Compression Reel from David OReilly on Vimeo. 8-bit chip music went mainstream in the last few years. Well, now it’s video compression’s turn. What, you thought crunchy blippy glitch sounds were cool, but that video could only look crap when over-compressed digitally? Too late: even Kanye West is doing it now. First up: the best […]

Compression Reel from David OReilly on Vimeo. 8-bit chip music went mainstream in the last few years. Well, now it’s video compression’s turn. What, you thought crunchy blippy glitch sounds were cool, but that video could only look crap when over-compressed digitally? Too late: even Kanye West is doing it now. First up: the best […]

We love computers. But the idea of a piece of hardware capable of triggering clips has been tantalizing from the beginning. Grab a piece of gear that’s not big and pricey like a Pioneer DVJ, plug it in, and play some clips into your mixer and effects — sign me up! The only problem has […]

We love computers. But the idea of a piece of hardware capable of triggering clips has been tantalizing from the beginning. Grab a piece of gear that’s not big and pricey like a Pioneer DVJ, plug it in, and play some clips into your mixer and effects — sign me up! The only problem has […]

Patches serve as the glue for performing with open controllers like the monome. With proper version control, you can manage their evolution – and share your creative process more easily. Photo by me. If you’ve worked at all with patching your own creations for music, visuals, and control, this has probably happened to you: you’ve […]

Now, why would anyone imagine this wouldn’t have widespread commercial appeal? If you enjoy real analog insanity – crazy noises that challenge the ears – you’ll like these videos sent to us by Hans Tammen, the composer, “endangered guitar” artist, and director of NYC’s Harvestworks. He writes: you like analog stuff, as I know. Here […]

“Evacuate City-17 at once — if not sooner.” It’s started. Once the domain of big-budget productions, cheap computers (and even open-source tools) now offer more than enough power to enable indie productions to imagine special effects. The remaining gaps: talent and skill. That’s why people actually shouldn’t be surprised that it’s possible to make a […]

Open and DIY doesn’t have to mean you don’t get a finished product. It just means the product can continue to change once you’ve got it – which is the beauty of three new tools coming to the music tech world. Photo: Bug Labs. You buy a box. You unwrap the box. You plug it […]

Plushy soft replicas of beloved synths have become something of a meme. Via our friend atariboy of Plasq fame, here’s the latest addition to the cuddly vintage instrument category on Etsy. Think about what this means, if you will: it’s a synthesizer you can curl up with while you sleep. Now that’s love. (I know […]

As your options multiply, I think there are few excuses in 2009 not to develop using portable, free and open source, multi-platform, mobile-ready platforms — period. We talk a lot about the Java side of the pond, or even C/C++, but the other reality is you have options for just about any job using just […]