M-Audio has announced a redesigned Oxygen series of USB MIDI keyboard controllers.

Available in 25-, 49- and 61-key models, the Oxygen keyboards feature full-size velocity-sensitive keys along with sliders, knobs and buttons for tweaking and performing with software instruments.

With DirectLink, these same controls instantly map to a DAW’s mixer, pan, and transport functions, providing real time control with a variety of DAWs including Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, Live, Logic and Garageband.

The Oxygen 25, 49, and 61 are currently shipping and carry an MSRP of $149.95/€87, $189.95/€107, and $249.95/€141 respectively.

MrBook has shared documentation on his awesome hack to add MIDI to the Gakken SX-150 synthesizer.

Here’s what you’ll need to turn the Gakken SX-150 into a MIDI synthesizer:

• Gakken SX-150 Analog Synthesizer Kit
• Arduino (This one is the classic, but my favorite ones, are the ones from Modern Device)
• MCP4921 12-bit DAC
• 4N28 Optoisolator
• 1/4” Audio Jack
• DIN 5 Pin Chassis Socket (Female MIDI plug)
• Diode (N4148)
• Resistors(220 ohm, 100k ohm and 3.3k ohm)
• Wire, breadboard (or wherever you wanna do the circuit), soldering stuff and patience.

Details at MrBooks’ site. See this previous post for a demo of the Gakken SX-150 being sequenced by Ableton Live.

“With the MIDI Mobilizer, the iPhone becomes the most portable and versatile editor and tone storage device for your Line 6 gear,” remarked Line 6 co-founder Marcus Ryle as he demonstrated a prototype this morning at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

When used with Rig Remote, MIDI Mobilizer gives guitarists the freedom to control Line 6 Variax digital modeling guitars and Vetta II digital modeling amplifiers.

There isn’t much detail available yet on MIDI Mobilizer yet, but it looks like iPhone 3.0 WILL kick ass for music after all.

Planet Waves’ Rig Remote app features an graphical display that takes a nod from the Line 6 software commonly used to adjust Variax and Vetta II tones via personal computer. The iPhone display and touch screen make it simple to scroll, choose and adjust models of amps, guitars, pickups, pickup placement, alternate tuning and more. Guitarists can easily save their favorite settings and apply them to any Variax guitar or Vetta II amplifier.

MIDI Mobilizer and Rig Remote 1.0 are currently in development, with pricing, availability, and more detail on the complete feature set to be announced at a future date.

CME has introduced the WIDI-XU, a wireless MIDI interface housed in a Flash drive profile.

The WIDI-XU is the smallest member of the WIDI family, needing no MIDI IN/OUT port, just an USB plug. Plug it into your computer, to enable wireless Duplex MIDI data transfer with other CME WIDI products.

The WIDI-XU provides one-to-multi communication; one WIDI-XU can connect to many wireless MIDI devices, up to 64 MIDI channels. The WIDI-XU also has the same capability as other larger WIDI products, for example: 80m maximum wireless range, powerful error correction with automatic notes-off and on-line detection etc.

Features:

• USB class compliant for Win XP and Mac OS X, supporting hot plug. No driver needed.
• The working band is 2.4GHz ISM.
• USB RF transmission mode.
• Duplex wireless MIDI data transfer.
• Manual switching for one-to-multi communication (auto finding and selecting).
• Low power consumption, high speed, powerful error correction with automatic notes-off and on-line detection.
• Maximum wireless transfer distance is 262 feet without obstacle. (Your mileage may vary)
• 64 radio channels for MIDI data transfer, with manual or automatic radio channel setting mode.
• When connected to computer via USB, this product will be automatically recognized as the USB Audio Device, fully support MIDI data stream, compatible with Cakewalk, Sonar, Cubase etc.
• Automatic searching, manual or automatic channel setting and other system function can be controlled by the special MIDI SysEx command from USB.
• Powered and upgrade program via USB.
• Indicator for signal and power.

At the 2009 Frankfurt Musikmesse, Cakewalk introduced the SONAR V-Studio 100 portable music production studio.

V-Studio 100  combines the most essential tools needed by music producers and performing musicians in a compact package.

Features:

• High Speed USB 2.0 Audio Interface
• Universal DAW Controller
• Personal Digital Mixer
• SD WAV Recorder
• VS Production Pack suite of virtual instruments and effects (Mac/Win)
• SONAR VS digital audio workstation (Win)

Details below. If you’ve used the Sonar V-Studio 100, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Description:

Customers can take control of their music productions by using the VS-100 as a 24-bit/96 kHz high speed USB 2.0 audio, MIDI interface and universal DAW controller. SONAR V-Studio 100 also includes the VS Production Pack, a powerful suite of high quality instruments and effects. The VS-100 hardware and VS Production Pack have been designed to enhance productions on both Mac and Windows in conjunction with popular DAW software including SONAR, Cubase, Logic, Ableton Live, and others. For PC customers just getting started with digital recording, SONAR V-Studio 100 includes the SONAR VS digital audio workstation.

