited number of backing opportunities available starting at $68 and $78, with one of the aluminum AUUG grips and the software being your reward for backing the project. After the device goes into production, the AUUG Motion Synth will retail for $110. The entire concept makes a lot more sense when you've seen it in action, so check out the videos below for a full idea of how the app, grip and cloud work together with the musician to make beautiful music.
Zivix PUC gets MIDI instruments talking wirelessly to iOS and PCs (video)
Zivix promised wireless freedom to iOS-loving guitarists when it unveiled the JamStik; today, it's extending that liberty to a much wider range of musicians. Its just-announced PUC peripheral connects most any MIDI instrument to iOS devices, Macs and Windows PCs through a direct WiFi link. The device works with many CoreMIDI-capable apps, and it takes power through either a micro-USB source or a pair of AA batteries. Zivix plans to sell the PUC for $129 in December, although you'll get a price break if you reserve early -- the company is running a crowdfunding campaign that lets early adopters pay between $69 to $99 for a regular model.
Miselu launches C.24 wireless music keyboard for iPad, we go hands-on (video)
The last time we covered Miselu was during Google I/O 2012 when we took a second look the Neiro Android-powered synth. Fast forward a year and the company's shifted its focus on a completely new product -- the Miselu C.24 wireless music keyboard for iPad -- which is launching today for $99 on Kickstarter. The device is a high-quality two-octave (24-key) collapsible music keyboard designed to be a magnetic iPad cover when stowed. It features Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, micro-USB connectivity and a sealed Li-ion battery which provides 5-6 hours of operation. As such, it's compatible with any Core MIDI iOS app and any OS X, Windows or Linux software that supports MIDI over USB. The C.24 integrates a capacitive ribbon divided into two areas -- eight buttons with four LEDs each on the left (octave selection by default) and a linear controller on the right with 32 LEDs (pitch bend by default). Miselu plans to ship the product with a companion iOS app in time for the holidays. We briefly played with a prototype and came away extremely impressed. Hit the break for our first impressions and hands-on video / interview. %Gallery-193358%
Jukebox Heroes: Ultima Online's soundtrack
Ultima Online and EverQuest were bound in blood by their early place in MMO history, but both titles were also two of the very few MMOs that released with a MIDI soundtrack. I've talked about the charms of MIDI before, although I think that a good chunk of the modern playerbase has no idea how games used to sound. In short, UO's original score used to be 100% computer produced, but eventually the MIDI format was replaced by much better-sounding versions in MP3 files around 2002. The core game's music was done by a pair of composers, Kirk Winterrowd and Joe Basquez, both of whom worked on previous Ultima titles. There's not a lot out there about the duo's experience creating the soundtrack nor whom the game studio tapped for music duties after Origin Systems went away. What I find interesting about this score is that not only is it beloved by players who have fond memories for Ultima Online but it is part of the larger Ultima framework, harkening back to The Olden Days of gaming. Seeing as how I was never into any of the Ultima titles (for shame, I know), I'm going to have to fall back on a simple gut-check: Which of this music is appealing simply for its own sake?
Make beautiful, fiery music with Adafruit's DIY MIDI-controlled flame organ (video)
Eyebrows in the way? Singe them off with Adafruit's DIY flame organ, debuting just in time for the holiday weekend. If fireworks aren't enough to put the sizzle in your Independence Day party, all you need to light up your very own MIDI instrument are a few relays, solenoid valves, a digital music workstation (Adafruit recommends Livid Instruments' BASE paired with Ableton Live and Pure Data) and a blatant disregard for your own mortality. The official tutorial is still in the works, but you can watch the flame organ blaze with a patriotic tune after the break. If you're brave -- or foolish -- enough to attempt to build one of your own, just promise us that you won't drink and DIY.
Pioneer announces XDJ-R1 all-in-one digital DJ deck with MIDI, iOS control features (video)
Sure, DJ controllers might be the emerging force in spinning, but CDJs are still largely the club standard. Pioneer has always had thumbs in both of these pies, of course, but the new XDJ-R1 sees the brand uniting them for the first time. The all-in-one unit offers two CD players, USB media playback and MIDI controller functionality. Additionally, you can keep things moving wirelessly via an iOS device thanks to a new dedicated "remotebox" app. Wireless direct means that you won't need to worry too much about flaky connections while you wander into the crowd with your iPhone. You'll still be able to control almost everything directly in the app. Back on the physical (and built-in) two-channel mixer you can spice things up with the usual loop, sync, hot cue and sampling features, plus a choice of color effects. The inclusion of XLR outputs and booth out shows that Pioneer wants to see this in the DJ box, and at $1,099, it should appeal to anyone who'd been eyeing up the component parts. It's available in June, but in the meantime there's a video tour cued up past the break.
