First off, major, major kudos to hackaday for providing an extensive how-to on controlling Csound with MIDI. Csound is a free, text-based synthesis environment, directly descended from Max Mathews’ original digital synthesis environment introduced in the late 1950s. (See CDM’s brief history of Max, including how his instrument wound up on the cover of Playboy.) […]

Roxio has posted more details on Toast 7, the update to the venerable CD burning app for the Mac (check out Hear It!): New & improved in Toast 7 [Roxio] As a guest wisely commented on my previous story, there’s plenty here for audio users: “Very hefty stuff… the audio DVD is tops… nothing else […]

Doh. Got the HTML screwed up here — now updated and fixed. Okay, I expected I’d get called down by a reader for criticizing Csound. Instead, electronica legend BT is here to set the record straight. And, as the hackaday post said, part of the reason Csound is popular is because it’s so easy to […]

First off, welcome readers of Keyboard Magazine, which has bravely taken on a new regular feature on VJing for musicians. Don’t read Keyboard? Check out online stories or subscribe at Keyboard’s site. In the September issue of Keyboard, there’s not only a great cover story on Trent Reznor, but I did a two-page feature on […]

You know the problem: computer furniture seems to be built for imaginary people with undersized tower computers who never actually do anything. Want to integrate a music keyboard, computer, monitors, and a rack of gear in a small space? Good luck! But James (of reflexaudio and the fabulous new blog Retro thing) sends along a […]

First off, welcome readers of Keyboard Magazine, which has bravely taken on a new regular feature on VJing for musicians. Don’t read Keyboard? Check out online stories or subscribe at Keyboard’s site. In the September issue of Keyboard, there’s not only a great cover story on Trent Reznor, but I did a two-page feature on […]

Digidesign has acquired virtual instrument / soundware / effects maker Wizoo. [via] No big deal, right, since Digidesign’s M-Audio unit already distributes Wizoo products? Think again — Digidesign claims this is a very big deal: think Digi-branded, new products. From the press release: “We plan to deliver powerful integrated synthesis and sampling instruments that provide […]

Give the Black Eyed Peas a stage, and they’ll give you a party. So what technology drives this terrific live show? Printz Board is the multi-talented musical director for the Black Eyed Peas; he’s their main keyboardist but also doubles on bass and (his first instrument of choice) trumpet. (Watch for a story I did […]

For those of you who haven’t noticed, I’ve quietly turned on unregistered comments again, after repeated complaints about the CDM registration system. So feel free to post in anonymity! As a side effect, of course, the Spam Commenters have returned. But there’s something charming about the casino ads. I know many CDM readers are high […]

Luc Ferrari, 1929-2005 Within a day of losing one of its greatest inventors and proponents, Bob Moog, electronic music has now lost one of its greatest compositional voices. Paris-born composer Luc Ferrari was a pioneer both of electronic and instrumental avant-garde music. He was the founding director of the Groupe de Musique Concrète in 1958 […]