January, 2004 archive

The microKontrol, from Korg, is one of a new breed of control keyboards designed for mobile electronic musicians. It combines many of the most commonly used controls from a variety of studio devices, including panners, faders, keyboard and pads, into a portable device. The flexibility of the microKontrol makes it a great controller to consider [...]

Triples the Music Content for Revolutionary New GarageBand Music Creation Software
Apple recently introduced the Jam Pack, an add-on music content package for Apple’s GarageBand music creation software.
Jam Pack triples GarageBand’s music options. It adds:

Over 2,000 additional loops, including many for hip-hop and electronica;
Over 100 additional software instruments, including a concert grand piano and 12 string [...]

Jean Michel Jarre was one of the first generation of synthesists to break through to broad public appeal. His pioneering work on Oxygene captures the style that he would refine on future albums. It also has a unique place for many fans, because it was one of the earliest albums of synth music to capture [...]

Monster Cable is one of the leading manufactures of cables and connectors, all the stuff you need to patch together your equipment reliably. They are known for high-end audio work and instrument cables, but also create cables and connectors for Apple and PC computers. Other lines include power supplies and amplifiers, batteries, mobile and gaming [...]

What happens when you get a bunch of indie Internet musicians to write songs inspired by and titled with the subject line of an unwanted email message?
Outside the Inbox, a CD of songs inspired by spam, is the answer. This irreverant collection is funny and fresh, and we liked it even though it has almost [...]

The nominations for The American Dance Music Awards, DanceStar USA, have been released.
Congratulations to Moby, who has been named winner of the award for Outstanding Contribution To American Dance Music. Moby, who will attend DanceStar in Miami to collect the award, says:
“I am proud and honored to be accorded this recognition by DanceStar and the [...]

Disco never really died.
Instead it mutated, and one of its mutant offshoots is House Music. House music retains much of the heavy regular beat of disco, but tends to be more electronic, with drum machine rhythms and synthesized basses. The music is song based, and draws on a variety of influences, including Latin, jazz, soul, [...]

Dark ambient music explores the experimental fringes of ambient music, often using ambient sounds to create an unsettling or even scary soundscape. Dark ambient is rhythmless or uses minimal beats, and may include atonal synthesized washes and sample-based noise effects.
One of the earliest examples of what could be considered dark ambient was Brian Eno’s Ambient [...]

Mbox is a 2-channel USB audio that gives you high-quality sound input and outputs in a small, portable package. It works with Pro Tools-based software, including Apple iLife Garageband, and makes it easy to bring audio into your computer.
It hooks up using a USB cable, and runs off of USB power. This makes it a [...]

Mackie has established itself as the leader in studio recording technologies, including mixers, studio monitors, amplifiers and speakers. They continue to innovate with products aimed at the computer studio, such as DSP cards, control surfaces, and audio inputs.
Their HR line of studio monitors are trusted by studio pros, and are considered a standard monitor. Their [...]