The tracker is back. Piano rolls and fake multitrack tape turn out not to be the only way to conceptualize how music is put together in digital form. And Renoise is a terrific way to learn a ground-up approach to production, because you get the quick workflow of the tracker without having to sacrifice so […]

Alongside our Renoise + Indamixx netbook-optimized production competition, I’m kicking off this week a series of CDM and guest tutorials on working with Linux audio tools, Renoise, and more. First up, here’s a basic look at how to route the free-as-in-beer linuxDSP effects toolkit into the powerful, modern, open-source DAW Ardour. Correction: I implied that […]

Speaking of Processing, Rhizome at The New Museum (based here in New York) has an interview with Casey Reas and Ben Fry, the creators of Processing, authored by Dan Shiffman, my dissertation mentor and a major contributor himself to the community. My favorite answer comes from Casey Reas. It’s fashionable to talk about how constrains […]

I want to highlight a comment from a recent story in which I was reflecting on how to approach Processing, and – in a larger sphere – design simplicity. Tom writes: My opinion – the problem with Processing is that is not part of a software ecosystem. Flash is aligned with Illustrator and After Effects […]

At work in Renoise. Photo (CC) Federico Reiven [blog]. If you’re ready to show your skills creating digital music, we want your work. UPDATED! New contest entry page, new deadline (10/25): http://www.renoise.com/competitions/indamixx/ Plus tips, tracks, and more to give you additional inspiration: More with Less:”Efficient” Renoise Music Tracks and Tips Renoise, the "bottom-up" music production […]

All kinds of fun. Prolific German/New Zealandish artist The Rainbowmonkey unleashes Google Image Search on to Okyo, to spectacular effect. “Monster” by okyo from The Rainbowmonkey on Vimeo. This was basically my first attempt at motion-tracking. Heaps of masks made out of random google images. Some inaccurate tracking and rough motion do show the piece […]

All kinds of fun. Prolific German/New Zealandish artist The Rainbowmonkey unleashes Google Image Search on to Okyo, to spectacular effect. “Monster” by okyo from The Rainbowmonkey on Vimeo. This was basically my first attempt at motion-tracking. Heaps of masks made out of random google images. Some inaccurate tracking and rough motion do show the piece […]

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo. At the World Science Festival in June here in New York, specialists – including musical specialist Bobby McFerrin – gathered to ask what in music we humans hear universally, versus what is culturally specific. Is our […]

New features in Modul8; for more shots, see Modul8’s Flickr stream. Mac-only visual tool Modul8 is getting some significant improvements in version 2.6, available now as public beta. The final version will cost EUR49. Snow Leopard users, this corrects some compatibility issues with Apple’s new OS, which I believe now brings all the major visual […]

It’s a strange and wonderful sampling instrument and live rig, capable of mangling and remixing live, synced to tempo. It’s proof that live computer performance doesn’t have to be in only one tool, or use one technique. It’s a ready-to-play, affordable instrument you can pick up and use. It’s a Reaktor patch gurus can pick […]