Like many, I’ve been eagerly anticipating trying the ultra-compact Faderfox “micromodul” controllers. They’re small enough to fit over the QWERTY keyboard on a laptop or to be propped atop a music keyboard, and are specially designed for applications like Ableton Live and Traktor DJ. With multi-function triggers, joysticks, and cross-faders on top of the usual […]
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Giant DJs Continue to Play God with Universe; Scratching Reality Itself
. . . well, at least they do thanks to the magical powers of special effects in online videos. Last summer, we saw Spin, a short film in which a DJ had to weigh the power of life and death. Now, in a film that’s less ambitious metaphysically but more so visually, a DJ appears […]
NAMM: Latest Music Technology . . . You Know, for Kids!
Children and young adults were everywhere at the NAMM show. They ranged from musically-inclined tots like the one shown here to teenage musical stars. And in addition to teaching musicianship and musical creativity, there’s a new emphasis on teaching them technology. Here’s a quick look at the latest efforts to bring music to a new […]
Flash-Based Super Mario Bros. Super Synth [Updated]
Got too much time on your hands on this lazy Monday? Head over to Nintendo news-site 4 Color Rebellion: Super Mario Bros. Super Synth! And play with the Super Mario Bros. Super Synth! A collection of samples from the classic NES title, this will either make your office-mates laugh, cry, or go completely insane. Enjoy! […]
Recording NASA’s Spacesuit Satellite Sounds
In the ongoing quest for sounds from the hearts of space for use as digital music sources, I give you NASA’s SuitSat. The crew of the International Space Station has equipped the Russian Orlan spacesuit with batteries, a radio transmitter, and sensors; it’ll transmit power and temperature info Earthward. To pick it up, you just […]
NAMM: Neutrik Adds USB Connector, USB a “Real Audio Jack”?
USB has arrived in the sound world. Just ask Neutrik. For those of you not in the know, Neutrik is the major manufacturer of sound connectors. Their brilliant XLR/TRS combination jack, finally allowing you to swap mic and guitar/line cables in a single jack, is so popular that most people call it simply a “Neutrik” […]
NAMM: Edirol’s R-09 — SD-based, Portable USB Recorder
Finally, ultra-portable digital recording is catching on. Edirol got the party started with the R-1, a CompactFlash-based USB device packed with a decent built-in stereo mic, effects, a metronome, and tuner. The extras on the R-1 are nice, but the unit was big and boxy, so when M-Audio introduced their cuter, iPod like MicroTrack, also […]
Everyone Deserves a Robotic MIDI Arm — Even DJs
Okay, wannabe cyborgs, you know you want it: no matter the price, you have to have a robotic armature on your body that sends MIDI data. The latest, via Engadget: the Gypsy MIDI controller. (Wait a second, the gypsy MIDI controller? Now, that doesn’t sound very cyborg. Marketing department, please?) It’ll cost you US$855 an […]
NAMM: NAMM Oddities are Here, Photos of Unique Music Gear
Updated: Fixed broken link (my fault). 7.1 surround sound organs? Check. Saxes painted with porcelain-skinned, Rococco women? Check. Laser beam metronomes? Guitar picks with faces that morph into skulls? Mic stands with drink holder attachments, or (my personal favorite) Pepsi bottles that double as mic stands? A guy playing his bass upside-down? Obscenely-painted and warped […]
NAMM: Moog Voyager RME does CV; What’s Next from Moog?
The rumored polyphonic and low-cost Moog synths were no-shows at NAMM but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to get excited about in the Moog booth. Owners of the Voyager Rack Mount edition are about to get their wish for more expansion capability in the form of the VX-352 CV input expander. The VX-352 turns […]