Edirol, the audio/video gear folks that are part of Roland Group, have a trio of announcements about new hardware. Let’s deal with them all at once, because Roland model numbers make my head hurt: New MIDI: Yes, new MIDI interface hardware. (MIDI will never die, folks.) What’s groovy about them? The US$89 UM-3EX has a […]

Digital Performer (Mac-only) gets a whole bunch of features in today’s free 4.6 update. Read more for the full dirt, but since I tend to rattle on too long about everything, here’s the Short Attention Span Summary: Pitch automation is revolutionary. Think AutoTune, but integrated right into the sequencer. No one else has this. There’s […]

Well, with the release of DP 4.6, it’s time to check in with how our DAWs are doing. These insanely-cool pitch features certainly mean it’s still in the ring. First, see my previous reviews: Digital Performer 4.5 (review for Keyboard) Giant Cubase 3 vs. DP 4.5 vs. Logic 7 Blowout (review for Macworld) Live 4 […]

October 3-5 Tampa will play host to a massive Computer DJing Summit, complete with training for DJs, VJs, and KJs. (KJ = karaoke; thanks, jachee. Too bad; I hoped it meant spinning Kraft Mac-and-Cheese.) There’s even certified credit for would-be computer DJs. This isn’t an entirely new event; a Summit was held in my hometown […]

As I have friends and colleagues in London, I want to take a moment to say we’re with you. I remember how much better we all felt here in New York as we heard of the outpouring of support from England and Londoners (as well as elsewhere in the world). It’s the least we can […]

Remember Farm Aid and the many other “Aid” events of the 80s? It was a more innocent time, a time in which rockers thought they could influence events. Or is that spirit really dead, after all? Musicians hoping to change the direction of the G8 conference of world leaders have a new tool: the Web, […]

Rope and Sound is an installation that uses rope tension to control sound. Pull on a cord, and the change in tension triggers electronic thuds and mellow chimes. The trick is conductive fibers braided into the rope; as the tension changes, the conduction of the rope changes, as well. I got a chance to try […]

There’s plenty of homebrew music software for the Game Boy and GBA (check out LSDJ and Nanoloop), but what about next-gen portables? MusicThing gets the scoop on PSP Kick, a sampled drum machine for PSP. PSP Kick is very simple — it’s just a 12-slot drum sampler with AIFF output — but it sounds like […]

Ed: Brent’s back, not only with a review of the massive EastWest Stormdrum sample library, but some ideas on how you might use it as a composer of game or film scores. Read on . . . -PK Where Art Thou, Boomy Percussion? If you’ve watched any of the more epic-styled Hollywood films lately, no […]

You think you know 80s flashbacks? Not unless you’ve met Jemgirl. This Australian-based DJ/digital musician is hardcore enough to be recreating tunes from the rock cartoon Jem. (Still not ringing any bells? You know, truly, truly outrageous? Yeah — that Jem, my fellow late-20-somethings.) Jemgirl isn’t alone, either: she’ll be spinning Jem tunes, 80s music, […]