polychord for iPad: an inspiring way to create music
polychord (US$9.99) is a virtual instrument for making and creating keyboard / electronic-style music on the iPad. With its easy-to-use approach and layout, polychord makes it painless to get your head around the basics and start making some really lovely sounding and creatively inspiring music. Whether you're an expert musician looking to perform live or a novice, you'll find polychord engaging and fun. There are two main components to playing polychord: chord circles and strum keys. There are nine Chord circles, each representing a chord that is derived from the musical key you've selected. Each chord circle has seven chord inversions around it, so you can play a variant of the root chord (minor, major seventh, augmented fifth etc). This gives you 63 chords to play in total in a really straight forward and easy-to-read (and touch) structure. Strum keys is a virtual keyboard with 13 keys or individual notes that are derived from the corresponding chord circle you're playing at the time. There are no keys present that wouldn't melodically fit in with the chord circle you're playing. Strum keys is placed horizontally at the edge of the iPad, making it really easy to reach for and play, as opposed to so many virtual keyboards that mimic a traditional piano layout. You can play individual or multiple keys, or strum the strum keys up and down, which produces a very satisfying sound. Additionally, swipe the keys to pitch bend or add tremolo. polychord lets you specify strum keys to play a specific scale pattern, like blues pentatonic, dominant Bebop or Ionian, depending on the style of music you're looking to play. The idea is to play chords with the chord circles and a melody over the chords with the strum keys. In theory, polychord makes it nigh on impossible to hit a wrong note, and with very little practice you'll soon have some nice chord circle progressions and strum keys melodies under your belt. Once you've got an idea for a song, turn on Auto Accompany to add drums and bass (27 patterns) to your track. There's also a customizable arpeggiator which plays the notes of the chord you're currently on. When you switch chords, Auto Accompany's drums, bass and arepggiator will follow you. It all adds much more dynamic to your song. For more advanced musicians, and those wanting to dig deeper, polychord lets you mould and tinker the sound with some very practical variations and customizations (filters, envelope control, warm and fat waves, bitshift mode and timing). It's all accessible and generally designed to be tweaked on the fly, particularly in live performances. When playing, everything is really responsive, with very little noticeable latency, so it really does feel like you're playing an instrument while you're tapping away on polychord. Additional features include saving and exporting, sharing with Soundcloud, Twitter and Facebook, MIDI (for using polychord as a controller with a DAW) as well as virtual MIDI (controlling other apps) and finally, full Audiobus support and integration. Speaking of Audiobus integration, polychord with a few other choice music apps on iPad (see video below) really does make for an exciting and rewarding music-making experience. Spending some time with polychord, the things I loved about it most are just how engaging and playable it is. And it sounds great, too! If you're looking to approach a musical task from a different angle (like songwriting), polychord is a great way to inspire and think differently. Or if you're a beginner, or someone looking to kill some time, polychord is also just a lot of fun, too! polychord is available from the iOS App Store now. For more info on polychord, check out the polychord website here.
Numark announces Mixtrack Quad four-channel DJ controller, we go hands-on
Who'd have thunk it? Numark, at a music trade show with a new another DJ controller for your consideration. This time it has taken its popular Mixtrack console, and doubled down on the number of channels on offer. This now means between the Mixtrack, the Mixtrack II, the Mixtrack Pro II, and this, there's likely a Mixtrack for everyone. Evidently it's a format that works, so it only makes sense to offer a number of options based around the theme. As with other members of the Mixtrack family, the layout is fairly traditional, with two platters plus transport controls flanking a central mixer section. Above each platter is a set of eight MPC-style trigger pads and some rotary controls for FX and filters. If the Quad looks like it's got an extra splash of color compared to its siblings, that's because it has. The pads and platters have have configurable RGB LEDs, which we first saw in the NS7 II (Numark is going strong on the colors generally, it seems). Again, as before there's a built-in audio interface, which is pretty much essential for a controller of this level. And what level is that? Around the $349 one, apparently, whenever it comes to market (no word on that at this point). While you're waiting to find out, however, you might as well scoot over the fold for the hardware impressions.%Gallery-185305%
Novation announces Launchpad S with better MIDI support, we go hands-on (video)
A couple of years is a pretty good run in MIDI controller-land. It was 2009 when Novation's Launchpad turned the Ableton world onto its simplistic charms. It appears, however, the firm's decided it was long overdue a refresh, so that's exactly what it's done. Say hello to the Launchpad S. What does the S stand for? We're not entirely sure, but it could be for speedy, as Novation has ramped up the refresh rate to give a snappier response when you switch between modes. It could also be for superior lights, as the brightness has been dialed up in response to user feedback. It's also worth noting these pads are entirely USB-powered, making it trickier than simply sucking down more juice. One other superficial change -- perhaps more to give it its own sense of identity than anything else -- is a change of color. It's out with the original's black, and in with an almost metallic gray. So far so good, but we're really thinking that S stands for "software." Why? Because thanks to standards compliant MIDI implementation, the Launchpad S is now plug-and-play with a whole host more applications, not least core-MIDI iOS apps such as the popular FL Studio Mobile. We took a few minutes to get to know the Launchpad S a little better, which you can see in our video past the break.%Gallery-185229%
