MGFest in Austin, Texas – Motion + Sound + Code; Open Collaboration Summit

MGFest in Chicago. Photo courtesy Psymbolic. "MGFest (Motion Graphics Festival) continues its tour of the US, opening tonight in Austin, Texas. The conference is still $7 total for all the live events and the conference itself. For the workshops, you add $240 a day (bulk discounts available) – but that means that, if you’re low […]

MGFest in Austin, Texas – Motion + Sound + Code; Open Collaboration Summit

MGFest in Chicago. Photo courtesy Psymbolic. "MGFest (Motion Graphics Festival) continues its tour of the US, opening tonight in Austin, Texas. The conference is still $7 total for all the live events and the conference itself. For the workshops, you add $240 a day (bulk discounts available) – but that means that, if you’re low […]

Mac Users: Might Want to Hold Off on 10.5.7; Breaks Euphonix EuCon Control Surface

It appears that network changes in Mac OS 10.5.7 could adversely impact some hardware, specifically the Euphonix EuCon line of controllers. Here is information sent to customers today – thanks to reader Oliver Lucas for spotting this. Please note that the new Mac OS update released yesterday, Version 10.5.7, breaks support for the feature in […]

Mac OS 10.5.7 Reports Wanted: Improved Performance, But Video Output Issues?

Apple has rolled out its 10.5.7 OS update. First, the good news: it may enhance video support. Apple’s tech document claims the update “Improves performance of video playback and cursor movements for recent Macs with NVIDIA graphics.” The (potentially) bad news is that it could cause issues with video output and external monitor resolution. There’s […]

VBS Video: Curtis Roads on the Birth of Granular, Composing in Microsound

Sometimes, looking back at pioneers can be nostalgic. “Back in my day,” goes the story, “electronic composers were real electronic composers.” But then you hear from someone like Curtis Roads, and his mind-blowing ideas are coupled with a belief that we’re only now reaching the Golden Age of electronic sounds. Rory Ahearn writes to share […]

PBS Open Content: Remix That Documentary, Creative Commons-Style

Stock footage has long been a VJ cliché, and remixes in and of themselves aren’t always meaningful. But in the right hands – just as in audio sampling – sampled content can take on new life. It might even find an unrecognizable form. And with publicly-funded documentaries, why not give the actual content back to […]

Akai APC40 Ableton Performance Controller Hands-On Videos, in the Wild

The Akai APC40, the result of a collaboration between Akai and Ableton, has made its way into the wild. Here’s the first hands-on video – I have to say, I love the green lights. Who would have thought that Matrixsynth green would be the shade this year? You can thank AudioMIDI.com for getting the loaner […]

Save that Old PDA: Run Reware, Play Pd Musical Creations, Android (OFFF, NYC)

Reware your PDA from Hans-Christoph Steiner on Vimeo. Give a hoot – don’t pollute with your old mobile gear. Make musical creations with it instead, powered by Linux. Sure, there are wonderful things happening with mobile music applications on platforms like the shiny, new iPhone. But remember how technology was supposed to democratize access? Lots […]

How Propellerhead’s New “Ignition Key” Authorization for Record Works

Propellerhead’s upcoming Record has attracted a lot of attention and discussion, but some of the forum chatter has centered on the new authorization scheme. Record will in fact use a hardware dongle as a key. Propellerhead obviously anticipated a response, as on their own site, they concede: “Wait – a USB device? You mean… a […]

Touchscreen Particle Drawing, Memo’s MSAFluid Particle Library, and Why Sharing is Good

Interface 27 from CyberPatrolUnit on Vimeo. There has been a long tradition in live visuals and motion graphics, inherited from many other media, of maintaining a “secret sauce,” or the guarded formula of eleven herbs and spices. Ironically, for all you hear today “DIY” and “open source” in the same sentence, a lot of the […]