MusicMaking
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Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer gets priced at $799, can't hold out on us much longer
Not since the debut of the Tenori-On have we seen so much buzz surrounding a niche music maker, and Teenage Engineering's OP-1 might just be the most anticipated synthesizer in the history of mankind. We've already seen just what it's capable of, and now it's starring in its very own music video. Better still, it's inching ever closer to shipping, with a recent newsletter affirming that it's 90 percent complete with respect to functionality. We're also told that it'll ship with a half dozen synthesizer engines and two sampler types, and a beta test is said to be "approaching." The outfit has just received its "golden sample" for the keyboard module, and it's waiting for a few more component suppliers to come through before belting out a final ship date. But hey -- at least you know it'll run $799 / €799, eventually. No time like the present to start pinching those pennies, right?
Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog... with his mind! (and you can too)
We thought that our homemade Theremin was difficult to control, but this one is in a different league altogether! The, ahem, brainchild of Apples In Stereo's Robert Schneider, the Teletron takes a Mattel Mindflex game and uses it as a control voltage source for... well, any piece of musical equipment that has a CV input. In the video below, the musician / producer plugs it into a Moog analog synth and increases / decreases the pitch solely with his mind. At least the thing doesn't give you an electric shock when you hit the wrong note! But enough jabberjaw out of us -- see / hear it in action (and get some instructions, if you'd like to build your own) after the break.
Low-tech, homebrew Cappuccino synth oscillates wildly (with apologies to Moz)
If you're the type that eschews traditional instrumentation, the Cappuccino synth may be right up your alley. Instead of the oscillator of your analog synthesizer, our man Gijs simply built a pickup out of a rare earth magnet and 33mH inductor and places it next to things that are... you know, oscillating. Wildly, even. Simple, no? Could be just the thing to get your creative juices flowing the next time you engage in a little Saturday afternoon sound design. To hear what various metallic things sound like as they spin in place, hit up the video after the break.
Traktor Kontrol S4 hardware interface set to make the scene this winter
Native Instruments today announced its new (and first) integrated hardware / software DJ system with a YouTube video wherein DMC World Champ DJ Shiftee rocked out to the Tetris theme and samples from Mike Tyson's Punch Out! (We guess someone knows their target demographic.) Traktor Kontrol S4 promises to take "functionality and control" to the next level with a new version of Traktor Pro that supports the hardware interface's many features, including: looping, cueing, effects, and track browsing controls, two sample decks, touch-sensitive jog wheels, a mixer, and more. Also included is a low-latency 24bit / 96kHz sound card. Available sometime this winter for an MSRP will be $999 (€899). See it in action after the break.
AmpliTube for iPad available, Yngwie Malmsteen en route to Apple Store
Just a quick note for all of you virtual amping enthusiasts: IK Multimedia has announced that the AmpliTube is now available for iPad. As you'd expect, it works with your iRig hardware and the UI seems benefit from the extra screen real estate (let's be honest -- twiddling all those knobs and stomp boxes on the iPod Touch was a little bit much for us to take). It comes in two flavors: free (three effects, one amp, one cab, two mics) or $20 (11 effects, five amps and cabs, two mics). Either way it's cheaper than spending $350 for the OS X version. PR after the break.
Drumssette DIY drum machine was once a four track, perfect for your Big Audio Dynamite cover band
This is probably the most charming instrument that we've seen in a long time. It looks great, it's analog, and it's useful despite certain limitations (and, as any musician will tell you, sometimes you need limitations to get the creative juices flowing). Designed and built by Mike Walters (aka Mystery Circuits), the Drumssette is a drum machine derived from an old Tascam four track cassette recorder. It features sampled Roland TR-808 drum hits, a sixteen step sequencer, analog echo and digital delay, clock output for controlling the rhythmic phrasing of an external instrument (allowing it to act like an arpeggiator, except that it controls the phrasing of the note, but not the pitch) and more. It's pretty wild! This guy goes into extreme geeky detail as to the inner workings of this device, which you can see at the Source link if you're so inclined. If not, make sure you check out select videos of the thing in action after the break.
Fear Of A Nerd Planet: A Hip Hop Retrospective (update)
Hip Hop has always been a conspiracy between music and technology. Turntables? Gadgets. Samplers? Ditto. From the very beginning, the music was suffused with a sort of science fiction aura, and by 1982 (when Afrika Bambaataa dropped Planet Rock) it could safely be said that "nerdliness" (the state or condition of being a nerd) was embedded in the genre's DNA. Perhaps that's the reason that gadget fans love to compose their own rap videos, celebrating everything from the trackball of the G1 to Best Buy's supremacy over CompUSA. After one popped up today celebrating the Tesla electric car we thought it was a good time to offer you a retrospective of some of our favorite rappin' nerds. Check 'em out for yourself (and annoy your co-workers in the process) after the break. Do you have any that we might have overlooked? Drop 'em into the comments!
