Logic Gets Another High-Quality Pitch/Tempo Algorithm: iZotope Radius

In February, we looked at a high-quality pitch, tempo, and time-stretching algorithm that had made its way to a new exclusive version for Logic Pro, Serato’s Pitch ‘n Time. This sort of thing is necessary if you want to change the pitch or duration of audio without the usual garbled result. Now, it’s deja vu […]

Vintage Sounds in your PCI-Express Slot: Universal UAD-1 Goes Express at AES

At long last, Universal Audio’s UAD-1e DSP platform brings Universal’s retro-styled mixing and mastering plug-ins to the increasingly popular PCI-Express (PCIe) bus. Why is that cool? Well, for starters, it lets you run effects like perfect emulations of the retro Roland effects shown here. Now, some readers here have been skeptical of the performance improvements […]

Making Game Joysticks Work with MIDI

From the forums . . . if you’re interested in hooking up a monster game joystick and going Top Gun on your latest music and/or live visual setup, you’ve got options: Joystick to MIDI [CDM Forums Thread] There are quite a few apps for Windows (not surprisingly, as it’s where the gamers are), but options […]

Pimp My Heart: A Car, a Subwoofer, a Laptop-Amplified Heart Monitor running Max/MSP

The “Heartbeat of America, Today’s Chevrolet” takes on new meaning. The Heartbeat Bass Booster project by Takehito Etani and David Tinapple involves one seriously pimped out Chevy Cavalier. Driving the project is a heart-shaped pendant with a heart sensor that clips to your finger or earlobe. Plug that into a PowerBook running Max/MSP, and your […]

A Real Web Music Success Story: A Death Metal Parrot Clears the Way for Avian Vocalists

You may have heard a lot about the InterWeb, a new network that magically connects people around the world through their Compute-trons. You might have heard about its powers to promote music, perhaps by an ill-researched story yesterday where I stupidly pointed to a UK artist who will go unmentioned here. (As it turns out, […]

One-Man Blog Bands, Webcam Tours, and Getting That Big Break on the Interweb

In 2001, everyone wanted to get rich on the Web. In 2006, everyone wants to be a rock star. There’s a musical gold rush now, filled with tales of artists who have made it big through non-traditional, online promotion, like the perpetually-hyped MySpace success story Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The challenge: separate real potential […]

Happy Birthday, Bob Moog: Rudess + Lainhart Space Jam on Moogs New, Old, and Virtual

Dr. Robert Moog would have had his 72nd birthday today, May 23. There are plenty of words you can say about him on this occasion, but why use words when you can use music? Richard Lainhart is kind enough to share one of his Space Jams with Jordan Rudess: I’ve attached an MP3 of the […]

DIY Day: Mac MIDI-Controlled Roombas

To round out this edition of DIY Day, we close with the final proof that MIDI has been used to control absolutely every technology in the known universe: RoombaMIDI: Roomba as MIDI Instrument Scoff, you might. Sure, the Roomba lacks a certain . . . well . . . expressiveness. But that probably means you […]

DIY Day: Coming Soon, MAKE’s Controller Kit

Want a truly powerful device for interfacing with motors, sensors, lights, and more? CDM’s assistant editor and Web ninja Jaymis Loveday and I are both excited about the upcoming MAKE Controller Kit, built by MakingThings (of Teleo fame). MAKE has started taking preorders, and shipping should start in a few weeks. You might want to […]