Good Reading, in English and German

Today’s picks from the Interweb: if you read German, there’s a great review of M-Audio’s Conectiv and Torq DJ solution. If you don’t, look at the pictures and use your imagination. At the other end of the spectrum, and written in English by an Englishman, Music thing is back after a hiatus with some new […]

Roland, Edirol, BOSS Vista Compatibility Update

Roland has published a compatibility list for all its current relevant hardware, under the BOSS, Roland, and Edirol brands. Windows Vista Compatibility Release The table setup is a bit unusual. “Yes” means “will be compatible” in the future tense, but that apparently translates to “it works now”; links are included to 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. […]

Ableton Live Users Should Wait to Upgrade to Vista; Incompatibility Details

The short answer is, if you’re using Ableton Live, you’ll want to wait to upgrade to Windows Vista, period. The long answer is, there are some specific incompatibilities in Live that Ableton will address in a future release. Today, Ableton posted official information on their forum: In principle, the latest Live 6 version (6.0.3) works […]

Wii, GameCube + Flash, Java, Video?

Game consoles as visualist tools? Sign me up! Nintendo doesn’t make it easy, as usual, but it looks possible to turn the Wii and perhaps even the GameCube into homebrew gaming, interactive visual, and video devices. My Wii is now on its way, so I look forward to giving Flash a try. Best resource so […]

Seriously Beautiful New Midi Controller for Visualists: VMX VJ

I don’t know how I managed to miss the release of the CodaNova VMX VJ, but thanks to Grigori for bringing it to my attention: Now this is more like it. The NuVJ is on the right track, but without having had a go my initial impression is that it doesn’t have quite enough controls […]

Synth = Formula 1 Racecar: Vintage Yamaha DX100 Commercial

I miss the days when we were this excited about synthesizers: Via the awesomely-named Brotherhood of the Octopus.

Metasonix “Scrotum Smasher” Tube-Based Effect, Tested on Video

Metasonix continues to build one-of-a-kind effects with raunchy, make-your-parents-blush names. No nonsense about tubes providing warm, wonderful sounds. Take the first tube, a vintage model from devices like military radios: “We use it as a preamp—a BAD preamp. The SCROTUM knob controls input volume badly. No, you can’t turn it fully down. This is intentional […]

Allen & Heath’s New, Smaller Xone:2D

The gradual rise of computer DJing raises questions about just what gear a DJ would want. Mixers were, after all, designed for working with a couple of decks, not a computer that itself can mix. Allen & Heath’s solution has been to cross-breed its popular DJ mixers with MIDI control and computer audio interface functions. […]

Kitchen Beatboxing: Slaving Over Platters, Y’know, Cookin’ Rhythms

I’m sure that most people reading this site will be familiar with The Electro Funk Daddy Superstar Break, but in case you’ve missed it: via DaveSegue. Edit: Who makes embed videos auto play? That’s just obnoxious. Changed to Youtube [tags]videos, beatboxing, oddities, beats[/tags]

35MM Lens to DV Cam Adapter Shootout: Redrock Micro M2, Brevis 35 and SGPRO

PhilipBloom.net has an extensive shootout between “three of the most popular ‘affordable’ 35mm Depth of Field adaptors”. What I wanted to do with this shootout is give people information that I was not able to get when I wanted to buy an adaptor. There are many people with these adaptors, but very few people have […]