DJTechTools has just announced a new MIDI controller inspired by classic video game systems, MidiFighter.

MidiFighter is an ready-to-assemble MIDI controller that features 16 game-style buttons and 16 programmable LEDs. It can be customized and expanded, too.

MidiFighter MIDI Controller Details:

• Release Date: November 30th
• Price: TBA
• Plug and Play compatible device compliant midi controller
• USB powered
• Must be assembled (no expertise required)
• 16 programable buttons
• 16 programable LEDS
• Expandable to 20 programmable buttons and 4 analogue controls
• Limited Edition 200 piece run in this configuration (black PCB with white LEDS)

This thing looks like it’s going to be pretty insanely fun.

MidiFighter is a DIY kit – but it’s not hardcore DIY – it’s funcore DIY:

The Midifighter kit comes in a flat box that can be personally assembled in 5 minutes. Entry level moders can select the arcade button colors they want when ordering and assemble the kit into a custom configuration that fits their personal style or mapping. The arcade buttons snap into place thanks to our hand made clips that require zero soldering. Just screw together the frame using a simple allen wrench, snap in the arcade buttons and your custom controller is assembled and finished.

The finished controller is plug and play with super high quality low latency drivers and will work with all midi compatible software.

Because it’s a kit, you can customize it. Use color-coded buttons. Use the extra analog and digital input ports toadd mod wheels, joysticks, sliders and knobs. And if you want to get hardcore, the kit is totally open source so you can hack the firmware.

Pricing is TBA, but we should know soon, because they plan to release this November 30th.

Anybody interested? Leave a comment!

This video, by Justonic, visually compares interval and chords in just intonation vs standard equal temperament.

Justonic has created a system that lets musicians play in just intonation chromatically by playing the root note on a MIDI tuning channel. Their software sends MIDI tuning messages to adapt your keyboard’s tuning to be optimal for the root note.

via NoiseForAirports

rishabhrajan demonstrates his MacGyver multitouch surface, with some general applications and then with a Flash version of Brian Eno’s Bloom ambient app.

Below, a “paper piano”, created with Community Core Vision, Pure Data and Logic Pro.

Do you think 2010 will be the year somebody packages this concept and turns it into a general music app?

Livid Instruments today announced the new Block NE, the Nova Musik Edition of the new Livid Block controller.

This version of the Block controller has a glossy black wood body, black anodized aluminum faceplate, and green LED’s. The Livid brand on the side has been replaced with the Nova Musik star, as it is available exclusively from Nova Musik.

It retails for $399.

Description:

Block is a compact and programmable MIDI control surface designed for interactive audio performance.

Built on the same bi-directional and adaptable platform as the Ohm64, Block provides a powerful interface for creating and interacting with sound in a small easy-to-transport body. Sixty four backlight led buttons provide endless possibilities for visual feedback with the instrument by connecting it to Ableton Live, Max/Msp, our open source sounds apps, or any other software that supports MIDI. The open source blockEditor application lets you reprogram any of the controller’s sixty four clip buttons, eight knobs, two faders, and seven function buttons. Block is hand crafted from lightweight wood and aluminum for easy portability.

This set of videos offers a visual introduction to Native Instruments’ Maschine 1.1.

Sunday Synth Jam: This video demonstrates jamming with the JazzMutant Lemur and Ableton Live.

It starts with a demo jam and then digs into the set up of the Lemur with Live.

via tonvibration:

playing a ableton live set with my current live control surface on the jazzmutant lemur.
(the soundquality is a little poor – sorry – next time i shouldn´t record it directly with the cam…. but it is only for demonstration purpose anyway…)
i talk a little about the controls at the end.

Expert Sleepers has released version 1.5.0 of Silent Way, their modular synth control plugins for Mac and Windows, adding Silent Way Step LFO.

Silent Way Step LFO is a combination step sequencer and LFO generator. It shares many of the features of the LFO plug-in, but rather than generating waveforms based on simple sine, triangle etc. waves it generates a waveform that the user draws in the GUI.

When the waveform is interpreted as a series of discrete values, rather than as a continuous wave-form, then the output is that of a traditional analogue step sequencer.

Other changes in Silent Way v1.5.0

• The Smooth control on all plug-ins is now calibrated in milliseconds, and has a much larger range.
• All Mac OS X versions now require Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.

Silent Way retails for $49.

Matthew Davidson (stretta) put together this demo video for obo – a Max For Live app that turns Ableton Live 8 into a matrix synth, inspired by the addictive-like-crack ToneMatrix synth:

I’ve adapted obo for use in maxforlive, added monome 128/256 support (not required for operation), 16 pattern memory, edit while play, copy/paste patterns and a scale generator (whew).