Book review: How To Wreck A Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop
How To Wreck A Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop by Dave Tompkins (Stop Smiling Books; $35) World War II increased the rate of human innovation to a pace unseen in any other period of history. New technology from the era includes everything from synthetic rubber to the atomic bomb to magnetic audio tape, which the Germans successfully kept secret until the war's end. After the Nazis fell, Lt. Jack Mullin of the US Army Signal Corps shot footage outside of Hitler's home, grabbed one of the Fuhrer's piano strings for a souvenir, and brought two AEG Magnetophons (along with fifty reels of Farben recording tape) back with him to the states. He then sold a recorder to Bing Crosby, revolutionizing broadcasting and music-making in the process. Another device that made its debut in World War II only to be later adopted by the entertainment industry is the Vocoder. Speech synthesis was the brainchild of a Bell Labs employee named Homer Dudley. Dudley surmised that human speech consisted of two things: the carrier (the noise that your vocal cords makes) and the formant (the sound formed from the carrier by your mouth, throat, and sinuses). Dudley went on to develop something called the Voder (Voice Operator DEmonstratoR), which used a carrier tone generated by a radio valve and a formant created by hissing air to create artificial speech. Hear a demonstration (and learn about how the Vocoder was used to defeat the Axis powers) after the break.
Eigenharp Alpha's biggest fan pens 11,000 word guide
Earlier this month, lucky musician Geert unboxed an Eigenharp Alpha for the whole world to see. Now he's jotted down a few thoughts on the 132-key digital instrument... oh hell, let's just call it a primer. Calling out years of musical study as proof he knows what he's talking about, the man delves into enough detail about the mind-blowing multi-instrument machine to teach Eigenharp 101. If you want to know whether dropping £3,995 on the musical creature would be worth your while, you'll find all you need to know at the source link, but be aware the sheer complexity here may serve to daunt some would-be casual learners. If you need to regain your enthusiasm afterwards though, there's no quicker way than watching an Eigenharp jam session -- we recorded one at the company's London HQ, and you'll find it after the break.
Homebrew MIDI controller takes performance to a new, flashier level (video)
While programs like Ableton Live have truly democratized electronic music making, most hardware interfaces can't hold a candle style-wise to traditional instruments (or even the MIDI gear of the Awesome 80s). Rather than merely bemoan this depressing fact, however, a musician from Zurich named Zander Ander has built his own controller -- and it's truly a thing of beauty. Based on the uCApps.de MIDI hardware platform, this thing employs custom acrylic knobs, colored LEDs, and a whole bunch of buttons to bring his DAW controls into the real world -- while kicking the ass of controllers like AKAI's APC40 in the process. But don't take our word for it! Check it out for yourself after the break.
Franz K's iTar transforms your iPad into a keytar, puts shame in your game (video)
You can say that we're a sucker for a ridiculous video -- such as the one recently provided for us by a certain VJ named Franz K. The unholy spawn of Jerry Only and that ShamWow! guy, his latest creation is called the Mantaray iTar. Essentially it's an iPad dock with a shoulder strap, but wait -- there's more! You can also mount effects processors (such as the Korg Kaoss pad), essentially transforming your tablet into a kludgey keytar. As our man says, "gadget music is the new punk rock!" But seriously, Franz -- do you expect us to pay $225 for the privilege of performing with iElectribe? Either way, this video must be seen to be believed. Peep for yourself after the break.
Eigenharp Alpha unboxed by one lucky musician (video)
Dudes. DUDES. We know of at least one very happy electronic musician out there, as our pal Geert has finally got his hands on a £3,995 (roughly $5,760) Eigenharp Alpha. As you'd expect from something so pricey, it comes with a number of well-made accessories, including: a stand manufactured by K&M especially for the instrument, laptop / gig bag, cables, and a case. Jealous much? We know we are. Peep the video after the break.
App review: Propellerheads ReBirth 1.1 for iPhone
As you're no doubt well aware, music geekdom and gadget geekdom go hand in hand. When they combine in a single device or app, however, the results can be magical. That's why we usually end up trying every music making app out there at some point or another. Indeed, we just received word that Rebirth for iPhone version 1.1 has just been released, and decided to take it for a spin. Promising new mods and some bug fixes, it's compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (iPhone OS 3.1 or later). But how does it fare as a music-making tool? And is it worth the whopping $6.99? Read on after the break to find out. %Gallery-93989%
Floppy drives, Arduino board mangled into audio delay effects (video)
If you're a DIY music hardware developer, there's a pretty good chance you're familiar with the charms of the Arduino. In this space alone we've seen it used for everything from controlling Max/MSP effects to an entire robot band. The above jumble of parts, however, might be our fave yet. Part of an ongoing project by a certain Daniel McAnulty, the Floppy Audio website details the use of the magnetic media inside a floppy disk for looping analog audio. The most ambitious of the lot even combines three floppy disk drives and the aforementioned Arduino to create a continuous tape delay effect! Things are still really rough, but he does have working prototypes, and he's not at all shy about sharing his methods and results with the rest of the world -- so feel free to hit the source link to get started yourself! If you're not the type to get your hands dirty, at least peep the videos after the break.
