Chris Randall shared this sneak preview of his ‘bad boy’ software step sequencer, Phaedra. Phaedra is an “analog” style four-channel MIDI sequencer for the iPad. The design of the Phaedra step sequencer is inspired by the Moon Modular 568 Quad Sequential Trigger Source. Here’s what Randall has to say about Phaedra: I still have a long… Read More New iPad MIDI Step Sequencer, Phaedra, A ‘Bad Boy’
We’ve been following reader Mike Leghorn‘s progress on a new synthesized version of Holst’s The Planets with interest. The Planets has been arranged for synths may times, notably by Patrick Gleeson and Isao Tomita. But, just as different conductors and performers can bring out different facets of classical works, new classitronica arrangements reveal something about the… Read More New Synthesized Version Of Holst’s The Planets
Reader Navi Retlav sends word about a new Reason ReFill & a Black Friday deal: I just released my second Refill for Propellerhead Reason 6: www.naviretlav.com/refill Black Friday Offer: Buy my new refill before end of “Black Friday weekened” and you will get my previous “Missing Pieces – Feedback Echo” Refill for Free.\ You can… Read More Black Friday Offer – Buy 1 Get 1 Free ReFill
For the last couple of days, we’ve been testing out Onswipe – a custom set of page templates that are supposed to be an ‘insanely easy way to make your site look great on tablet web browsers.’ Synthtopia iPad users aren’t buying the Onswipe hype. Here’s a taste of the feedback we got in just… Read More OnSwipe iPad Interface “Is So Bad!” – You Talked & We Listened
Twisted Tools has released Transform – a new sample collection that provides a variety of sound effects for both sound design and music production Transform is an extensive collection of field recordings, sound effects and designed sounds developed by sound designer Jean-Edouard Miclot (a.k.a. JEDSOUND). Transform features over 1.6 Gigabytes of 24-bit/96khz audio, all meticulously embedded… Read More Twisted Tools Releases Transform
Vince Clarke (Erasure, Yazoo, Depeche Mode) and Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode) have announced that they are releasing an album as VCMG. It’s the duo’s first collaboration in 30 years. According to Clarke and Gore, VCMG is an opportunity for the duo to “exercise their lifelong love of the genre as the techno-inspired VCMG.” “I’ve… Read More Vince Clarke & Martin Gore Announce VCMG – The World’s First Electronic Music Supergroup?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxLYWb-56uA Sunday Synth Jam: Reader Rob Schwimmer sent in this ‘switched on’ cover of The Beatles’ Because. Here’s what he has to say about it: I wanted to do a track with polyphonic playing, poly vibrato (!), etc and this well-known (ahem!) piece seemed like a good fit for that… An imperfect performance but really… Read More Switched On Beatles – ‘Because’
Saturday Synth Porn: A little unboxing action, via batchas – the sights and sounds of a new Buchla 200e modular synthesizer. “I was very impatient to turn it on!” notes batchas.
Reader James Kirsch responded recently to a quote I posted on posted from Bob Lefsetz on the myth of the ‘long tail’ – the idea that the Internet makes it easy for niche musicians to find an audience. Lefsetz has a pretty pessimistic view of musicians’ prospects. “Almost no one wins making music,” writes Lefsetz. “The odds are… Read More Lessons Learned From Producing Free Music
Hal Leonard Books has published a new book, The Hammond Organ by Scott Faragher, that covers ‘virtually everything one could want to know about the Hammond Organ, from it’s technical components to it’s history and the players who gave it it’s place in the development of American music’. Here’s the official summary for The Hammond Organ:… Read More The Hammond Organ
