Guitar Adds iPod touch Controls, Plays Ableton, Lovely Ambient Music

So, the guitar with the Korg KAOSS Pad KP3 built-in wasn’t enough for you, huh? Here’s an axe with two iPod touch units attached. The sounds that result, with Ableton Live, the Eno/Chilvers app Bloom, and bowed guitar, are quite lovely. That shows some of the power of these apps: playing along with the generative/interactive […]

Pirates and Roasted Penguins: The Oddest Processing Game You’ll Play This Year

Artist and electronic media prof Fernando Orellana has created a treasure trove of whimsical and ingenious media art. So, give him a tool like coding-for-artists environment Processing, and you know he’ll do something unusual. So far, we have the game Chef’s Special. With lo-fi graphics that would make Videlectrix proud, a pirate ship sinks slowly […]

Chiptune Rockstars: Videos from Blip 08, And What You Can Learn From the 8-Bit Scene

For the best of 8-bit/chip music extravaganza Blip Festival 08 without leaving your computer screen, video editors have completed their dark craft and gotten some documentation online. Our friends over at 2 Player Productions are working on more long-form documentary, but they already have this cover of “Atomic” by Glomag and stealthopera for your enjoyment. […]

Create Digital Snow: Happy Winterdays, with Flash

Joshue Ott, creator of the gorgeous abstract performance tool superDraw (built in Java and Processing) has a seasonal toy for your playing enjoyment, built in Flash. SnowDraw is a fun little falling snowflake toy which can create messages like the one I spoiled above. It’s naturally far more fun in motion, so go give it […]

eMotion Arrives; Mac Donationware Makes Gestures and Dance Visually Alive

eMotion+Wiimote in IR mode from Adrien Mondot on Vimeo. eMotion, an all-Cocoa Mac app, is now available as alpha donationware, and it’s capable of some stunning, particle-based visuals. Wave around a Wiimote, and get satisfying swirls of particles – even if they send a chill down my spine as I sit here in snowy Chicagoland. […]

Projecting Holidays: A/V Mapping Xmas

TreeWaxHD from klipcollective on Vimeo. Simple concept, excellent execution. the klip collective, mostly known for their architectural video mapping work in retail locations, produced this eminently fun holiday-time silliness. All video is provided by a single projector. music: Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band A Fifth of Beethoven (Soulwax Remix)

Last-Minute Meta-Gift-Guide: Music and Electronics Gift Guides from the Blogosphere

It’s either the last chance to rush delivery on gifts, or the first chance to start thinking about picking up some music tech projects for yourself to keep up with musical New Years’ Resolutions. Either way, it’s time to give a shout out to some of the great gift guides that have been going up […]

Gig Rigs: Girl Talk – PC, Plastic Wrap, and AudioMulch

Photo: Jordan Harris. Used on CDM by permission. Yes, for the record, that is a young woman screaming to the sounds of AudioMulch. Believe. Jordan Harris was able to snag some screenshots of Girl Talk’s rig. There’s not much to tell: a laptop, a mouse, and in a sign of the growing stature of Girl […]

Recession Specials: From Tenori-On to Little Phatty, Costco Blue Mic Deal to Soft Steinway

Illustration (CC) Dani Armengol, who just became my hero. Black Friday? Cyber Monday? Who need them? The entire month of December seems to be on sale when it comes to music tech. Christmas (and Hanukkah, for that matter) are nearly here. Whether it’s economic pressure or just some aggressive holiday pricing, there are some big […]

Gift Guides for Visualists, Video DIY

CDMotion’s contributors haven’t come up with a wish list this year. Maybe that’s because we’re most wishing for time to work on all the projects we’ve got planned! (No material goods needed – unless it’s a Time Freezing Machine or Brain Accelerator!) But there are a couple of really fantastic visual gift guides out there. […]