February, 2004 archive

Behrenger has announced a new line of controllers for computer audio workstations. The B-CONTROL Series combines the versatility of audio software with the feel of real controls. The B-CONTROL series is a line of powerful, but affordable, control hardware.
The BCA2000 is a high-speed USB 2.0 multi-channel audio MIDI control interface. It provides an intuitive control […]

Moog Music - News, history, and the latest electronic music equipment from the mind of Bob Moog. Moog makes a broad line of devices, including the PianoBar, MiniMoog Voyager, Theremins, and Moogerfooger pedals.
Dr. Moog is one of the most important figures in the world of electronic musical instruments. He’s been the leading provider of theremins […]

Moog Music has announced a new product, the MF-105 MuRF, short for Multiple Resonance Filter Array.
The MuRF has 8 filters, with levels controlled by 8 sliders. It looks like a graphic eq, but the sound of the filters are very different: warm and resonant. Each slider controls the filter for a pitch range.
What makes the […]

Encore Electronics has released a new analog Frequency Shifter for modular synthesizer systems and rack processing.
The Frequency Shifter can be used to warp any input signal. It will produce effects ranging from the subtle to the extreme. For example, by employing the simultaneous up and down shift outputs, the on-board feedback controls, and a slight […]

Why would anyone create a virtual synth that runs on the Commodore 64?
Some things just must be done, and the Prophet 64 is one of them. Prophet 64 software turns an old 64 into a monophonic synthesizer, with a TB-303 style sequencer.
The Prophet 64 looks like the illegitimate offspring of a 303 and a Sequential […]

Brian Eno first collaboration with minimalist composer Harold Budd, Ambient 2: Plateau of Mirror, was a groundbreaking classic of ambient music. Budd and Eno created beautiful soundscapes, haunted by melancholy piano themes. There second CD, The Pearl, is even more beautiful.
The Pearl, released in 1984, is a set of tranquil piano tone poems. The music […]

Neroli oil comes from the white blossoms of the bitter orange tree, and is an expensive pale yellow oil used in fragrances. Neroli is also the name of a 1991 ambient work by Brian Eno that is as exotic and ethereal as the fragrance.
Neroli oil is known to have therapeutic effects, including as being a […]

This classic new age release was originally released in 1984, but it sounds as fresh today as it did when it was then. Braheny used state-of-the-art instruments of the time with rare artistry and inspiration.
There are two pieces on the CD, “The Way Home”, and “Perelandra”. Both are new age/space music pieces with a sense […]

The latest CD from Paul Van Dyk puts the emphasis on vocal trance. The result is a mixed bag, because Van Dyk delivers the goods on several tracks, but there are others that sound like filler.
The album emphasis pop song forms within a trance context. The result is cuts that are well-crafted, but that often […]

Elektron is known for making one-of-a-kind, drool-worthy instruments. Their Machinedrum drum machine takes some of the best drum sounds available and packages them in a big, knob-filled case, giving it an immediacy that makes it perfect for capturing live performance tweaks. The SidStation turns the soundchip that was originally used in the Commodore 64 computer […]

They look like a robot out of Star Wars, and contain state-of-the art technology. The BeoLab 5 speakers are audiophile speakers that are part hi-fi and part sci-fi.
Since the early 80’s, Bang & Olufsen engineers have have worked in the scientific development of acoustics, researching the physics of ideal sound reproduction and psychoacoustics. The BeoLab […]

This style grows out of the tradition of classical orchestral music and features synthesized orchestration. It often features melodies and harmonies that are neo-romantic in style.
The best orchestral electronica uses electronics as an important element in a wider palette of instruments, to create new types of orchestration that would be impossible using traditional instruments. It […]

Blade Runner is a science fiction classic, and it has a classic electronica score to go with it.
In the early eighties, Vangelis helped redefine the world of soundtrack music with his scores to films like Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner. Chariots of Fire won him an Oscar, but his music for Blade Runner is […]

The First Seven Days is one of the great early works of electronica. Released nearly 30 years ago, the music is a set of seven rock-fusion tone poems inspired by the idea of the seven days of creation.  It was a head-trip when it was released, and the remastered CD re-release makes it sound better than […]

Captured! By Robots is one of the stranger bands in history. It is a one-man band, which is fairly rare these days. Jay Vance plays and sings, in shackles, a sort of pop sideshow metal. But what truly makes the band unusual is that he has robots accompany him on drums and guitar.
According to band […]