Ableton Push review: a dedicated controller for the Live faithful
MIDI might be a little long in the tooth as protocols go, but it's been the prevailing standard for getting music hardware and software to play nice pretty much since its inception. As such, the MIDI controller is a fairly established staple in professional and bedroom studios alike. The problem is they're generic by nature. They come in all shapes and sizes, but to be profitable, they need to appeal to a broad range of applications. Ableton clearly didn't think this arrangement was up to snuff, though, so it created Push -- a software controller built entirely for the latest version of its popular Live production software. While there have been Live-specific controllers before -- some even officially endorsed by Ableton -- Push is a whole new beast. It's one that hopes to unite hardware and software in a way that an all-purpose controller never could. Ableton also has lofty musical ambitions for Push: it claims it designed the hardware as an instrument in and of itself; something that lets you close the lid of the laptop and use to make music with, while not looking like you are checking your email. And, given that Ableton makes the software that it's building Push for, integration is understandably expected to be airtight. But how well does it work? Is it an instrument? Will it replace all your other controllers? Do you want one? Is it worth the $599 pre-order price? Will it blend? We've pushed ourselves to explore the device fully in an effort to find out (apart from that last question, of course).%Gallery-183384%
Lego Bionicles drafted into Arduino-driven band with synthesizers and more (video)
Italian sound designer and producer Guiseppe Acito wanted to kick off his newly established blog with some fanfare. Naturally, that meant constructing a band from Lego Bionicle toys driven by an Arduino Uno and controlled by an iPad MIDI sequencer app called Nord Beat. Dubbed the Toa Mata Band, the musical group makes its tunes by beating on assorted drum pads, percussion instruments, synthesizers and even a Nintendo DS. Acito has published the ensemble's very first music video, and it seems like there are more to come as it carries an "episode one" label. Hit the jump for the footage -- which really starts cookin' around the 1:15 mark -- or hit the third source link for glamour shots of Toa Mata members and the whole setup.
The Artiphon Instrument 1 uses an iPhone, Engadget tries it out
Artiphon unveiled its Instrument 1 late last year when it released teaser images that hit the internet like wildfire. Now that the multi-instrument device is nearing launch, the company has given Engadget a private tour of the device at NAMM 2013. Designed and made in Nashville, Tenn., the unique instrument combines the beauty of a traditional wooden instrument with the flexibility of a digital music-driven device. The instrument is crafted of African hardwood and powered by an iPhone 5. It includes two integrated speakers and a built-in battery, making the Instrument 1 a truly portable device. It works with any core MIDI-enabled apps and is meant to replicate a wide variety of musical devices including guitar, violin, banjo and more. The Artiphon 1 will soon be available for pre-order from Artiphon's website and will cost under US$1,000. You can watch a quick hands-on in the Engadget video embedded below.
Artiphon's 'Instrument 1' is an iPhone powered multi-instrument, we go hands-on
Music, MIDI and mobile? Seen that before, right? Well, yeah, but sometimes something comes along that surprises everyone. Artiphon's Instrument 1 is one such thing. And after all, there's more than one way to crack a nut. Artiphon's method involves creating a high-quality muli-instrument device that uses an iPhone or iPod touch as its brain. So, this is no plastic (bear with us) "appcessory." The Instrument 1 is made out of special quality African hardwood, and centers around an intentionally ambiguous design. There is a pair of high-quality custom speakers that give impressive 30W onboard sound. There is, of course, a line out and MIDI in / out too. The prototype we saw today doesn't have a built-in battery, but final production models will, making this a truly portable, complete solution. Dr Mike Butera, the firm's founder, was keen to explain to us that this is intended not to replicate one specific device (though it does a great job of guitar, violin, banjo and more), but rather to enable musicians to be able to work in a way they want to. The Instrument 1 works with any core MIDI enabled app, but there are plans to release a companion app for more detailed / custom mappings in the future. We got a private tour of the device, to tip-toe past the break for more.
MIDI spans 30 years at NAMM with Commodore 64 and Animoog (video)
You may have heard that the Musical Instrument Digital Interface protocol (aka MIDI) celebrates its 30th birthday this year. And where better than NAMM would the MIDI Manufacturer Association be able to fully demonstrate (and celebrate) the persevering protocol's coming of age? Part of the MMA's installation was a set-up destined to get geek hearts racing. A 1983 Commodore 64 connected to a Sequential Circuits Model 64 sequencer cartridge (with MIDI interface). From these vintage parts, the regular 5-pin MIDI cable heads out through the decades and into an IK Multimedia iRig MIDI, into an iPad, finally feeding its information into the Animoog app from equally longevous Moog. Watch old meet new in the gallery and video below.