When inspiration strikes, the VS-100 is the ideal tool to get ideas down fast, without the need to boot up a computer. In standalone mode, the VS-100 hardware functions as a personal digital mixer and SD Wave recorder. Customers can use the VS-100 to record and mix rehearsals and live gigs and can also use it to play backing tracks (even while recording). Customers can then simply transfer the stereo recordings to their favorite DAW software to use as the basis for new tracks or for further editing and sweetening, to upload to the Internet, and more.

Second product in the next generation SONAR V-Studio line

SONAR V-Studio 100 is the second product in the next generation V-Studio line of Cakewalk branded hardware and software solutions from Cakewalk and Roland. Following the release of the flagship SONAR V-Studio 700, two great music technology leaders have again combined the best in hardware and software engineering to address the varied needs of today’s modern music producers and performing musicians.

SONAR V-Studio 100 Hardware Features

High Speed USB 2.0 Interface

SONAR V-Studio 100 is a high quality USB 2.0 audio and MIDI interface utilizing world-class Roland engineering design and component technology.

• 8 in + mix / 6 out, 24-bit/96 kHz quality
• 2 mic pre-amps w/phantom Power, hi-z guitar input; MIDI I/O
• ASIO, WDM, WASAPI, Core Audio support
• Compatible with DAWs such as SONAR, Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer

Universal DAW Controller

SONAR V-Studio 100 is a universal DAW controller that supports all popular digital recording software for Mac/PC via Mackie control protocol, including Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer. Additionally, V-Studio 100 provides extended control capabilities over SONAR through the implementation of Cakewalk’s Active Controller Technology (ACT).

• 100 mm motorized, touch-sensitive fader
• 5 rotary encoders, 11 buttons and transport control
• Use with any DAW through Mackie Control protocol
• Advanced control of SONAR through Active Controller Technology

Personal Digital Mixer

SONAR V-Studio 100 is an ideal digital mixer for small groups or solo performers who need easy control of few instruments and vocals mics; DJs, MCs, and any electronic musician who needs to mix multiple sound sources. All users can enhance their live sound with the pro-quality on-board effects which offer easy routing and accessibility.

• Ideal for mixing small bands, solo musicians, DJs, home studios
• 8 inputs, 6 outputs plus headphones
• 4 types of reverb and 6 channels of EQ and Compression

Mobile SD Recorder Live Player

SONAR V-Studio 100 can capture that creative moment whenever inspiration strikes by providing high quality digital recording that can be used without being connected to computer. Record directly to the VS-100’s SD-card to capture song ideas, rehearsals, or live performances. Create backing tracks on your DAW of choice and transfer them to the VS-100’s SD-card for playback during live performance (even while recording). Likewise, recorded performances can be easily transferred from the VS-100’s SD-card for additional editing, tracking, and sweetening.

• Record away from your computer
• 2 channel wave recording and playback
• Capture rehearsals and live performances
• Play and record along to backing tracks
• Built-in metronome
• Insert markers during record and playback
• Loop a region for practicing parts or jamming
• Easily transfer audio to and from any computer via USB

SONAR V-Studio 100 Software Features

VS-100 Production Pack (Win/Mac) suite of effects and instruments includes:

VX-64 Vocal Strip is a seven-stage processor designed specifically for shaping and sculpting incredible sounding vocal tracks. Each of the VX-64’s stages have been fine-tuned to be vocal-specific, taking the work out of dialing in an entire chain of vocal processors.  The VX-64 features a new Cakewalk technology that employs phase-coherent, multi-band saturation to avoid unwanted distortion; unique filtering to avoid harsh artifacts at extreme high and low frequencies; and an auto-leveling circuit that prevents the tube saturation from sounding too harsh when high gain transients are processed by it. VX-64 also employs a new de-essing algorithm designed with Cakewalk’s LP64 linear phase effect filtering technology to remove sibilance without creating any frequency smearing.

