Using piezo-electric sensors or specialized drum pads, you can turn acoustic drums into triggers, then convert that signal to MIDI. But why stop there, when your legs are just waiting to be slapped? To use your legs as a trigger, you’ll want a fairly sensitive sensor — standard drum triggers would require you to hit […]

The folks at Elektron have some incredible pattern-based synths/percussion generators (see full product line), if you can afford them (US$1350-1950 list). They’re working on a new Machinedrum, the SPS-1. It’s not a true sampler, but you can load samples onto it via MIDI and soon USB, so as the creators put it “finally you can […]

Easily topping the cool factor of the floating DJ turntable is the alien spaceship cockpit of DJ furniture: the DJ Kreemy Table. (Thanks to a reader for reminding of this!) Designed by Karim Rashid, this all-fiberglass, dual-deck+mixer design with integrated power and lighting will set you back (get ready for this) just under US$3000. So […]

Autechre’s new album Untilted is here from Warp Records, available for MP3 download or live streaming. Go enjoy! So what the heck does their name mean? The Words of Autechre explains this mystery (audio technology research? audio architecture?), as well as the words of their songs by disc. If you’d rather not know, stay away. […]

Apple has a new pro app for audio production called Soundtrack Pro, unveiled with Final Cut Pro Studio 5. This isn't just a slightly beefed-up Soundtrack or a new app for video — it looks like it could be a whole different way of working. Here's an early look at some features I find interesting […]

DJs, VJs, and laptop musicians, Allen & Heath has your ultimate hardware, coming later this year: The Xone:3D integrates a full DJ mixer, a MIDI/USB control surface complete with scratch surface, and multichannel audio interface into a single box. Allen & Heath says it "allows the user to manipulate and manage any source – such […]

At home or on the gig, it's a problem: where do you put all your toys? Most clubs, from avant-garde to hip, don't seem to know what to do with performers who work with laptops and technology. And, then, at home, if you've managed not to alienate your significant other yet, he or she will […]

There's nothing quite like a 3-way. I reviewed Steinberg Cubase SX 3.01, Apple Logic Pro 7.01, and MOTU Digital Performer 4.52 for Macworld.com; read the complete review and conclusions. Of course, a really fair comparison of all-purpose DAW software would be more like Cubase vs. Logic vs. DP vs. Cakewalk SONAR vs. Ableton Live vs. […]

Want to go Sasha one better and customize your own modular control surface for all of your software? The Mawzer gives new meaning to the term plug and play. You start with a simple backplane and plug in various modules such as faders, buttons, and knobs, assign MIDI controls and you're good to go. Even […]

Sure, Edirol's fascinating new CG-8 video synthesizer, due in July, costs a whopping US$5295 — enough to make most of you (and us) to lose interest until we find a higher paying job (see our story and follow-up and more follow-up with sticker shock). That doesn't mean that: this gear isn't really cool to dream […]