Crazed turntablists transform sneakers into sound controllers, righteous beats result (video)
We're generally quite wary of any video meant to "go viral" and "sell a lot of shoes" (or sell a lot of whatever), but from time to time something comes along and cracks our jaded shell. Case in point: the new Japanese campaign for Nike's Free Run+ running shoes sees experimental musician / DJ Daito Manabe and co. bangin' out a tune with the company's newest. The kicks are outfitted with flex sensors (which change resistance when bent), allowing some impressive control of effects via Max/MSP and Ableton Max for Live. Have you ever wanted to hear a hip-hop version of Thus Spoke Zarathustra? How about one performed on running shoes? You're in luck -- we got it for you after the break.
Turn your iPad into a MIDI controller in 3,700 easy steps
It was only a matter of time before someone took a look at that 9.7-inch display and decided they wanted to do some serious dancefloor damage with it. Not to be outdone by the likes of Looptastic HD or iElectribe, our man Ryan Noise (dot com) has just posted a video detailing his experiments with the iPad as MIDI controller and, as long as you don't have your heart set on your instrument providing some sort of tactile response, it looks like things are working out pretty well. Using a combination of the TouchOSC open sound control app, Osculator, a Python script, and Ableton Live 8, we've seen this basic setup before: the iPad (or iPhone, or iPod touch) sends open sound commands to the Mac, which translates them into MIDI commands for your instrument / DAW of choice. But why read when you can watch? Peep the video after the break for the gist, and hit that source link for technical details.
Pioneer's new CD deck and mixer feature MIDI integration, USB for external storage
If you're looking for a product designed to "transform novices" (that is, you) into "the next generation DJ" (that is, Sven Vath) you're in luck: Pioneer has just announced a CD deck / mixer combo that includes the usual compliment of features (looping capabilities, a visual beat display, BPM lock, so on, and so forth) as well as some computer-friendly touches, including MIDI integration -- allowing you to use either as a control surface for your fave DJ software. The CDJ will also play music off your thumb drive, and the mixer itself accepts external USB storage device for saving your mixes as WAV files. Sure, in our day all one needed were two turntables and a crossfader to rock the party -- but that was a long time ago, kids. The CDJ-350 and DJM-350 will be available in June 2010 for $850 and $750, respectively. We've only scratched the surface here, however -- peep the PR below for all the vital details.
Korg debuts pocket-sized Monotron analog synth, and we want it (video)
Don't take this the wrong way -- we're glad to be in Las Vegas with all our friends at CTIA, playing with new handsets from Samsung and Motorola. But as you know, we also love us some new music gear, especially when it sounds good -- so we wouldn't exactly mind being in Frankfurt for Musikmesse right now, either. Currently on display at Korg's booth, Monotron is a two AAA-powered, pocket-sized analog synth featuring a ribbon keyboard, VCO, VCF, and LFO controls, and the same analog filter found in the Korg MS-10 and MS-20 -- and it sounds great. Check it out in the gallery below and in the video after the break to see / hear the thing in action. Look for it in May for about $67. %Gallery-88925%
One man band rocks the iPod touch, rescues the MIDI clarinet from obscurity
We've seen blow-hard electronic music makers in the past (one particular didgeridoo hack comes to mind) but still, when one makes us take note we feel like we just have to pass it along. Onyx Ashanti is an American living in Berlin and a one-man band to boot. His instrument of choice is a Yamaha MIDI wind controller for triggering audio and the TouchOSC app for iPod touch for controlling PureData audio processing. And the music he makes from the two is pretty, pretty wild... see for yourself after the break.
Apple II Digital Music Synthesizer available now for 8-bit die-hards
The last time we had occasion to feature 8 Bit Weapon in this space, our man Seth had hacked his Nintendo Power Pad into a music controller. Now the team is back with something a little less strenuous -- but no less musical -- for all of you budding chiptune artists out there. The Digital Music Synthesizer for Apple II is a wavetable synthesizer designed specifically for live performance. Not only does this bad boy come with ten voices (including bass, trumpet, square wave, sawtooth wave, and sine wave), but sequences can be recorded for a later time. But wait, there's more -- there is no monitor required. If you've ever had to lug an Apple II monitor to a dank performance space on a weeknight (and who hasn't?), you understand what a sweet setup this is. Supports your Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+, or IIgs computer with 80-column capability and at least one 5.25" floppy disk drive. Get yours now for $19.95 -- but not before checking out the demo after the break.
