At first, I thought FretPet was a virtual fret interface with MIDI output to your favorite soft synths. And so it is. But closer inspection reveals a lot more. This Mac tool, newly available for OS X with an expanded feature set, is a unique way of exploring pitch and chords. If you know nothing […]

Usually, if you sample George Clinton, you wind up in court. A circuit court decision in fall 2004 ruled that an unlicensed George Clinton sample was illegal regardless of context, length, or recognizability in a decision so sweeping even the record industry opposes it. (See my article below; the details are quite complex.) For once, […]

Bored with MIDI keyboards and ready to build something new? Here are some of the latest resources for using basic sensors to create new interfaces for music and other applications, aka “physical computing”: Interactive Architecture Tutorials: Ruairi Glynn’s superb blog on interactive tech has added an extensive section of links to tutorials and resources on […]

As we reported last month, Moog Music is expected to announce new hardware at the Musikmesse show in Frankfurt, Germany. The suspense is apparently driving people nuts, reports Music thing. So, in a market where we generally don’t get the silly Photoshop mockups that, imaginary Mac gear and cellphones get, we suddenly have (tongue-in-cheek) ideas […]

They just won’t learn. Phonic proudly tells us: “The all new Phonic MixPod gives every Disc Jockey what they require: a way to stream their iPod’s music directly into a quality, no-hassle 2-channel DJ mixer.” The MixPod shares the fundamental shortcomings of Numark’s slicker-looking but equally flawed iDJ. Because of the limitations of the iPod, […]

It’s two, two, two times the nostalgia, as Warhol shills for TDK analog cassette tapes: Warhol Japandering for Cassettes [Dailymotion video, via] I love his trademark wooden speech as he struggles through the Japanese. Remember a world in which you could advertise for cassette tapes? Sigh. At least Japan is still hip, jamming on marimbas […]

After avoiding a brief brush with death last May, the massive soft synth package Wusikstation now hits version 3, the second update in less than a year. Wusikstation Version 3 (production information and preorder) There’s a gig of new sounds in the HQ Acoustic Collection with more on the way, plus lots of advanced new […]

DIYers, ready to dive into multichannel and streaming audio? nSLAM is an open-source suite for creating your own streaming, multichannel audio applications. Sample apps (like the one shown below) and online help are included to get you started, and the “jimmies” low-level DSP objects have been broadly updated in this release for the geekiest audio […]

A big question mark for pro audio on the new Intel-based Macs has been Pro Tools. Digidesign has the answer today: Pro Tools 7 LE and M-Powered will both be available as Intel-enhanced Universal binaries in May 2006. You won’t have to leave plug-ins behind, either. All of Digidesign’s own RTAS/AudioSuite plug-ins, and even the […]

Don’t knock physical faders: they work. And with proliferating options, somewhere out there, there’s a control surface for you. The latest candidate: Codanova’s new VMX, yet another control surface for self-powered use via USB or standalone MIDI operation. 59 assignable controllers, including 2 jog wheels, a cross-fader, and various faders and knobs. The jog wheels […]