Through Wednesday, Get TC Electronic M30 Reverb Plug for Free

Sometimes, all you need is one really good reverb with editable parameters. TC Electronic has done some really lovely reverb work, and they’re currently giving away one of their plug-ins, for three days only. Registration is required, if you’re opposed to such things, but beyond that, there are no strings attached. (Yes, there’s a mailing […]

Still on 7? Ableton Live Update Improves Controller Support, Fixes

Ableton-er-size! It keeps you healthy. Photo (CC) Riley Nagler as Live and the APC40 play Halloween. Not all users upgrade to the same version at the same time – least of all when it’s a paid upgrade. So, it’s welcome to see that a number of improvements and fixes are making it to the previous […]

The Wearable Screen: A Dress Made from LEDs, by CuteCircuit

Ah, clothes. You’re so warm, so good at preventing us from being naked and sunburnt. But you know what the passionate visualist really wants from clothes: we want a display. The GalaxyDress is the latest creation of the fashionista-scientists of CuteCircuit, the smart-wearable design collective founded by Ivrea-trained designers Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz. The […]

Music Devs Want Change at Apple App Store, as DJ Apps Remain Unapproved

A powerful DJ application for your iPhone or iPod touch may be a tantalizing prospect. But several would-be candidates aren’t available to you yet. Why? They’re languishing in Apple’s approval process, with no sign of whether they’ll be released or not. For all the success of Apple’s App Store, some developers and users continue to […]

Tenori-On Orange $699 for “Home Use” – Minus Battery, Lights on Back

The Tenori-On, the grid-based musical instrument with whimsical sequenced lights created by Toshio Iwai, has been gradually becoming more affordable. The original model, complete with its rounded metal case, has already been cut to US$999 here in North America. Now, Yamaha announces that it is making an “Orange” version which also slices costs. A plastic […]

This Weekend is Crazy in Austin: Handmade Music, Live 8 Sessions Tour

In LA’s DubSpot Live 8 Sessions, I shared a panel with Daedalus, talking about design, live playing, the monome, and how limiting tools for performance can be powerful. Austin gets its own cast of presenters this weekend. Sadly, I can’t be in all places at once. If I could, I’d be in Austin – twice […]

Two Garbage Cans and a Microphone

From the suggestion box at CDM, we’re taking a look at DIY party-rocking sound system technology from the birth of Hip-Hop. Ed.: Resident DIY expert and editor-at-large Michael Una returns – and the man has been known to do strange things with speakers himself. Say you’re an up-and-coming crew with a turntable and some mics. […]

Community-Driven DVI Mixing Hardware: Toby Answers Questions

Finally, “mixing” doesn’t have to be synonymous with “S-Video/composite”: DVI-grade mixing at affordable-by-human prices is coming. We were already thrilled by Toby *Spark’s effort to lead a community-driven DVI hardware mixer effort. But tantalizing as the teaser was, it led to still more questions. Toby has followed up with an extensive Q&A on his site. […]