Reader Julian Sitkevich sends in some photos from the last NAMM. He proves just how dreamy the Buchla 200e can look in the dark; okay, I’m not any more tempted to shell out $20,000, but nonetheless. After the jump: the key to making soft synths look sexy is to add an Apple Cinema Display.

How does this sound? 8 channel strips, 8 mic preamps (so you can record your whole band with individual drum mics, for instance), motorized faders and buttons, and compatibility with all major Mac and Windows audio tools from Ableton Live to Pro Tools, all for about US$1000 street. Sounds like a great deal, right? That’s […]

It’s a little hard to tell what the DIY synth diagrams over at Music From Outer Space actually produce, since they’ve opted for words like “Wacky Frequency” and “Oddness Cutoff Frequency.” But behind the zaniness is what looks like a very simple synth spec, and a good starter project for those wanting to get busy […]

We get a little ahead of the curve here, with drool-laden coverage of gear that doesn’t actually exist yet. Here’s what’s now shipping: Creamware is back with the second of their mini-hardware synths emulated retro classics. This time, it’s I love the 80s: a Prophet 5 emulation they’re calling the Pro-12; see press release on […]

If you liked the idea of designing your own Mawzer controller online, you’ll love this, too: Algorithmic Arts has free Windows programs for designing your own modular synth layouts. (Via a Music thing link roundup.) Sadly, I’ll have to settle for firing up Reaktor for the soft synth version of this, thus avoiding permanent damage […]

What should keyboards look like in the age of computers? At the high end, we’ve seen futuristic, PC-powered beasts like the Windows-compatible NeKo and Linux-powered Korg OASYS. At the low end, we’ve seen keyboards like the Novation ReMote SL, specially designed to control soft synths. Yamaha and Korg gave their own answers for the mid-range […]

In response to yesterday’s Doppler Birthday Roundup, Adrian Anders points us to a terrific-looking Doppler plug-in for just GBP15: Spacestation [Windows VST] My colleagues at Computer Music like it, but here’s my kind of endorsement (from KVR: “. . . I spent the evening in front of my monitors listening to the same noise swirling […]

Cakewalk’s SONAR 5 has been getting some rave reviews in the press, but if you’ve been having issues with the upgrade (particularly with MIDI functionality), you’ll want to check out the new 5.0.1 update. Cakewalk says the update “addresses numerous customer reported issues.” That includes many improvements to stability and consistency, including: CPU meters now […]

Seclusiasis Studios is hosting a laptop battle tomorrow evening (Wed. 11/30); I can’t go but drop me a line if you’re involved or happen to make it and do take photos. They’ve got some serious judges involved: recording faculty from Temple University, electronic musician Charles Cohen, and the music promotions director for Urban Outfitters. Some […]

If you’ve ever dreamed of a custom controller you could assemble in modular, Lego-like fashion, you’ll love the idea of the Mawzer custom control surface. Adrian Anders points our attention to a new online configurator, so you can try out your own controller creation. (The link is at the bottom right of the page, labeled […]