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Earlier in the month, we brought you the news of the new Yamaha Tenori On Orange, aka the TRN-O.

The TRN-O is an entry-level version of the Tenori On, offering the same basic musical functionality, but using orange LEDs, stripping away the backlighting LEDs and using a basic white plastic case.

Yamaha has not officially announced the pricing for the new Tenori On Orange, but the pricing is reported to be £649 in the UK and $699 in the US.

Nobody seems to want to state the obvious on this, so I will. If these prices are correct, the Tenori On Orange looks like it’s $300 overpriced.

The Tenori On Orange doesn’t have the sex appeal of the original Tenori On.

It looks like Yamaha cheapened the materials and stripped away features to make the Tenori On Orange less expensive, rather than trying to design a new version that would meet the lower price point in an elegant way.

The market has also been flooded with matrix controllers in the last year. While most of them don’t have the minimal chic appeal of the Tenori On, they do have larger buttons and a more functional design. And, while the Tenori On is a matrix synth rather than just a matrix controller, many would consider the built-in synth capabilities limiting.

If Yamaha would introduce this at US $400, they’d have a device that could compete with things like the Novation LaunchPad or the Livid Ohm64 or the APC40.

The original Tenori On has never seemed to find its mojo, despite fawning coverage in both the music press and the general press. The Tenori On Orange at $699 isn’t going to fix that.

I’d like to see the original Tenori On priced at $699 and the Tenori On Orange priced at $399. At those prices, Yamaha could sell these en masse.

If the reported Tenori On Orange prices are correct, though, expect to see Yamaha announcing price cuts in a year.

What do you think? Does the Tenori On’s unique design justify its price? Or does Yamaha need to sharpen its pencil if they want to start selling these things?

via CDM, MusicRadar

The BT Visit London Awards 2009 opened this year at The Westfield Centre, London to the sound of a 10 piece Tenori-On Orchestra.

The event, to celebrate and award the best of the tourism industry in London, was opened in style. A  string quartet began playing Beethoven’s 5th against a back drop of images of London. As the piece built up, a 10 strong Tenori-On orchestra took over, turning Beethoven’s 5th into a disco tune a la Walter Murphy.

You can hear the Tenori-On Orchestra’s version of Beethoven’s 5th at the Yamaha site.

The Tenori-Ons were programmed by Sound Designer and Yamaha artist Marc01.

“Taking on such a monumental piece of music (Beethovan’s 5th), and adapting it for the Tenori-On was definitely an exciting and challenging project,” said Marco1. “The Tenori-On is a very inspirational tool – having the ability to program it in a very melodic way, and to suddenly switch to the more experimental layers such as Bounce and Random opened up a world of possibilities.”

“Having the luxury to use 10 Tenori-Ons meant that I could really experiment with multiple layers, effects and processing to take the Tenori-On way beyond peoples expectations of what it can do.”

If any readers made it to this performance, leave a comment!

Native Instruments has released Maschine 1.1, a free software update for its groove production studio.

The new version optimizes the workflow and increases the creative potential of Maschine through new MIDI I/O capabilities, support for the REX loop format, enhanced controller interaction, and more.

To allow producers to easily incorporate external gear into their Maschine projects, the new version adds MIDI I/O functionality. Hardware synthesizers and similar devices can now be controlled from the Maschine sequencer both through polyphonic tracks and from individual monophonic sounds within a Group, while a special “Batch Setup” function makes it easy to set up MIDI input configurations in existing projects. Maschine 1.1 also adds support for REX files, enabling users to include pre-sliced loops in their projects that sync to tempo automatically. Any pattern in Maschine can also be directly exported as an audio file into a host sequencer or other audio software through a convenient drag-and-drop feature.

Further enhancements in Maschine version 1.1 include additional slicing options, advanced scene triggering, new metronome and record count-in options, extended controller integration for parameter adjustment and file saving, and a wide range of minor optimizations.

The 1.1 update is now available as free download for all owners of Maschine.

Eigenlabs has posted a couple of videos that offer an introduction and tutorial for the new Eigenharp Pico.

With 18 playing keys and 4 mode keys, a strip controller and breath pipe, the Pico has the majority of the playing features of the Eigenharp Alpha. It plays an unlimited range of sounds and is available in two finishes.

The Eigenharp Pico is shipping starting November 23, 2009 and retails for £349.00 (inc vat).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Specifications:

Changes Ableton Live 7.0.18:

• Support for the Novation LaunchPad controller.
• Support for the AKAI MPD-18, MPK-25, MPK-61 and MPK-88 controllers.
• Support for OpenLabs devices.
• Several improvements for the AKAI APC.

