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New studio 'Detune' announces Korg M01 for DS
The developers of Korg DS-10 (who originally worked at Cavia and AQ Interactive) have formed a new studio called Detune, and are continuing the work of emulating Korg synthesizers on the DS. The new software, Korg M01, is designed to replicate the functions of Korg's best-selling synthesizer, the M1, which has been dubbed a "music workstation" (combining a keyboard, synthesizer, and sound module). M01 will be available to amateur musicians (and other DS owners) in Japan this December exclusively on Amazon, evidently published by Korg and Detune themselves. A limited edition has also been revealed. The company has yet to say a word (or emit a pleasing tone) regarding a release outside of Japan.
TUAW's Daily App: Bebot
I'm really happy that I've found an excuse to mention Bebot here in this space -- it might be my favorite app in the entire App Store. We've covered it before here on TUAW -- it's a musical instrument, basically, with the added bonus of having a super cute singing robot as a mascot. And I've never seen an app that makes such beautiful and simple use of the multitouch screen, allowing up to four voices to be played at a time by touching four different fingers to the screen in different places. The reason I get to mention it here today is because the creator just added iPad support to the mix -- while it's pretty barebones, unfortunately (the graphic isn't quite as high resolution as you'd expect), the bigger screen will give you more room to spread out and find the synth notes you're looking for. And as always, even if you're not musical, it's just plain fun to play around on the tones by swiping your finger across the screen. Bebot is now a universal app for just US$1.99. If you haven't had the pleasure of playing with this robot on your iDevice yet, definitely check it out.
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%
Steampunk sequencer generates audio from Lego blocks
In 2007, steampunk musician Yoshi Akai wrote his master's thesis on how to turn color into sound, and he's been dreaming up unorthodox ways of producing music ever since. Case in point: the Lego Sequencer MR II, a contraption that uses three-dimensional Lego structures to emulate a three-channel, eight-step sequencer, where each differently colored plastic brick produces a different sound and complex combinations (including tremolo and overdrive) are possible when the blocks are stacked. Akai tells us it works using resistors embedded in each and every block, with parallel networks of resistors formed as the bricks pile up, equalling lower resistance and thus a higher frequency sound generated by the contraption. While the result certainly won't back a techno track -- Akai says he's "building sound more than playing sound" -- it looks like a good step up from the lethargic phaser noise produced by his Wireless Catcher, a lot of fun to play with, and much less expensive than hiring a team of hot models. Video after the break.
Yoshi Akai's Wireless Catcher senses nearby wireless waves, makes music (video)
What's cute, cuddly, and makes all sorts of bizarro noises when it senses wireless waves? Yoshi Akai's Wireless Catcher, of course! This analog synth contraption is simplistic in nature and complex in design, utilizing an onboard antenna to sense WiFi signals and then alter the sounds being outputted depending on signal strength and direction. It's not exactly the symphony that Bach forgot to write, but it's certainly beautiful in its own nerdy way. Have a look at the video past the break, won't you?
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.
Count The Beats: Playing keys and synth live on a Mac (interview).
Over the coming months, the Count The Beats series is going to be taking a closer look at how the Mac (and the accompanying software) fits in with the various components of a typical rock band (drums, bass, electric guitar etc. You get the idea). In this post we're going to take a closer look at keyboards (playing keys and synths) in a live performance context. From honky-tonk piano's on fire to out-of-control oscillating synths, there is so much gear and software out there it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when it comes to playing in a live performance context. Session musician, and good friend of mine, Jon Dean does a fair bit of this, and does it well. In the last few years he's gone from classically trained pianist to Rock 'n Roll, synth and pad-crazy keys extraordinaire. I managed to pull Jon away from his busy touring schedule to sit down with me and a cup of tea with some After Eight Mints (it's a new kind of Rock 'n Roll out there, apparently) to talk controllers, audio interfaces and moving from PC to Mac, with a couple bad musician jokes thrown in for good measure. Even if you're not a keys player, it's interesting to see how the Mac continues to facilitate and encourage creative musicianship to an extent that just wasn't available a few short years ago. Click the Read More link for the interview. Photo credit: kolleggerium on flickr.
