It’s already near-impossible to find a new computer that doesn’t have Vista already installed on it. As I’ve noted here, hardware driver compatibility can be a bumpy road. That’s the bad news. The good news is, application compatibility for Windows Vista is often not as big an issue. Music notation software, for instance, largely works, […]

GetLoFi has found a real gem in the form of the Flame talking MIDI synth. Hacking Speak ‘n Spell’s? Totally last year. This synth is homebrewed from the ground up, using an IC (integrated circuit) that specializes in speech synthesis. GetLoFi says that chip is permanently on backorder … why am I not surprised? The […]

We’ll have more complete coverage once we have more time, but incase you’ve missed the news, Apple has announced Final Cut Pro 6, Compressor 4, Cinema Tools 4, Motion 3, Soundtrack 2, Color (formerly Final Touch 2K), and Final Cut Server (yes, server). Highlights include multi format timeline in FCP 6.0, Surround sound mixing in […]

In a sign that M-Audio’s Vista support may be trickling in, DJ Grobe observes that the Fast Track USB driver has been posted to the M-Audio site. Hopefully for Vista users, this means more support fast. Meanwhile, I’ve quite happily “upgraded” back from Vista to XP, and tweaked my XP system so it’s happy. That […]

… to go entirely off-topic for a moment. This has nothing to do with creating, or digital, though it is music. And it’s important: by parodying herself and the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”, it seems as though Alanis Morisette has readjusted the balance of the musical space-time continuum itself. The universe may again be […]

The First Synth to… In case you missed it, Sonic State is running a video series on The Top 20 Greatest Synths of all time. About once a month they put up a video featuring three synths from the countdown. As you can imagine a few controversial pieces came up including the E-Mu Proteus, and […]

Suddenly, a mixer without a KAOSS Pad seems so lonely. Dedicated audio + video mixers, or all-in-one? Jaymis examined the Numark AVM02 last month. It’s an innovative concept: one mixer for audio, video, and video FX. But it’s not without its shortcomings; most notably, there’s no MIDI, and some of the FX capabilities are lacking. […]

For many living in the age of the computer, a performance mixer has gotten more useful, not less. It’s a no-brainer for DJs mixing records with digital, but it can be useful for other electronic musicians, as well. (For some of the readers of this site, that might mean mixing in hardware synths, multiple laptops, […]

I’m currently pumping out some renders of Time Lapse shoots for gigs I have over the weekend. I’m outputting 640×480 MJPEG AVIs for visual use, and also 320×240 H264 MOVs for sharing. After Effects is helping with its Multiple Output Module ability, letting me create several files with a single render. It’s quick and easy! […]