If you haven’t been following the message threads about the iGuitar.USB, we’ve got a pretty good discussion going: see commentary on the original story and in response to our iGuitar.USB Q&A. So, why does a USB cable on a guitar make sense? While it’s not for everyone, basically it lets you plug and play your […]

When you hear live computer effects, the emphasis is almost always on guitarists. What about vocalists? Line6 is building vocal-centered effects into their eminently-affordable TonePort USB line, which (via Harmony Central) is shipping as of now. Starting at under US$200, a singer with a laptop and a good mic doesn’t have to balk at going […]

Film and video scoring aficionados out there, listen up. CDM’s W. Brent Latta takes on Quantum Leap RA from East West, a massive library of sampled world/ethnic instruments. As usual, it’s not just about the product itself: Brent offers some insight into music-making using this tool, and shares a really gorgeous melody he created on […]

Playlist, the iPod DJ club — and Playlist, the website, no relation — both take on the Numark iDJ iPod DJ mixer: Hands-on Numark iDJ Review by DJ Lisa Rocket, resident at the Playlist Club in London Numark iDJ Review by yours truly for Playlistmag.com Incidentally, everyone who goes to Playlist, the Philly and London […]

A single-cable solution for connecting guitar via USB, as Brian Moore Guitars began shipping this week in the form of their custom iGuitar.USB axe, has a lot of appeal. But how practical would it be to use a USB guitar onstage or in the studio? I talked to Robin at the iGuitar factory headquarters to […]

Brian Moore doesn’t yet have a product page for the iGuitar.USB, but there are some details on their What’s Happening page. First off, it is Mac and Windows-compatible. And you’re not just limited to running audio through USB; via an optional RMC jack as featured on their other iGuitars, you can hookup to a Roland […]

Updated: See also iGuitar.USB: More Questions Answered; iGuitar.USB USB Guitar Specs, Pricing, and Clarifications Finally: one USB cable, one guitar, one computer — you’re done. I’ve been watching for this one for a while, and at long last, it’s here and shipping. Brian Moore has taken their excellent iGuitar line of digitally-equipped guitars, and added […]

After CDM’s exclusive interview with composer Tim Larkin, we told you we’d let you know when the soundtrack to the upcoming game Myst V: End of Ages became available. Today’s the day: 17 tracks of orchestral game music from award-winning composer Tim Larkin. The album has been entirely composed, arranged, and produced by Mr. Larkin, […]

The Lemur multitouch control surface is as much about software as it is about hardware, and the folks at JazzMutant and Cycling ’74 have been hard at work updating that software and making it work effectively with more applications. Think better MIDI support, Ableton Live control, and new tutorials on exploring sound and sequencing. Thanks […]

It’s got an incredibly ugly interface, and it ain’t Native Instruments FM7 by any stretch, but CuteVST has two things going for it: first, it’s an FM synth that’s open source, and second, it imports Yamaha DX7 sysex data. So think of the ugly interface as geek cred. It’s the real deal: classic 6-operator synthesis, […]