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Animoog 2.0 for iPad helps you crank out hits with accelerometer-controlled modulation
Building up your beat lab's equipment arsenal to finish up production on that 80s-themed mix-tape that you've been working on? Then you might want to check out Animoog 2.0 for iPad. Loaded with a smorgasbord of abilities, the updated synthesizer app adds features like scale lock and a note hold button that allows you to maintain tones between presets. Users also gain accelerometer-controlled sound modulation and a free ($5 after December 31st) in-app four-track recorder that lets you sample, edit and loop music from your iTunes library. Plus, in order to spread some holiday cheer, Moog has slashed the app's price in half to just $15 for the remainder of the year. We could go on about Animoog's new bells and whistles, but it's best to hear them for yourself in the video after the break.
Korg's iPolysix synth app takes your iPad back to the '80s (video)
Synthesizers are notoriously expensive, especially some vintage models, but how'd you like a Korg Polysix for the bargain price of $14.99? Well, as long as you've got an iPad (or a mini), that's now possible with the iPolysix app released today. The '80s-era analog polyphonic synth is "fully replicated," with plenty of additional tools for tablet composers -- the new Polyseq step sequencer, dual Kaoss Pads with chordal support, and a "production environment" with two synths, a drum machine and mixer. You can also publish your creations and remix tracks with other users via the SoundCloud-integrated Polyshare feature. If you're hemming and hawing about a purchase, make up your mind soon, as the app's price doubles on January 1st. You won't find it in the Play store, but the Android Polysix app we saw running on Miselu's Neiro prototype leads us to believe Google's OS won't be excluded from the jam session entirely. Advert / app demo after the break. [Thanks, fsk1138]
Elektron announces Analog Four synthesizer, spends the naming budget on viral teaser (video)
Elektron makes button-heavy synths and samplers, it also makes great teaser videos. If you needed any proof, then its newest offering, Analog Four (and accompanying video), should be plenty. This time, we have a little exclusive advanced info to go with it. The latest box of sonic tricks is a four voice analog synth (with two analog oscillators each), comes with an internal step-sequencer, plus multiple LFOs and the usual array of filters and effects. One other nice addition is the inclusion of CV/Gate and DIN outputs, meaning you can also control some of those older pre-MIDI synths you might have lying around (there is MIDI functionality too, of course). There's also a live performance mode, so you can shake up the pattern on the fly, along with other creative tools like arpeggio toggling. Features are all good and well, but what does it sound like? Well, head past the break for a demo, plus that extravagant teaser vid. If, however, you were sold at "four voice analog synth," keep your eyes (and filters) open for December 3rd availability
Visualized: Inside Moog's Sound Lab
As touring acts grow weary from their travels across the US of A, Moog has a spot for them to get re-energized. Inside the synth maker's North Carolina headquarters sits a room that's decked out with the company's analog tech and effects (including a Model 15 synthesizer) -- waiting for musicians who are on the road to stop by for a visit. It's here in the Sound Lab where the likes of Mutemath, Phantogram, OK Go and Ra Ra Riot grab their Moog gear of choice to re-imagine some of their existing tracks. For a look at all of the sound-scaping tools on display, mosey into the gallery below for a virtual visit. %Gallery-169365%
Visualized: A look inside Moog's analog synthesizer factory
While we're waiting for Moogfest to officially kick off this weekend, we stopped by the headquarters of Moog Music in Asheville, North Carolina to catch a glimpse of the analog action. The entire company is housed in one building that includes design, assembly, testing, engineering, service and a warehouse for all of the handmade electronics. Despite having all of its departmental bases covered, the outfit is still only comprised of about 50 folks total. However, the workshop-esque facility is poised to crank out 10,000 instruments over the course of the year that cover synths, stomp boxes, guitars and more. We took a stroll around the factory floor (and we were lucky enough to spot the screen-printed, Moogfest-exclusive Theremins), so dive in to the gallery below for a behind-the-scenes look at the construction process.
