Want to roll your own effects and synths? SonicBirth is a tool for constructing VST and AU plug-in instruments and sound processors, via a graphical patching interface. It’s a bit like a friendlier, Mac-compatible SoundEdit. And now, it’s completely free and open-source. Even ignoring its open-source nature, there are a few elements of SonicBirth that […]

Sometimes the best way to fix something is to break it. That applies to development processes as well as software itself. After some audio developers and users raised frustrations over compatibility issues with Audio Units and Mac OS X 10.4.9, a member of the Apple Core Audio team responded on the Core Audio development list […]

I had hoped to have Wii Remote control over at least part of Resolume happening for my gig on Friday night, but didn’t have time to setup the various MIDI messages in glovePIE. If only I’d googled it first. Erm, so not an “I feel lucky” search, but the second result is this thread on […]

AV3 has posted some impressions of the Numark NuVJ on VJForums, here and here. On getting it out of the box I have to say it looks really nice, quite light, but it is a midi controller and not hardware, so that was to be expected. Actually it sits well on the desk, and the […]

AV3 has posted some impressions of the Numark NuVJ on VJForums, here and here. On getting it out of the box I have to say it looks really nice, quite light, but it is a midi controller and not hardware, so that was to be expected. Actually it sits well on the desk, and the […]

VJKungFu.tv launched almost 6 months ago now, and while Momo isn’t drowning the interwebs in new content, what’s showing up is something CDMo is definitely lacking as a VJ site: Original video content. Of particular interest is their high quality go-anywhere DIY Projector Mount, first steps in Quartz Composer, and some intro videos to VJing […]

Delia Derbyshire really does remain the unknown genius of early analog music (unknown outside of Doctor Who geeks and, erm, this site, anyway). And she could beat match on reel-to-reel tape decks — several at a time. This is apparently the year 1968, when such things weren’t exactly commonplace (thanks, Stabilizer; I had to get […]

Via Chip Collection comes a charming documentary on the production of the 1980 remake of the classic Doctor Who TV theme, by BBC composer Peter Howell. You have to enjoy seeing the Yamaha CS-80 and ARP Odyssey in action. It’s also striking to me how accessible these keyboards made their synth parameters, in contrast to […]

I’ve been hearing a number of reports that the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update causes significant issues with some Audio Unit plug-ins, including those from popular developers Audio Damage and Ohmforce. (See Analog Industries blog for a comment thread and reports on Audio Damage; there’s also discussion on the Core Audio developer list which I […]

This week in synths with Matrixsynth, the obsessively-prolific synth lovers’ blog: a master modular synth builder on how modulars could be more affordable, a blog time capsule full of out-of-print music, and a “Welsh Minimoog” model E. Here’s Matrix: Grant Richter of Wiard on Cutting the Cost of Modulars A Modular Renaissance The following is […]