Barbara Klein’s No Picnic, No Poets

John Keston demos a sound art performance application that he’s developing in Max/MSP. The control is handled with TouchOSC on the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Sonic State Labs takes a look at the new Apple Logic Pro in this video review.

via sonicstate

Jeez Louise shows you how to combine your digital synths with analog guitar effects – so you can create face-melting prog keytar solos.

via JeezLouise666

Dankiel Franke’s One Minute Soundsculpture

Yamaha has introduced the DTX- Multi 12 electronic percussion pad, which 12 on-board pads and a built-in sound module.

Description:

The DTX-Multi 12 boasts over 1200 voices, covering drums, percussion and keyboard sounds, many drawn from Yamaha’s Motif synthesizer range and many completely new. Up to 200 custom set ups can be created and stored using all internal sounds and 42 types of effects.

Alternatively additional sounds can be loaded and stored into the onboard 64MB of memory and allocated to any pad for total customization

The unit is designed to easily integrate into an existing acoustic set up or act as a stand alone unit. DTX- Multi 12 comes with Cubase AI 5″ software .

Up to four voices can be assigned to a single pad for simultaneous or sequential playback and a wide range of dynamic options are made available.

Versatility is enhanced with 128 on-board phrase patterns covering a wide variety of styles and users can also record their own patterns and assign them to pads. A click track function also allows players to control the unit instantly, ideal for live shows.

The DTX- Multi 12 can as an excellent input device for computers. Connectivity is via a single USB cable. The included Cubase AI5 DAW software facilitates the recording and extensive editing of MIDI data, it can also function as a high quality sample playback device with 64MB of flash ROM on board.

Hi-Hat controllers and kick pedal pads can be added if you wish to use the DTX-Multi 12 as a compact stand alone electronic drum kit.

Available: Dec 2009; RRP: £685 Inc VAT

Host David Wills shows you how to use the BV512 Vocoder in Propellerhead Reason 4.

via ProAudioDVDs

DJ Tech Tools has an interesting scoop on a new DJ controller, the Vestax Spin, which they report will be carried exclusively at the Apple Store.

The Vestax Spin combines a DJ control surface, an audio interface and DJ software for $249.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Features:

• Built-in sound card
• Touch sensitive hi-res jog wheels
• Mic input
• Mix record function
• Discreet headphone outputs
• Automix and beat sync functions
• USB power
• Dimensions: 14”(w) x 9.5” (h) x 1.5”(d)
• Controller Weight: 3.2 lbs

Contents:

• Spin (DJ midi controller)
• Microphone with adapter
• USB Cable
• djay 3 with license key
• User manual (Set-up basic guide)
• 1/8” to 1/4” adapter for headphone or microphone

If there was a musical instrument in The Matrix, it would probably look something like the Octopulse.

The Octopulse was created for the Yamaha Musical Instruments Research Lab.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

It shows that noise is music and is the principal musician of »The Alien Noise Orchestra« (work in progress), being the first of 4 different looking toy instrument characters that all produce different sounds.

With this cuddly »alien bagpipe« you can control analogue sound synthesis through unconventional means, transferring movements into information for an analogue synthesizer to convert into cacophonous noises. This unconventional soundscape alters perceptions of what music could be and allows the electronic sounds of a synthesizer to be accessed by anyone.

It’s Free Music Friday at Synthtopia – so I ask you this:

How much free music do you want to download today?

• 10 tracks?
• 50 tracks?
• 500 tracks?

It’s time to make sure you’ve got some empty hard drive space, because Synthtopia readers have uploaded over 500 electronic music tracks that you can listen to online and, in most cases, download for free.

We’re talking ambient, techno, symphonic electronica, IDM, not-so IDM, abstronica, DJ mixes, remixes, downtempo electronica and more from some the most talented electronic musicians in the world.

Click the “Listen to Music” link at the top of the page to open the Synthtopia player in a new window, or check out the most recent tracks below. If a track has a “Download” button, you can download it for free.

And don’t forget to make sure you’ve got some free space on your hard drive when you’re done!

Image via the awesome Caesar Sebastian

There’s an early review of Berna – the virtual studio app that recreates a 50’s electronic music lab – at Waveformless.

They say there’s a lot to like in Berna:

The flexibility of the matrix and the vast array of unusual sound manipulators will be a breath of fresh air to those burned out on the virtual analog trance machines that seem to get released every week. The limitations present here are faithful to what the original studios were limited to, and sometimes having those kinds of restrictions can lead you down very interesting paths you might not otherwise travel.

For sure, this isn’t the most useful piece of software in the world (to most of us), but it’s really hard to find fault anywhere with the program. The sound quality is great, the tools are weird and fun to play with (it drove my cats NUTS), and you can learn a bit about the history of your craft in the process. If nothing else, it’ll certainly give you an appreciation for how easy modern electronic composers have it.

So if you’d like a break from the norm and feel up to making some crazy 1950’s sci-fi soundtrack fodder, it’s hard to go wrong for a mere 10 Euros. [9/10]

See the full review at Waveformless.

Free Music Software: Artifake Labs have released the RedTron_400, a software version of the Mellotron M400.