Bleep Labs builds Arduino-based Nebulophone, wants to sell you one
What do you get when you mash together an Arduino-based synth with a Stylophone-like keyboard? A month ago, even we wouldn't have known, but now that Handmade Music Austin has come and gone, we're happy to say that this beautiful concoction leads to the creation of a Nebulophone. Unfortunately, there's no video (yet) to showcase what this musical wonder can do, but we're told that it has "adjustable waveforms, a light controlled analog filter, LFO and an arpeggiator that can be clocked over IR." Hit the source link if you're looking for all the code, schematics, and instructions necessary to give yourself a weekend project, and feel free to drop the guys / gals there a line if you're interested in just buying one.
Dave Smith's Mopho keyboard prototype wows analog fanboys at NAMM (video)
Dave Smith's name is as revered in the synth business as those of Tom Oberheim and "Handsome Ron" Casio. Having had his hands in everything from the Prophet 5 synth to developing the MIDI specification to his own company (Dave Smith Instruments), the man has given electronic musicians plenty to be thankful for. The boutique's latest, the Mopho Keyboard (seen here in prototype form at NAMM 2010) takes the existing Mopho synth module -- a pretty sweet deal with its sub-octave generators, audio input (you know, for modulating stuff), and feedback options -- and adds a thirty-two key keyboard and a whole mess of controls. Like original, this new Mopho has a 100 percent analog signal path, ships with a sound bank editor for both Windows and Mac, and it sounds pretty, pretty bad ass. Look for it in the near future for around $800. Video after the break.
Korg Kaossilator Pro makes its NAMM debut
Since the original Kaoss pad was released in 1999, Korg has been steadily improving the thing, adding crazier effects, more features, and earning the undying love of Brian Eno in the process. The Kaossilator, released a few years later, took the same X-Y controls and wide array of effects and added a synthesizer. What's this, then? Just in time for NAMM 2010, the Kaossilator Pro features 200 sound banks, a vocoder, loop recording with four loop banks, gate arpeggiator, the ability to limit the X-Y pad's note range to certain keys / scales, Librarian Editor software for managing samples on your Mac or PC, and more. Look for it for £355 (approximately $575) this March. PR after the break. Update: US product page is up, and lo and behold, this beaut's only $399 stateside. [Thanks, Nick!]
Bliptronic 5000 synthesizer: it's like a Tenori-On, but affordable
Yamaha's Tenori-On may be swank, and the slightly more affordable 'Orange' version may be attainable for the middle-class, but we've been waiting far too long for an el cheapo version. Thanks to ThinkGeek, that wait has finally ended, and all of our most intense and outlandish dreams are now a reality. The Bliptronics 5000 LED Synthesizer is, for all intents and purposes, a cheapened and less-featured version of the aforesaid Yamaha, capable of spitting out 8-bit bleeps and bloops at varying tempos based on what buttons you have toggled. And look, for $49.99, it's tough to complain. Hop on past the break for a video demonstration, and feel free to go ahead and bust that plastic out while you're at it -- it's not like you haven't already taken it for quite the ride today.
Humanthesizer turns 15 bikini models into a live dancing synth
And you thought conductive paint was boring. Say hello to the Humanthesizer, a joint creation between electronic musician Calvin Harris, Sony Music UK, and Bare conductive body ink, which turned 15 bikini-clad ladies into a giant Arduino-powered synth capable of playing Harris's track "Ready For The Weekend" though Max/MSP and Ableton Live. Each patch is triggered by one of the girls closing a circuit with her hands or feet -- you can see the "wires" painted on their arms and legs if you look closely -- and the final performance bounces right along in that blurry space between dancing and playing. You have to see it to understand -- check out the videos after the break.
Bebot turns your iPhone into the cutest instrument ever
I don't think I've ever fallen in love with an app as quickly as Bebot. Not only is it a pretty darn powerful synthesizer with an interesting touchscreen interface, but that robot. That robot! He makes you want to play something, anything, with those cute little closed robot eyes and that dashing tux and that knowing smile. If you just want to make funny robot noises, that's easy enough, but for the musically inclined, there's a really surprising amount of features under the hood, including analog filters, a delay/looping effect, chorus and overdrive effects, and even an autotune system. Oh, and because of the multitouch screen, you can play up to four waveforms at a time. In the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, this thing can be really impressive.It's available from a company called Normalware (any app with that robot in it has basically sold me from now on -- there's even a t-shirt of the guy) on the App Store right now for $1.99.