Bug fixes since v7.0.16:

• Putting third party plug-in with MIDI out ports on the master track and route the MIDI output of the master track into a MIDI track would crash Live.
• Opening a particular set would crash as soon as the clip detail view of a particular clip would be opened.
• Deleting temp folder would not always work properly.
• Ctrl + Z on modal dialog on a modal dialog could crash Live.
• The display representation of the Axiom Pro’s endless encoders would not update when the knobs itself are turned.
• The state of the tempo nudge up/down would be saved within a Live set by mistake.
• Select on launch would not working when using the APC.
• Locked user remote script would not be locked after re-loading the Live set.
• On Mac OS X, switching on the APC 40 or the Remote SL after Live is already started could still not allow to use the controller until its MIDI port was closed and reopened.
• On Mac OS X 10.6.0, using the Complex warper could crash Live.
• Playing MIDI could crash Live when multi-core support is enabled.
• Switching on track-solo would not work properly in exclusive mode when switching via the APC.
• On Mac OS X 10.6.x, starting Live with a template set that contains audio clips, and with another CoreAudio client running at the same time (e.g. iTunes), would freeze Live. Also, changing sample rates in Live would not work properly.

Image: Tech Star

A nice shot of the new Novation Launchpad.

Tech Star calls the Launchpad “one of the best purchases I have made so far.”

via the Synthtopia Flickr Group

If you’ve been worrying about how you can incorporate more onanistic pantomime into your act, you may want to check out Eric Singer’s Sonic Banana.

The Sonic Banana may not quite as cool looking as a keytar, but the instrument is completely original, offers unique performance opportunities and could be the perfect excuse for the occasional single-entendre pickup line.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Sonic Banana consists of four bend sensors in a row, running the length of a rubber tube, with a pushbutton switch at the end. Software in Max converts this data into musical functions, turning the Sonic Banana into a versatile performance instrument.

More info is available at Singer’s site.

Logidy has introduced the $49.95 UMI3 USB MIDI foot controller.

Description:

The UMI3 features 3 configurable footswitches and an input for an expression pedal, encased in a rugged steel stomp box.

It connects to a Mac or a PC through USB and shows up as a class compliant MIDI device. No driver is required. It is powered through USB.

It behaves like a three note keyboard right out of the box, but can be configured to send many other types of messages to take full advantage of the MIDI mapping features included in most of today’s DAWs. The configuration happens in a friendly setup panel for Mac or PC available for download at Logidy’s website.

The panel can also work as a step sequencer where the function of a given footswitch can be changed each time it is pushed, or when another switch is pushed. Setups can be designed to trigger as many as 24 different MIDI events.

The UMI3 is in stock and available for purchase immediately through Logidy’s website for $49.95 plus shipping.

If you’ve been intrigued by the Tenori On or the monome, but put off by their prices, you’ll want to check out the Novation Launchpad – which can be used like a monome controller.

The above video demos the Novation Launchpad with MLR.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This was made and sequenced in mlrV with a Novation Launchpad, through nonome.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video captures Matt DiFonzo testing out flin with nonome version 1.12b.

Resources:

• You can find Nonome at the monome site.
• There’s a Nonome / Launchpad / Apc40 / MLR Group at Vimeo.

This music video, Tenorance, features Yamaha Tenori On and Motif ES Rack.

Details below.

via Tonneman:

This song has been created by me using the Yamaha Tenori-On. I used the Tenori to create the layers (patterns) using score mode and random mode. A total of 8 different layers have been created. Once the layers were created, I used the Tenori to control the Yamaha Motif ES Rack to produce the sounds (8 parts). Obviously, the Motif ES Rack can produce much better sounds than the Tenori’s internal sound processor.Have fun!

Matthew Davidson has put together a couple of videos demonstrating how you can run monome apps in Ableton Live 8 with the help of Max For Live.

Davidson notes:

maxforlive simplifies monome workflow.

For example, if you want to use polygomé with a DAW, you must open your DAW software, open polygomé, set up sync in polygomé, set up sync in your host app, set up MIDI output routings from polygomé, set up MIDI routings in your DAW. There is a lot of overhead.

With maxforlive, you simply drag polygomé into your track as a MIDI effect. Then you can start playing immediately. There is no setup. Everything is in sync.

Here’s another video, by Davidson, that demonstrates a stepfilter audio effect he created for Ma For Live.

If you’re working with the monome + Max For Live combination, leave a comment with your thoughts on it!

NI’s new Traktor Kontrol X1, up close and personal….