Moog shows off LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype on an acoustic guitar
Moogfest isn't happening for another week, but the synth-maker couldn't wait to take the wraps off of its latest bit of technology. Still in the early days of beta-testing ,the LEV-96 is a far cry from the classic analog instruments we've come to associate with Moog. The company is showing off the sensoriactuator in its early stages by affixing it to a guitar, with two pickup channels beneath each of the acoustic's strings. The strings' vibrations trigger the sound, with the device "bring[ing] out hidden modes of vibration that have always been there, but were never energized in a direct manner," according to the company -- in all, the system is capable of managing up to 96 simultaneous harmonics. On the LEV-96, you'll find touch-based control sliders, which let the player adjust intensity, harmonics and note duration. Additional triggers let you change arpeggio presets and modulation (tremolo and random harmonics), while a lock button makes sure you don't adjust anything by accident. Moog is careful to point out that the LEV-96 we're seeing (still being referred to as a "concept project") is just the tip of the iceberg, and "could easily be affixed to any surface or material." The company has promised to show the concept in action soon, including an appearance at Moogfest on October 26th and 27th in the company's home of Asheville, North Carolina. For more info consult the source link below.
Novation launches MiniNova compact hardware synth with 'VocalTune' (video)
Phones, tablets and huge TVs not your thing? Then thank the stars it's not just the gadget-mega-brands releasing products today. Maker of fine music gear, Novation, has just revealed its latest offering too -- the MiniNova. The more astute among you might have worked out from the nomenclature that this is a compact synth, but we're assured it has full-size features. There's 37 ivories (ok, plastics) for you to tickle, while the sound and effects engine has the same DNA as the maker's flagship UltraNova. You may have noticed that goose-neck microphone up top, and that'll come in handy with the new "VocalTune" and vocoder features. It'll land in your studio with 256 preset sounds, but there's space for another 128 of your own creations. Sound like something you can get down with? Then if you sing a song to the tune of £300 ($629 MSRP / $400 at dealers), you'll be able to call one your own from October. Excitement-stirring demo video after the break.
Onyx Ashanti's beatjazz music machine does everything, looks good too (video)
Onyx Ashanti has sent us over a demo of his beatjazz controller, and we have to marvel at the direction he's taken with this custom electronic music machine following more modest efforts. Onyx's 3D-printed interface receives inputs from a voice / breath-operated synth in the headgear, while the two handheld controls incorporate accelerometers, joysticks and pressure-sensitive buttons. Using this kit and his own software, Onyx is able to create live digital music with an amount of control you would only expect from desktop-based production software. We've embedded two videos for your attention after the break -- a demo of his latest flashy build complete with lightsaber-like effects, and an earlier live performance that really shows what the beatjazz controller can do.
Yamaha Vocaloid on Miselu Neiro synth: exclusive hands-on at Google I/O 2012 (video)
Did you enjoy our first look at the latest apps being showcased on Miselu's Neiro Android-powered synth here at Google I/O 2012? Want more? You've come to the right place. As promised here's an exclusive hands-on with Yamaha's Vocaloid app demoed by the man behind the technology himself -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. We got the chance to play with an early build of the software running on the same 3-octave prototype version of the synth that we last saw at SXSW. The verdict? It works pretty well considering the pre-alpha status of the code. The app features two modes of operation -- edit and play -- the former letting you type or speak text and map it to an existing melody and the latter allowing you to chose preset sentences and "sing" them with the keyboard. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so take a look at our gallery below and watch our hands-on video after the break.
