Okay, theoretically we should have just been throwing massive MIDI parties. Jere Käpyaho writes: I was just reading Midi for the Professional by Lehrman & Tully from 1993. The foreword (by Robert Moog) states that “[t]he first time that two MIDI-equipped instruments built by two different companies were hooked up and played together was at […]

It’s always fascinating to me how people hear, what they thing of as “real” or “authentic,” and what meaning they find in the things they listen to. Yesterday, we got a glimpse of a new car advertisement for Ford in the UK featuring instruments constructed from automobile components: Interview: Building a Musical Ensemble Out of […]

We all make all sorts of promises to ourselves about how when we have some free time, we’re going to get to various projects. Here’s a way to keep the forward progress going: make one thing every day. Our friend Ranjit, creator of the MIDI ironing board, the Mister Resistor ensemble, and a robotic Theremin, […]

Instructables have just announced the winner of their $15000 Laser Cutter contest. GRL put together a project showing how to create a "bullet time" (also known as "time slice" or the "matrix effect") rig for relatively cheap. I’ve had this idea in my "someday, when you have a couple of grand free" list for quite […]

If your musical production sense tends to gravitate towards the clicky, minimal, and weird, you will appreciate the results you can achieve with Ableton Live by employing a few well-placed tricks. Gustavo Bravetti–the Uruguay-based producer / DJ / maker / tinkerer / entrepreneur we interviewed last year–walks us through his process of glitching out Live […]

Barry Wood’s fantastic NAMM Oddities list is the definitive guide to strange things at NAMM — as in rare delights, as well as just plain weird. And the 2008 guide is now available. NAMM Oddities 08 Square drums are the oddity of the year, and will now be on display at the Museum of Making […]

Overheard on Craigslist San Francisco: Hi, and thanks to all you rituos brothers for reading my post. Yes, it is true, I am selling my DJ gear as I need the cash. First up is a set of turntables (1200s) played on by myself and with my own genuine autograph. I will autograph them again […]

Window is a lovely arts blog — across “writers, academics, engineers — anyone with a good idea” — out of Aukland, New Zealand. They have a good overview of Monolake, aka Robert Henke, electronic composer and musician and co-founder of Ableton. Monolake/Robert Henke 2008 And you know what that means. Time for some video action. […]