Hard drives are the skeleton and lifeblood of digital video. Musicians and other audio-botherers seem constantly amazed by the amount of space required for DV and especially HD-Video projects (with uncompressed HD capture inhabiting an entirely different level), while my video-based friends seem to be ever carrying around stacks of Firewire or USB hard drives […]

We asked to hear from some actual studios targeted by plug-in maker Waves’ anti-piracy police (aka “banpiracy.com”). Here’s one report from Nick Buxton, via comments: I haven’t read all the comments but wanted to add our experience; all our recording software is legal, we use uad plugs but wanted to see how waves worked; couldn’t […]

Are our eyes just as oversensitized — or desensitized — as our ears? Artists in a Hong Festival rediscover what senses mean, above. New York City, despite its reputation, is actually a pretty peaceful place to live in a lot of ways. Most visitors here never make it out of Times Square, though even that […]

Last week, I mentioned my friend, Keyboard colleague, and Ableton sound maestro Francis Preve had written an overview of Ableton Live 7 for Beatportal. Maxim DJ writes in comments that he’s posted a Russian translation and commentary. (Already one complaint that it’s not a direct translation, but in blog style, he adds his own thoughts […]

It’s like the accordion equivalent of a double-necked guitar. And it’s a digital controller, too. Hmmm … wonder what a physical-modeled synth patch would sound like controlled by a double-bellowed digital guitar … (starry-eyed) I know what I want for Christmas. Accordion Hero II [Shadenfreude Interactive GmbH] via: Accordion Hero makes you want others in […]

My review of Apple’s Logic Studio (including Logic Pro 8) is now live at Macworld.com (it’ll also be in the January 2008 print issue). Summary: Pros: Single-window view speeds editing and setup; MainStage program ideal for playing instruments and effects live; powerful, easy-to-access editing and take management tools; bundles Soundtrack Pro but halves the price; […]

Cezanne never gets attention like this. Yes, a musician and “computer engineer” (take note: even in 2007, using computers can make stuff way more science-y) has somehow made Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” into a musical score. You have to see loaves of bread and arbitrary points on the Apostle’s bodies as notes. And you […]

Don’t get too excited. Gibson Guitar is not, in fact, introducing a fully robotic guitar. Or a creepy robot doll that plays a guitar. Nor are they shipping you a handsome (male/female/your choice) robot assistant who will follow you around and tune your guitar for you. Too bad. But they are launching a robotic, self-tuning […]

Just in case mastering the subtleties of playing a Theremin isn’t hard enough for you, you’re in luck: you can master the subtleties of building a robot that has to then master the subtleties of playing the Theremin. Sarah Angliss, a human Thereminist in the UK, sends us this video of a creepy doll robot […]