Teenage Engineering's OP-1 pocket synth caught on video
The OP-1 is for real... and we've got the proof. It's an ambitious little project, to be sure -- a battery powered pocket synth / sampler / DAW controller / drum sequencer -- and one we're looking forward to getting our hands on when it finally becomes available. According to the heads behind Teenage Engineering, that day should come within 10-12 months. But don't take our word for it -- check out the video after the break.
Teenage Engineering's OP-1 synthesizer sure to entice Mark Mothersbaugh
We've been thinking about picking up our own little synth lately, so we were pretty stoked to see Teenage Engineering's OP-1 -- even if it's not near production yet. The pocket-sized synthesizer -- which will also double as a controller for a digital workstation -- is going to boast eight synth models and eight samplers, effects, a sequencer and an arpeggiator. There's a built-in mic, speaker, and, excitingly, an FM radio. On the controller side of the device, it's got transport controls, four rotary encoders, plus 16 quick keys. There's no word yet on when (if) this thing will hit the market, though they're taking volunteers for beta testing as of now. Sounds awesome, looks rad: sign us up! Update: Video of a display test of the OP-1 after the break![Via Music Radar]
KORG DS-10 synthesizer up for pre-order in America
DS owners in Japan have been enjoying the spoils of the KORG DS-10 synthesizer for over half a year, but at long (long!) last, we Americans are about to receive equal treatment. The game itself, which is graciously priced at just $29.99, is now up for pre-order on GameStop's website. The listed ship date is February 9th, but we wouldn't go betting the farm on that being entirely accurate. Nevertheless, we're down to counting days and hours rather than months and weeks before we'll be able to shove a synth in our pockets without paying import prices. Huzzah![Via Joystiq]
Gamestop moves to the beat, will sell the Korg DS-10
Remember that really awesome drum synthesizer we got our hands on back at E3? Yeah, that puppy is the Korg DS-10, a nasty little drum synthesizer for your DS that provides a lot of the functions you'd only see in a high-priced box. The amount of control you have here is ridiculous, as you all should already know. And now, you can actually walk into a store and buy it, instead of ordering it online and waiting for it to arrive on your doorstep. But, then again, you have to walk into a Gamestop. Hmm, decisions, decisions ...No idea what we're talking about? Head past the break for video of the Korg DS-10 in action.%Gallery-27318%[Via Go Nintendo]
Attention future Kraftwerk tribute bands: where to buy Korg DS-10
When the Korg DS-10 synthesizer program comes out on November 4, you won't be able to purchase it just anywhere. GameStop, for one, doesn't care to stock a $40 DS non-game, apparently. In fact, the list of stores who are carrying the feature-rich synthesizer cartridge, as sent to 1UP by publisher XSEED, looks a bit paltry. According to the list, only Amazon, Fry's, Micro Center, Best Buy, J&R, Game Crazy, and EB (in Canada) are planning to stock DS-10. Amazon, by the way, is taking preorders for $36.99. Also they bring games directly to your house, so maybe it isn't so problematic that more stores aren't carrying DS-10.%Gallery-27318%[Via 1UP]
Bring the Noise.io!
Noise.io is an interesting-looking synthesizer app for iPhone, due to appear in the App Store in the coming weeks. What's interesting about it is the emphasis on live performance. This is an app designed for use on stage, and comes complete with the advice: "Simply connect the sound output of your iPhone/iPod touch to the mic/lineinput of your mixer, recorder or sound card - and there you are, now you can enrich your tracks or mixes with superb sound effects." Right now, we shall just have to take the developers' word for that, because the app isn't officially released and all we have to go on are the screenshots and a single preview video that hints at what's to come. For seven bucks, it looks like it might be hard to resist.
E308: DS Fanboy hands-on with Korg DS-10
The Korg DS-10 is an incredibly interesting thing. It's not really a game, and it's not really a full-fledged synthesizer. Instead, it's like a perfect middle ground of both. And, it's also something that looked incredibly daunting when first loaded up.%Gallery-27318%