Miselu Neiro synth at Google I/O: exclusive first look at apps from Korg and Yamaha (video)
Remember Miselu's Neiro -- that prototype app-based Android-powered synth we last played with at SXSW? Not only is it being showcased at Google I/O 2012 here in San Francisco, but we got an exclusive first look at some of the apps being developed for the new platform ahead of the event. The company's been on a roll since our meeting in Austin, gaining (ex-OQO CEO) Jory Bell as CTO and building relationships with partners like Korg and Yamaha. Now on its second iteration, the laptop-like synth has evolved from the hand-built prototype we saw at SXSW to a more polished reference design -- complete with breakout board for SD card and Ethernet support. As before, the device runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor and features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, audio and MIDI I/O, plus USB and HDMI ports. This version even adds XLR and quarter-inch audio jacks -- just keep in mind that those specs have not been finalized. What's really exciting about the synth is the apps. The company's ongoing partnership with Retronyms to create a suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps has evolved beyond the drum-machine demo we covered at SXSW. Called nStudio, the suite now also includes a pad-based sampler / sequencer and a mixer. Plasma Sound is a touch-based musical instrument that's part theremin, part keyboard / sequencer. It's already available for other devices on Google Play, but was easily tweaked to run on the Neiro -- sight unseen -- thanks to Miselu's musicSDK and OS X-based emulator. Miselu will be showcasing two more apps on its synth here at Google I/O: Korg's Polysix and Yamaha's Vocaloid. The Polysix app faithfully recreates Korg's legendary 1981 synth -- known for its rich, thick analog sound. A real, mint-condition Polysix was even available for comparison during our brief time with the app (see our gallery). Vocaloid takes full advantage of the NSX-1 DSP chip that's built-into the Neiro. It's a singing synth app produced by Yamaha that "uses concatenative synthesis to splice and process vocal fragments extracted from human voice samples." We'll be spending some time with the Vocaloid app and its creator -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (of Sega and Lumines fame) -- later today. In the meantime, check out the gallery below and watch our hands-on video with the other apps after the break.%Gallery-159214%
The new stars of reggae are nothing like the old ones
Earthly music just ain't enough for reggae / rock band Echo Movement. In search of extraterrestrial inspiration, they hooked up with researchers at Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab, which specializes in turning ugly numbers into beautiful music. Using data from NASA's Kepler telescope and its search for Earth II, SonLab generated "sequences of sonified musical pitches" from fluctuations in a star's brightness (meet Kepler 4665989). Echo Movement got their loop on and composed a harmony from the sequences, adding a tremolo effect from another star's pattern for a softer sound. Unfortunately, the finished track isn't out til September, but in the meantime you can hear the six-second celestial hook at the source link -- just don't blame us if you get pangs of Nokia-stalgia. Also, if you want to imagine how Echo Movement might use the sample, we've embedded one of their rarer songs -- that doesn't involve Spider-Man's girlfriend -- after the break.
Microsoft applies to patent gesture-based MIDI interface, turn us all into Jean Michel Jarre
Microsoft has applied to patent a free-space gesture controller for a MIDI interface that could see you kicking out jams on invisible instruments. Using a Kinect-style depth camera, individual movements would be mapped to notes and played out by the games console observing the action. The company actually teased a similar function in its Kinect Effect advert, where it showed cellists, violinists and pianists all miming in front of the sensor, although we doubt the technology is at a sufficiently capable stage just yet. If granted, it means we could see plenty of intentional arm-waving in future music games, or an even more outrageous stage show from the world's most beloved Gallic synth maven.
Google goes Moogle, celebrates Moog's birthday with interactive doodle
It's time to surrender another afternoon to an interactive Google doodle. The search engine has outdone itself in celebration of the late-Bob Moog's birthday. The electronic music pioneer was born on May 23rd, 1934. Seeing as how the anniversary isn't until tomorrow, the doodle hasn't actually hit our Google front page. Thanks to the magic of timezones, however, you can check it out on some of the company's many international sites, as our colleagues at Engadget Japanese pointed out. Google's really outdone itself here, you can play the synth doodle by tapping on the keys with your cursor, or by hitting the numbers on your keyboard. Naturally, there are plenty of knobs to fiddle with, and you can also record your musical experiments for posterity. Get switched-on with the music awesomeness in the source link below.
PatchWerk lets you control a monstrous modular synth with your browser (video)
The Paradiso Synthesizer at the MIT Museum might be the largest homemade instrument of its type. That fact alone does make it interesting but, what makes this room-sized collection of wooden cabinets connected by a web of cables really stand out is the fact that you can control it from the comfort of you home with nothing more than a browser. The web app, PatchWerk, lets individuals from around the world come together and commandeer Joe Paradiso's creation... at least in a limited form. As you turn dials and flip switches you can hear the soundscape change, and their real life counterparts react in kind on the museum floor. Hit up the source link to try it out for yourself and check out the video after the break to see the monstrosity you'll be hijacking.