Features:

• Realistic user interface.
• Six sound types:
  • 3 Violins
  • 8-Voice Choir
  • Flute
  • Brass
  • String Section
  • Cello
• “Loop” and “Non-Loop” modes : as the original “Mellotron”, each sound is eight seconds long but you can switch to “Loop Mode” and allows the samples to loop continuously.
• Layer possibilities & independent parameters for layer A & B :
  • Volume, Tune, Reverb, Delay, Pan, Octave, Note, Cutoff, Resonance, Attack & Release parameters.
  • Delay effect (Amount, Time, Feedback & Pan parameters).
  • Reverb effect (Mix, Width, Size & Damp parameters).
• Global Volume control
• Global Tone control
• Global Pitch control
• Can be used as Soundfont Player to mix any .sf2 file with “Tron sounds” or to extend the sound palette.

If you’ve used RedTron 400, leave a comment with your thoughts!

This video, via Tom Cosm, is the first of a series of three tutorial videos on track construction in Ableton Live.

It’s designed to teach you ways you can approach writing a track, from start to finish. It covers topics such as Sound Design, Building Loops and Section Construction, Arrangements and Progressions, and Mixing.

Explains Cosm:

In this video, I start by writing a loop, made up of pads, playing a chord progression, then percussion, bass and finaly a lead instrument. This loop becomes my first hook. From there I strip it back to create a progression from intro, to a groove, then into the first hook.

Throbbing Gristle’s Chris Carter posed this short demo of a black Gristleism.

The Gristleism is described as a “Throbbing Gristle palm-sized loop playback machine.”

Synth Britannia is a BBC documentary about synth music in the UK.

VideodromeDisco posted this to YouTube – so you might want to watch it right now.

Dave Smith Instruments

The new version boasts 60 potentiometers among its complement of 78 rotary controls.

“The response to the pot edition of the Prophet ’08 has been overwhelmingly positive,” said company founder Dave Smith, “so we decided to extend that functionality to the Poly Evolver, as well.”

Unlike endless rotary encoders, potentiometers allow the full range of a knob’s values to be accessed in a single turn of about 300 degrees. That simplifies filter sweeps and other more performance-oriented gestures. A kit with potentiometer-equipped panel boards is available to convert older Poly Evolvers.

There have also been some cosmetic changes. “We needed both lined and unlined knobs to distinguish between the pots and encoders, so we’re using Prophet-style knobs,” said DSI’s Andrew McGowan. “And we’ve updated the panel graphics a bit without changing them significantly.” The wood end panels are now made from bubinga.

First released in 2005, the Poly Evolver received multiple awards and has been used extensively by artists such as Nine Inch Nails, The Faint, Silversun Pickups, Van She, and Thursday. An analog/digital hybrid, the four-voice Poly Evolver features four oscillators—two analog and two digital—in a unique stereo voice architecture with a real Curtis analog low-pass filter per channel on each voice. The digital processing does not simply add effects at the end of the signal chain, but is tightly integrated with the analog electronics for tuned feedback, distortion, bit crushing, and synced delays. It can also process external audio and has separate stereo outputs for each voice.

The updated Poly Evolver Keyboard is available now with an MSRP of $2,899.00 and an MAP of $2,599.00. The conversion kit requires nothing more than a screwdriver for installation and is available directly from DSI for $399.00 or factory installed for $449.00.

Yamaha today announced a new, budget version of it’s innovative Tenori On music synthesizer – the Tenori On Orange, 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.

Surprisingly for a budget item, Yamaha did not announce the pricing for the new Tenori On Orange. The TRN-O is expected to be available in December.

Yamaha also confirmed a free forthcoming firmware update for Tenori-On customers, expected to be available in January. The update will address the syncing of Tenori-On to external DAW applications and offer an improved MIDI sync implementation.

According to Yamaha, the new Tenori-On ‘Orange’ offers the same levels of creative power as the original but has been made significantly more affordable. Yamaha has replaced the magnesium casing of the original with a heavy duty and durable plastic casing.

“We know everyone loves the concept and fresh approach of Tenori-On, however, as you’d expect we have received thousands of requests for a more affordable version,” Yamaha’s Peter Peck explains. “We therefore looked at many ways of reducing the price without compromising the all-important product concept or creative operating system. By removing the battery option and the back panel LED’s and changing the chassis construction from the magnesium found on the original to a more affordable material we have achieved our goal of creating the more affordable Tenori-On ‘Orange’, bringing the full creative capability of Tenori-On to a much wider audience.”

Details at the Yamaha site.

This is the music video for theminist May Roosevelt’s Phantasma, made for the Moog Halloween Theremin contest.

This video’s fantastic on a lot of levels – including Roosevelt’s performance and the video filming and editing.

Let me know what you think!

via MayRoosevelt:

My video for the Moog Halloween contest using the etherwave standard!

Music by May Roosevelt.

Video done with the help of Alex Al.

DJ Tech Tools’ Ean Golden demonstrates a Daft Punk AeroDynamic beat juggling performance and then breaks down his tecnique.

He’s got skills, eh?

See his post at his site, where you can download his demo files, too!

via eangolden:

Here is a routine I developed using “Aerodynamic” from daft punk and the planet rock instrumental. The 2 mp3’s used in this video are available with cue points in this post: The mapping for this controller is also available here:

Kyle Evans created this electronically modified digeridoo.

Details below.

via yakthekyle:

I created this instrument to experiment in the combination of the organic sound qualities of a didgeridoo with the advanced signal processing capabilities of modern computer programming and sound synthesis.

This custom built didgeridoo features externally mounted modules that allow the performer to process and manipulate the sound of the instrument in real time. All control data is transmitted wirelessly via blue tooth and is controlling several audio processes created in a custom-built software environment.