M-Audio Torq DJ Tool in Action, On Test; More DJ Bling

M-Audio may not spell the word “connective” / “conectiv” right, but they’re getting some very positive feedback from their new DJ line, including Torq (the DJing + vinyl control solution), Conectiv (the audio interface), and X-Session Pro DJ control surface. I’m hearing great comments here from readers, and there’s other word around the Interwebs. Some […]

AxisPad: Turn Your Palm PDA Into an X/Y Music Pad

We’re not going to be satisfied until every touch controller in the house is functioning as an X/Y pad for music. Nintendo DS? Check. Wacom tablet? Tablet PC? Claro que si. So what’s up with your Palm? That stylus isn’t doing anything. miniMusic has the hookup: AxisPad miniMusic [Product Page] Interestingly, the X/Y pad here […]

Sega MegaDrive2, Circuit-Bent as Glitchy Video Synth

Circuit bender Gijs Gieskes does work that can be seen as beautiful kinetic sculptures as much as instruments and synthesizers. That’s certainly the case with his Sega MegaDrive2: watch as he reroutes patch cords via magnetic connections in a lovely tangle of wires, or listen to the mechanical sounds of the device in operation. (This […]

Custom USB Keyboard for Controlling Ableton Live

Bill Van Loo writes to tell us about a QWERTY keyboard that started its life as stock Apple hardware and wound up a custom-configured, custom-painted controller for Ableton Live: I just finished reworking an old USB QWERTY keyboard to serve as a custom keyboard for controlling Ableton Live, and thought you might like a look. […]

DSMIDIWiFi Free Download: Turn Your Nintendo DS into a Wireless Synth and Controller (Now Available!)

With its touchscreen input, compact size, internal Nintendo-style synth, and wireless Internet connection, the Nintendo DS has a lot of appeal for music use. The challenge is how to hook it up to a computer. TheRain has a hardware hack called DSMIDI: with a little soldering and hacking, you can connect the DS to a […]

Teaser: Great Laptop Visuals = Party

Our own Jaymis has left CDMotion for a couple of weeks for something called a “vacation”, but he’s left a terrific gallery of images from the Elements 7 / King Unique event in Brisbane. In an intimate club venue, Jaymis fired up his full live performance VJ setup, complete with Behringer controllers and Resolume video; […]

The New Renaissance: Editor's Sketchbooks

It’s visual inspiration time: Enough with getting depressed about culture and the future. I’m convinced we’re on the brink of a new Renaissance, and thanks to the power of the Web, you don’t just have to go to one place (Florence, Paris, New York) — you begin to realize the multi-talented visionaries are everywhere you […]

The New Renaissance: Editor’s Sketchbooks

It’s visual inspiration time: Enough with getting depressed about culture and the future. I’m convinced we’re on the brink of a new Renaissance, and thanks to the power of the Web, you don’t just have to go to one place (Florence, Paris, New York) — you begin to realize the multi-talented visionaries are everywhere you […]