Miselu Neiro Android-powered synth hands-on at SXSW (video)
This is the Miselu Neiro, a "portable, net-enabled social music device" which was announced this weekend at SXSW. We were able see and handle the first-ever prototype fresh off the lab bench at the SoundCloud Open House in Austin. The app-based, Android-powered synth features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and even a webcam. Battery life is expected to be in the five to six hour range. The laptop-sized instrument features audio I/O, MIDI I/O, two USB ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot. It currently runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor -- although those aren't the final specs. While the silicon valley startup is mum on pricing and availability, it's teamed up with Yamaha to outfit the device with an NSX-1 DSP chip (for high-quality synthesis and effects) and with Retronyms to create a powerful suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps in time for launch. The instrument also includes a dock area for accessories (such as a speaker bar) and the company plans to license the interface to third-party manufacturers. Beyond the Neiro prototype, Miselu also showcased its older, larger, proof-of-concept device (controlling Ableton Live via MIDI / OSC over WiFi) and a USB-powered digital speaker cabinet built in partnership with Onkyo that integrates Trigence's Dnote technology for high-quality audio reproduction using only 500mA of power. Check out the pictures in our gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video -- complete with a walkthrough by CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa and a drum-machine demo.
Sphero + keyboard + iPad = cacophonous synthy fun (video)
If you're not familiar with Shapesynth, it's a pretty sweet little synthesizer app for iOS that lets you draw waveforms and works with Akai's SynthStation. Its creator, Erik, is also toying with some new code that'll let you use other iOS accessories to control various variables. For example, the Sphero. Sadly, we don't have a ton of details on how it works -- the developer is merely taunting us for the moment. But we can see that by lifting and tilting the interactive ball he is able to manipulate frequency and other parameters. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket
Two K-words we're almost always pleased to hear: Korg and Kaoss. Good, then, that the former has decided to make more of the latter -- the mini Kaoss Pad 2 (effects unit), and Kaossilator 2 (synthesizer), to be precise. Both new editions will slip in your pocket, and are dominated by that all-important X-Y pad. The mini Kaoss Pad 2 is all about effects, packing 100 programs, three memory slots, and MP3 playback (with pitch adjust). The traditional flanger, filter, delay, and reverb ear candy are also joined by looper, vinyl break, and ducking compressor. But what good are effects without anything to, er, affect? Enter Kaossilator 2. It's a palm-sized synthesizer, with 150 onboard sounds and a PCM engine for drums. You can sample via a built-in mic, gate and arpeggiate sounds, and create layered textures with loops. Both can record your performance, save it to SD, or impose share with others via a built-in speaker. It's all peace and quiet, though, until April when the Kaossilator lands for about £168 ($260). The KPad, on the other hand won't hit the market until May, retailing at the same price. Full PRs after the break.
Line 6 throws more MIDI love at iDevices, intros Mobile Keys keyboard controllers
Line 6 hasn't been a stranger to uniting musician's iDevices and MIDI controllers with its MIDI-Mobilizers, but now it's unleashing a duo of keyboard-style controllers of its own here at CES. Its Mobile Keys can connect straight to your iPhone's 30-pin port, and even over USB if you feel like recording some loops straight from your computer. The controller features velocity sensitive keys, two 1/4-inch jacks for sustain pedals and the like, and it'll interface with any apps that support CoreMIDI. Thankfully, the controllers are bus-powered, so you won't need batteries -- we'd imagine, however, that the convenience might be at the expense of your iDevice's normal run-time. If you're recording bug is piqued, you'll be able to pick it up with either 25 or 49 keys in the "early 2012, respectively priced at $150 and $200. Full details in the press release after the break.
Moog cuts the bull, reveals Minitaur analogue synth
What's that noise? The sound of a thousand synth-lovers' hearts melting. Why? Because the godfather of bass, Moog, has just raised the muleta on its forthcoming analogue Minitaur bass synth.
Animoog debuts DIY synth studio for iPhone 4, BYO talent (video)
Hey kids, if you never thought you'd live to see the day that Animoog offered up its wares for your iPhone, then prepare to be dazzled. Previously available only for the iPad, Moog has successfully re-tooled its impressive synthesizer software for the smaller screen and has maintained the same powerful features as before. Based on Moog's Anisotropic Synth Engine, the app leverages multitouch input, which allows users to play a chord and then modulate each note independently from one another. With a wide array of timbre styles, polyphonic modulation and pitch shifting, the software even supports MIDI input for those looking to link Animoog with a more traditional synth keyboard. Available right now in the App Store for 99¢, the software will leap to a full $9.99 after its introductory period. So, if you're rocking an iPhone 4 / 4S, it seems wise to jump on this deal while it's nice and cheap. There's a full video after the break, for those looking to see Animoog's recital performance.
