Les Paul Headlines Music Player Live Conference, NYC October

MusicPlayer Live is coming to NYC, headlined by no less than the inventor of the solidbody electric guitar, Les Paul: Music Player Live Conference [Music Player] The event is quite a convergence: aside from seminars by writers for Music Player publications (like yours truly, on behalf of Keyboard), there will be the usual music tech […]

Burning Man: Laser Harps, Improbable Orchestra Knob Boxes

For some of the most bizarre and unusual music-sound installation art, look no further than Burning Man. Burning, indeed: this desert-based event has in the past featured Eric Singer’s Max/MSP-controlled pyrophone, a propane-powered flaming sound organ. (And, incidentally, that installation is making a repeat appearance this year.) And what better activity when in the middle […]

DS + ElectroPlankton for Music: More Details, Hacking Mic

Tom Wilburn continues to document music-making using a Nintendo DS and Nintendo’s bizarre game, ElectroPlankton. Since we last checked in with him, he’s gotten further content up, plus an evolving table-of-contents. Composing with ElectroPlankton: Table of Contents [Mile Zero] There’s just one hitch: it’d be great to get audio into the Nintendo DS via a […]

Build a Better Music Interface: Railfans (as in Trains) Show You How

Don’t wait for M-Audio to create the controller of your dreams. DIY. Of all places, some railfans (yes, that’s as in railroads, trains, you know, choo-choos) are giving us some great resources: USB train controller ReDAC USB voltage – to – I/O Full-size train control cab Custom, programmable keyboards and other USB inputs Connect a […]

Optronica Reports: Music + VJs Converge on London

Just received a dispatch from the good folks of Res on last month’s Optronica show in London, which mixed visuals and sound in a blowout featuring visual acts, live A/V, cinema, VJs, and DJs from around the world. Oh yes, and everyone’s favorite large screen — IMAX. (See previous report). Video clips of the artists: […]

Dream DJ Furniture: 00, Wood for Vinyl Lovers

Designer Reynold Rodriguez writes CDM with details of his 00, a luxury turntable stand that’s “really about people who dig vinyl, own hundred of records and have their turntables setup on top of cinder blocks.” More after the jump.

Spin: Short Movie Makes a Turntablist God

You deserve a break today, so I’ll be featuring some short attention span theater for electronic music fans. -PK Spin answers the terrifying question of what would happen if a turntablist had power over life and death. Just think what he could have done with Ableton Live’s Warp Markers. Take Spin for a spin; let […]

Roland TB-303: The Movie

Short attention span theater continues . . . Nate Harrison’s bassline bassline is a video investigation of the rise and fall of the Roland TB-303 electronic bassline and, somehow, electronic music as a whole. It gets philosophical, too: the video: “attempts to explore how and why creative tools fail and how increasingly more options, parameters […]

Gemini iKey Recorder: BYO Hard Drive (Huh?)

Here’s a novel solution to the need for portable recording: the new Gemini iKey lets you leave the computer at home for recording, but only provided you connect your own USB hard drive. (See Harmony Central; nothing posted at Gemini’s site as I write this.) The good news: it only costs US$229 and lets you […]

9/9-9/10: Giant Free 2-Day Electronic Convergence in Midwest US

CDM’s Cris and organizer Scott Kellog send along word of a mass, 2-day, free festival in Indianapolis Indiana featuring 18 Midwestern artists. Each day will run noon to midnight, so prepare to get your full dose of electronics, folks, tons of music, workshops, seminars, open improvs, and general electronic geekdom. Avant-garde? Absolutely. Stuff you can […]