mixer

Let’s be honest: it’s a bit of a mystery why KORG has’t already shipped a mixer. KORG volca series customers seem to snap up every single volca model the Japanese maker can cook up. That leaves them with a bunch of toys with stereo minijacks and no way to mix them together other than buying compact mixers by the likes of Behringer and Mackie. So, what we’re looking at here is either an actual leaked image of an upcoming KORG volca mix, or someone’s mock-up of what they wish that would be. Either way, same result: yeah, you probably kind …

HD Rabbit – Introduction from carrotvideo on Vimeo. I keep waiting to write this headline and talk about something that’s shipping. But it might at last happen. We might finally be able to cover an HD mixer that lets you easily plug in two computers and mix as easily as you have done for years with analog inputs. It’s called the HD Rabbit, from upstart Carrot Video, designed by VJs for VJs – and yes, you might even be able to afford it. You know what you want. You’ve known for a long time. You want a mixer that works …

Some surprise news out of Native Instruments today: NI’s Traktor can now integrate with Pioneer hardware, including the CDJ. We’ll see how the news will be received by DJs, but it at least suggests an attempt by the two companies to make their tools coexist in more peaceful fashion. The integration itself is best seen in the video, but it’s pretty impressive: for users comfortable with Pioneer’s flagship mixer (the DJM-900) and the CDJ deck, the stuff in Traktor is accessible directly from hardware. It could also be part of a larger trend: it’s computer functionality, away from the computer. …

The open source Syphon has liberated textures and video streams from individual apps. No longer is the app a silo. The next frontier: liberate video from the whole computer. There’s a suggestive post from our friend Jason Scott Furr on his blog: Telecommuting the mix: VDMX, Syphon, CamTwist, and Skype The “telecommuting” bit? He was able to tap into a video performance remotely by sending a stream over Skype. The ingredients are compelling: CamTwist itself is worth some further inquiry. It’s a “broadcast switcher” inside your Mac, effectively. It works with built-in effects or custom Quartz Composer creations, switches between …

Arvo Pärt’s music is always spare and gorgeous, inspired by Medieval counterpoint and voicings, and you’d expect it to be such on any instruments. But here, you get something truly unique: a transcription of the composer’s ‘Fratres,’ normally played on string quartet, on a mixer. The no-input performance uses exclusively tuned audio feedback to generate sound, creating an almost vocal quality to ringing timbres generates entirely in the mixer. Details: Camera : Jimmy Hayes Console : Christian Carrière Research residency, Summer 2011 OBORO, Montreal, Canada oboro.net/ Console : Allen&Heath GL2400-40 Thanks to Claus Frostell of Erikson Pro, who lent me …

Ambivalent gets his hands on the DB4 for the first time – and doesn’t want to let go. Photo courtesy Allen & Heath, who snapped this while he was testing it out. Can a digital mixer change how you work and perform? After getting a hands-on introduction to one, globe-trotting electronic DJ Kevin McHugh, aka Ambivalent (on m-nus), thinks so. I’m pleased to welcome Kevin to talk about why he’s so excited about this particular kit, not only for DJs but potentially as a useful tool for anyone who needs live mixing. And we hope he’ll come back and talk …

Finally, “mixing” doesn’t have to be synonymous with “S-Video/composite”: DVI-grade mixing at affordable-by-human prices is coming. We were already thrilled by Toby *Spark’s effort to lead a community-driven DVI hardware mixer effort. But tantalizing as the teaser was, it led to still more questions. Toby has followed up with an extensive Q&A on his site. (Expect more details via CDM soon, as well.) dvi mixer q&a Among the highlights: Additive blend is planned(!) Tap buttons are coming DVI-D and VGA both will work V2.0 features may include goodies like Ethernet/OSC/MIDI and multiple processors There’s also a good note here about …

It’s a Mackie mixer! It’s an audio interface! It’s both – and now it works with Pro Tools, despite the presence of an M-Audio or Digidesign logo anywhere on the case? The Mackie Onyx-i (note that it still has a hefty bulge below the back of the mixer). It’s been one of the few constants in music technology. To use Pro Tools software, you need Pro Tools hardware – that means M-Audio interfaces for M-Powered (and now Essentials) and Digidesign interfaces for LE and HD. Without M-Audio or Digidesign hardware actively plugged in, the software refuses to run. And there’s …

Does the Worship market really only want to run at standard definition? Now that computers are increasingly the primary video source, why do mixers still look like they’re designed for connecting VHS tape decks – especially when you’re shelling out thousands of dollars for the hardware? Let me get something straight. I love Roland, on both the audio and video side. The V4 video mixer remains one of the great workhorses of all time. Roland and Edirol’s gear sometimes may cause sticker shock, particularly among more casual users, but it can also be extremely reliable and intuitive to use. I …