Finally, the power to choose: some of the best bundled synths are getting unbundled so you can use them with whatever host you want (cough, Ableton Live). Days after Cakewalk launched their own Dimension Pro synth (a Pro version of a synth that’s included in Project5), the folks at Image Line (better known as the […]

Video is increasingly part of performance, and you’ll notice the major VJ hardware makers — Roland/Edirol and Korg — also happen to be musical instrument manufacturers. Roland and Edirol are even building in automatic communication between their keyboards and their VJ hardware, from low to high end. I think video will increasingly become part of […]

So, you want to make some noise, but you don’t want to spend a lot of cash? Check out PowerFX’s new bargain-basement sample-based subtractive synth, the Swiss Army Synth. (via Harmony Central) It does virtual analog synthesis, it does sample playback, and it’s dirt cheap. This bad boy has an interface only a mother could […]

Gibson has been crowing about a digital Les Paul guitar for a long time. The first I remember reading about it was the breathless January 2004 article in Wired. Their proprietary tech for carrying audio over Ethernet was mysteriously called “Magic.” Sample quote: “Like Sony and Philips with the compact disc 20 years ago, Gibson […]

Computer VJing is about to hit prime time, thanks to gains in computer performance. Mixing 2-channel 640×480 Photo JPEG-compressed video is finally possible — no more 320x240x15 jaggies. One of the tools I’m most excited about is the new Edirol hardware/software package, and I got to try it out at AES.

While we’re on the subject of VJing, curious what the future looks like? Think HD. Amateur VJs need not apply. Edirol has unveiled pricing and availability on their new V-440 HD Multiformat Video Mixer, and it’s not for mortals: US$$12,995 — an incredible deal for HD mixing if you’ve ever priced pro video equipment, but, […]

Video iPods? Whatever. Pro users, as always, want faster machines. So a lot of us were disappointed to find out Wednesday’s announcement from Apple wasn’t a brand-spanking new PowerBook. (I got over it by watching some Desperate Housewives — ahem, on DVD. Remember those?) Fortunately, this is Apple, and last Wednesday’s announcement is to be […]

Now we’re talking. Tascam’s upcoming HD-P2 is finally a portable Compact Flash recorder that doesn’t skimp on pro features. Incredibly, its street price will be under US$1000, but the preliminary specs read like a device costing a lot more, and by providing timecode input on a cheap device, it’s an indie filmmaker’s dream recorder: Up […]

I took a first look at Gemini’s new iKey portable recording device, first on its own, then in a roundup of portable recording products. Basically, it’s a 2 lb. box that connects to an RCA line in and outputs MP3s or WAV files onto a USB key. Gemini iKey [Product Page] I was initially critical […]

Controlling soft synths with keyboards can be a pain, only because it often requires messing around with templates or MIDI learn to map hardware knobs and faders to onscreen controls. Propellerhead’s Remote is a fantastic two-way protocol that allows your keyboard to automatically control synths — but it only works in Reason. What about the […]