A vvvv-based Wii music patch, (CC) by illogico. Check out the thesis project. Visual patchers love the fact that they can create sophisticated stuff just using on-screen patch cords. But when you want to go beyond the capabilities of the default set of objects — and for solving certain problems more elegantly — code is […]

The successor to ArKaos VJ, a staple in early VJ application history, is nearly here. GrandVJ just hit public beta. GrandVJ is a complete, from-scratch rewrite of the app, with some new features — but still a nod to the simple, one-screen interface that made the original popular. You can now download a working demo, […]

eMotion – Basic particles tool example from Adrien Mondot on Vimeo. We saw eMotion last year — it’s a Mac OS-based 3D tool for particles and visual effects, with physics modeling, Wacom tablet control, input from sensors and OpenSoundControl, a text engine, and integrated Quartz Composer support. In other words: it’s a friendly tool for […]

The free (for non-commercial use), Windows-only, insanely-powerful visual/multimedia patching environment vvvv just got a killer feature: the ability to make your own "nodes" (what are called objects in some other modular tools). It’s actually pretty easy to build, too, and the developers have some templates for you. This is way up the list on my […]

Making new instruments from scrap at a junkyard challenge. Now it’s time to save STEIM from becoming scrap. Photo (CC) by termie. Just a "niche", eh? I can’t think of a time in recent history during which creative technology research was as profoundly relevant to mainstream design as it is now. Tangible interfaces, sensor-rich environments […]

DS music fans, I can’t add much that this video doesn’t show: think portable gaming, scratching goodness. New in this version, you can layer multiple instances of the modules to combine different "tracks" of sound — beats plus scratching, for instance. The video makes no apologies for editing or scratching ability, so no complaints, please. […]

The more we learn about Leopard, specifically 10.5.2, the worse it gets. I don’t think there are any larger lessons to be drawn here, or meaningful platform discussions to be had. I think you should find a workaround and keep making music. Hey, I’ve been running Mac, Windows, and other operating systems (cough, yes, DOS) […]

Having already heard from M-Audio, we now have a response from Digidesign regarding concerns about driver support and Pro Tools software compatibility for the latest Windows and Mac operating systems. Bob Langlie, VP of Customer Support and Service, and via Digi’s forums, Digidesign’s product marketing and general operations representatives all weigh in with some clarification […]

Blue’s Snowflake USB claims to be the "first portable USB microphone to hit the market." (I thought they were exaggerating, and then picked up the "USB" bit — okay, fair enough.) It’s just US$79, plug-and-play on Mac and Windows, bus-powered, and comes in a cute case that doubles as a stand or screen clip. Blue’s […]