Photo (CC) our friends over at Synthtopia. I was one of the first people outside Native Instruments to lay eyes on Maschine, and immediately I saw something with real potential. Here was a software drum machine that was different: it was a real attempt to fuse some of the advantages of a software interface with […]
Music
RIP Dax Pierson, Árni Grétar Jóhannesson aka Futuregrapher
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Saying goodbye to 2024 with music and reflections: David’s picks
Music Reviews Stories December 31, 2024
Also New From Korg: A Pretty Stage Piano, A Better WaveDrum
KORG has other new product announcements, and I think both are going to be big hits for them. The SV-1 stage piano falls well into the category of “why didn’t anyone else do this first?” First, it looks beautiful – finally, a keyboard designed for the stage that actually looks good onstage. (I don’t know, […]
Korg’s microSAMPLER: Sample from a Keyboard, and What Those iPod Slots Are For
It aims to do what for sampling what the insanely-popular microKORG keyboard has done for synths: that is, invade bedrooms and bands everywhere, and inspire a kind of love that other hardware finds elusive. But it also combines the micro-keyboard form factor and mic with everything that has made the KAOSS Pad series popular. It’s […]
Laser Caves, Light Beams Through Architecture, and Suryummy's Yumminess
Laser Cave Prototype from Suryummy on Vimeo. It’s a testament to the power of digital visuals that flat, 4:3 or 16:9 rectangles can be endlessly fascinating — just as some of the greatest music records of all time were produced in mono. But part of the reason why resources like the Video Projection Tool excite […]
Laser Caves, Light Beams Through Architecture, and Suryummy’s Yumminess
Laser Cave Prototype from Suryummy on Vimeo. It’s a testament to the power of digital visuals that flat, 4:3 or 16:9 rectangles can be endlessly fascinating — just as some of the greatest music records of all time were produced in mono. But part of the reason why resources like the Video Projection Tool excite […]
Music Video Favorites: Birdy Nam Nam’s Wonderful Animated World
BIRDY NAM NAM – THE PARACHUTE ENDING from Steve Scott on Vimeo. This is the music video you’ve always dreamed of getting when your track gets a music video. It’s been round the Web a few months ago, but I only discovered it today via the lovely 8-bit punk Anamanaguchi (see our interview), on their […]
Handmade Music NYC, Tomorrow Night in Brooklyn
If you’re in the New York area, tomorrow night we have another noise-making get-together at the lovely 3rd Ward. The event is free, and we have free Colt 45. Amanda Ervin is the featured guest this month; see one of her circuits above. Her designs are intended to be something that other folks can make, […]
This Weekend: Music Hack Day Comes to Berlin, with Ableton, NI
Music Hack Day kicks off in London with Soundcloud hackers. Photo (CC) Alexander Ljung. Code, hardware, and software: Hack Days are all about getting actual stuff made. Berliners, the Music Hack Day that took place in London at The Guardian now gets underway in Berlin this weekend. For anyone who thought the first event was […]
DAW Day: Propellerhead Record is Here, with Lots of Free Training
Record is now shipping, and the beta closed – and now is a perfect time to talk about learning. Okay, let me explain something. Propellerhead doesn’t want Record to be called a “DAW,” for Digital Audio Workstation. I personally overcame my own distaste for the strange acronym today because, well, there’s not another good name […]
DAW Day: Digital Performer 7 Adds Effects, Easier Access, PT8 Support
DP’s clever channel strip integrates quite a lot of functionality in every view. I’d be remiss if I didn’t note another significant DAW release: DP7 is shipping this week. The Mac-only Digital Performer still has a loyal following, especially among the scoring crowd, some of whom have stuck with DP since the Performer days – […]