Release a synth with the heart of a PC, and it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to use it like a PC. Sure enough, Korg’s flagship OASYS, with an Intel CPU and a Linux-based OS, has been hacked to run off-the-shelf distributions of Linux and Windows from its CD drive: Karma Lab […]

You wear it on your shoulder, but it’s not a guitar. It’s a US$425 MIDI controller, powered by SONAR and photocell sensors for Theremin-like control in the air. It could be none other than the latest creation from instrument builder Tony Amendolare, aka ElectroKraft. You might have seen this instrument in November (see post and […]

“I just want to record and edit audio tracks — what do I need?” A lot of the software for recording and editing multiple tracks of audio is, admittedly, overkill for the basic user. That could make the new creation from WinAMP creator Justin Frankel appealing. (More bizarrely, he also created a cross-shaped effects processor […]

Even on the far-flung Western coast of America, 2005 is about to end, meaning to all of CDM’s readers around the world, a very Happy New Year! Thanks for a terrific year. It’s been amazing getting the feedback I’ve gotten in the first full year of this site’s operation: the readers here are a truly […]

First post of `06: Thanks to Tom Whitwell for pointing me to the pages of a magazine for which I write, Keyboard, to find out that soft synth maker Arturia is in fact recreating the Prophet-5 synth. Sequential’s original Prophet-5 is a perennial favorite on lists of vintage instruments, so it’s little wonder Arturia has […]

It seems Dave Bryce of Dave Smith Instruments couldn’t wait until next month’s NAMM trade show to confirm the existence of the DSI Mono Evolver Keyboard, which he did yesterday in a thread on Harmony Central’s User Forums. Those pining for a modern version of the Sequential Circuits Pro One are about to get their […]

Converting sample rate and bit depth to lower-resolution data, as you’d do when a project was finished for output to CD and online files or when converting prior to assembling a project, is a dangerous task. It’s the moment at which you can lose a lot of what you put into your sound: the spectral […]

Theremin World’s community of Theremin junkies never ceases to amaze. Mark McKeown has now built his own semi-replica of the classic RCA Theremin, down to the wooden cabinet and 1928-style power supply. You can bet it’ll behave and sound different than the cheap kits available online. Mark’s secret weapon was the treasure trove of specs […]

There are many high-tech solutions to making fashion into a musical instrument, like embedding sound circuitry, sensors, and wireless transmitters. Designer Alyce Santaro has found a low-tech, but ingenious, solution: weaving a special textile out of recycled audio tape. Dresses, flags, and even messenger bags can suddenly incorporate audio materials. In 2003, Alyce built a […]

Ed: The dynamic duo of hits in a wide variety of genres, Joey P. and Dale “RamBro” Ramsey, have contributed to albums selling over a combined 75 million copies. For CDM, they look at another dynamic duo: the combination of Cakewalk’s Project5 with Propellerhead’s Reason on Windows. Both programs tout an all-in-one design, but there […]