Processing stages include:

• Input — simulates a tube pre amp
• De-esser — removes sibilance without smearing
• Compander — vocal compressor with an expander to reduce unwanted background noise
• Tube EQ — for adding character ranging from subtle warmth to intense heat to the vocal
• Doubler — advanced doubling effect providing the quality of actual re-tracking
• Delay — preset delays useful for vocal tracks with tempo sync
• Output — provide saturation control with a built in soft-clipping filter
• Order of processor stages is user definable with click & drag reordering

Channel Tools — provides easy and powerful control over individual placement of the left and right channels anywhere in the stereo field. Ideal for adjusting L/R channel placement, gain, pan/width, and phase; also provides a widening or narrowing effect to stereo recordings through adjustments to mid-side gain.

Boost 11 Peak Limiter — gives your tracks radio-ready punch through transparent peak limiting and volume maximization without additional coloring of the source material. Boost 11 employs a “look-ahead” limiter and PDR (Program Dependent Release) to provide professional results with a simple interface.

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 LE — built on the latest award-winning guitar amp modeler from Native Instruments; 3 amps and cabinets, 11 effects, tuner, metronome, and over 50 presets.

Dimension LE — a streamlined version of the acclaimed Dimension Pro instrument from Cakewalk. Dimension LE features over 400 sound programs, ranging from bass, organ, and electric piano samples to cutting-edge synth sounds, rhythmic grooves, and a special edition of Garritan Pocket Orchestra.

Rapture LE — is a special version of the award winning Rapture wavetable synthesizer. It includes over 200 programs and hundreds of oscillator shapes. Rapture LE is perfect for performing the modern synthesized sounds igniting today’s pop, dance, and electronic music.

Cakewalk Studio Instruments — a collection of four virtual instruments that provide a fast and easy way to create backing tracks using a photo-realistic, interactive user interface. Instruments include a Drum Kit, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano, and String Section.

SONAR VS digital recording software (PC only) — a special entry level DAW based on the powerful SONAR 8 audio engine but offering a streamlined user interface.

Availability

SONAR V-Studio 100 will ship with the VS-100 hardware (Mac/Win), the VS Production Pack (Mac/Win) and SONAR VS (Win) software available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian; Online Help contained in all versions in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian; printed documentation is in English.

SONAR V-Studio 100 will be available through select music and sound retailers throughout the world beginning in June 2009. For more information on SONAR V-Studio 100,  visit www.sonarvstudio.com.

“Coming soon” from Livid Instruments:

Our MIDI DIY board is available as an OEM product designed for do-it-yourselfers looking to create their own control surfaces. The MIDI DIY control board provides a USB and MIDI interface to create controllers for music, VJing, installations, or performance. With the MIDI DIY you can build you own keyboards, control surfaces, instruments, and create interactive control using sensors, triggers, faders, buttons, dials, or anything else you can imagine. The MIDI DIY is class complaint, USB powered and the firmware has Open Source software tools for custom development and configuration.

Features:

• USB Powered
• Class-compliant no drivers needed
• 16 direct wire digital button contacts with support up to 2048 with a diode Matrix
• 64 direct wire analog inputs
• 14 direct wire LED’s with support up to 128 with matrix
• Programmable MIDI settings with a software editor via USB

via Keys of Gray, who says “I want it now! If anyone from Livid reads this, I wouldn’t mind an update and price list!”

I’ll second that!

This video demos Little Scale’s Multi POKEY MIDI Interface.

Features:

• a better tuning system for 8-bit mode
• a better tuning system for 16-bit mode
• the ability to set the pitchbend in terms of semitones, via MIDI CC
• the ability to set the octave division in terms of discrete pitches per octave, via MIDI CC
• the ability to set the frequency value for any of the four registers via MIDI CC – handy for filter automation etc

Division 6

It’s $35, and can be installed directly into a GBA, GBA-SP, DS or DS Lite, or with some extra parts you can interface it with other devices.

Features:

• 12 outputs
• Outputs can be active-high or active-low
• Map any MIDI note to any output
• Mono and Poly modes
• High-note and low-note priority modes
• Assign to any MIDI channel or Omni
• Pause mode ensures that first note is released before next is played
• Board dimensions: 1.04″ x .4″
• Power supply: 3.3v-5v
• Includes 2.5mm phone jack for mounting in small devices

Includes:

• Midify board
• 2.5mm phone jack
• MIDI cable (2.5mm pone plug to standard MIDI plug)
• Double-sided tape
• 30AWG wiring kit

The MIDIsense boards provide a simple way to integrate various common sensors with existing software such as Max/MSP, Ableton Live, etc. or directly to a synthesizer/sequencer with a MIDI in jack. Interface boards are available as kits.

The kit is available for $50 including all parts.

Graphical configuration/calibration software is written in wx/Python and is available as a MacOS X executable or source for Linux. A Windows version is planned to be released soon.

An example tutorial is available at Fried’s site that discusses using the kit to make a laser harp.