March, 2004 archive

Ready to get your freak on? No reason not to, because Reason freaks have their own site! ReasonFreaks.com is, you guessed it, an online community for users of Propellerheads’ Reason software.
ReasonFreaks is the brainchild of two musician/producers that are fans of Reason, and decided to work together to create an online meeting place for Reason […]

The Musikmesse has opened in Frankfurt, and Native Instruments has announced several new products, including the Guitar Rig, Elektrik Piano, an organ controller, and several new software bundles.
The Guitar Rig combines a foot controller and groundbreaking software with amp, speaker, microphone, and effect emulations. The newly developed advanced analog modelling technologies guarantee a unique and […]

Kompressor makes music that is a strange blend of industrial electronics, children song lyrics, and even rap. If Kraftwerk, Chris and Cosey, and the Childrens Television Workshop got together to make music, it might sound something like Kompressor. Or it might not.
Kompressor is artist Andreas K, right. According to the Kompressor site, he was born […]

Music from Outer Space has introduced an exciting project for synth do-it-yourself builders. The Sound Lab Mini-Synth is a professionally produced PC board that lets you build a tiny, but powerful analog synthesizer.
Music from Outer Space is the home of Ray Wilson, an advanced synth builder, and a musician that records under the name ADHD […]

If you’re interested in building analog synthesizers, this is a great place to look. Music from Outer Space has a large collection of DIY synth projects, including oscillators, filters, amplifiers, noise sources, envelope generators, even sequencers.
Music from Outer Space is the home of Ray Wilson, his band ADHD Boy, and his collection of DIY synthesizer […]

Banned Music is a web project that promotes music activism, especially the non-commercial distribution of works that major record labels have driven underground. The site is one of several that are raising important questions about the role that the law plays in determining what we can experience.
The site is a project of Downhill Battle, a […]

With this book, Eric Tamm takes one of the deepest looks ever put to paper about an electronic musician.
Tamm’s book, Brian Eno: His Music and the Vertical Color of Sound, is divided into two main sections. The first is a review of Brian Eno and his work in the context of modern music. This looks […]

Aquaria: A Liquid Blue Trancescape is light new-age music in the style of Enigma. The music is polished, professional and produced, but also a little ponderous.
This light new-age trance pop tries to be sexy, but fails to generate much heat. It cops a feel, in a groove sense, from Enigma, to the point that it […]

TaDream is a very interesting site for fans of Tangerine Dream. One of the highlights of the site is the Tangerine Tree Project, which provides free downloadable music from many great Tangerine Dream concerts. The site also has many other media files, including interviews and lost tracks.
The Tangerine Tree project is a collaborative effort by […]

This book is an excellent introduction to the world of software synthesizers by long-time Keyboard columnist Jim Aikin. For anyone new to computer-based synthesis, this book will provide a basic understanding of the ideas of software synthesis. It also reviews many of the most popular software synthesizers.
Software Synthesizers: The Definitive Guide to Virtual Musical Instruments, […]

This 1997 release by Martin Russ is one of the best introductions to synthesis and sampling in print. It discusses both analog and digital synthesis concepts and sampling in a fairly non-technical fashion, making it a great way to expand your understanding of synthesizers.
Sound Synthesis and Sampling is extensively illustrated with diagrams that help make […]

Electronic Music Pioneers, a book by Ben Kettlewell, is a popular history of electronic music. Kettlewell covers the highlights of recent electronic music history, and does it in an easy-to-read fashion.
The book features interviews with many of the artists and synth designers that have been influential in shaping the world of popular electronica in the […]

With Geogaddi, Boards of Canada continue in the style they defined on their debut album, Music Has the Right to Children. This oblique, psychedelic pop electronica has no immediately catchy tunes or hooks, but if you give it a chance, it will seep into your head, nevertheless.
Boards of Canada is actually a Scottish duo, Michael […]

This site has circuits and other resources for synth diy enthusiasts. In addition, it is the home of the virtual 909!
The Synth-Builder’s Online Resource is a labor of love of Chris List, a programmer, synth builder and electronic music fan. Resources at the site include:

Circuits & Other Resources

Java Potentiometer Graph Applet

Links to more Synth-DIY Info

Pictures […]

Combine programming with music for a total musical geek-out with the Maximum MIDI site. The site is a companion to the book, Maximum MIDI : Music Applications in C++. Need we say more?
The site has several projects for the hardcore synth-diy fan. For anyone interested in the technical side of MIDI and synthesizers, both this […]