CD or Vinyl – why not both
Photo courtesy of Axis Records
June 17th, 2010 – Jeff Mills has released his new album Occurence on a disc that’s a CD on one side, and a vinyl pressing on the other. That means you could theoretically play the vinyl side on a record player. It looks like you’ll need to use a plug to hold the “record” in place though since the hole in the middle is made for a CD player rather than a record player. Still, it’s a great idea and has already created a lot of buzz. It’s a unique product that I’d imagine even casual fans will buy just to have as a curio.
New stuff from Soundcells – Digital Genome
‘Digital Genome‘ has been released!
Soundcells started working on this ReFill late 2008. “Digital Genome” slowly matured towards the final form in which it is now:
In modern molecular biology, the genome is the entirety of an organism´s hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or in case of this fine ReFill it´s the AMIGA1200 encoded in Reason´s NNXT samples. The AMIGA1200 (code-named ‘Channel Z‘) with it´s 8-bit Paula chip was extremely popular among producers all over the world in the early nineties. Using a specific trick it was possible to make recordings at 14-bit. “Digital Genome” picks up the thread where Soundcells left with “bitBUMPER deluxe” with it´s funky, housy and spacy lo-fi character! Warm, gritty, sleezy, dangerous and nostalgic are the keywords. This ReFill can be used as a full workstation since everything the old Amiga had to offer is in there: basses, keys, lead synths, warm pads and enough drums and percussion to eat your heart out. And do not forget the wonderful FX section – check the mp3 demos to convince yourself. The 150+ Genome combinators are conveniently built up with the right button functionality.
‘Digital Genome‘ Contents:
– 153 combinator patches, great for many different styles of music.
– 6 different folders: Bass, FX, Keys, Leads, Miscellaneous, Pads.
– 171 NNXT patches containing the basic sounds which were used for the combinators.
– 230 original AMIGA1200 samples, 178 MB uncompressed.
– 21 fresh and great useable rex loops.
A web address to link to for more info and many “Digital Genome” only MP3s:
Offering price is 24,90 ,- EUR until July 15 (normally 34,90,- EUR).
What does it sound like?
Explores previously unknown features and sounds of various synthesizers and effectors
Listen to samples from a long list of different synths here >>
Beatstation released
Don´t miss yesterdays review on Beatstation here at Stereoklang
http://stereoklang.se/blog/?p=3017
Ladies & gentlemen, we proudly present to you – Beatstation!
Part sound design tool and part audio engine, Beatstation brings the best aspects of musical creativity together in one EZ and powerful virtual instrument that is sure to inspire greatness in your next composition or project.
Offering drum, bass and lead instrument creation & arrangement with drag and drop simplicity, Beatstation is your “go to” instrument for quickly getting a full groove up and running in no time at all. As if that’s not enough, we’ve also added full MIDI & REX file support. Couple those features with the flexibility of working in Beatstation as a stand alone instrument or an AU, RTAS or VST plugin inside your favorite DAW and Beatstation becomes a creative musical force to be reckoned with.
Beatsation comes standard with a 1.5 Gb core content library packed full of beautifully recorded instrument patches, loop ready REX files and even completely customizable MIDI arrangements.
If you can think of a sound, Beatstation can help you bring it to life.
Beatstation also lets you use and combine all of your existing Toontrack EZX & SDX drum libraries together to create one of a kind drum kits and sounds. From basic musical sketches to lavish complete productions – Beatstation gives you the tools and freedom to design your own musical agenda any way you want to.
Beatstation – sound design made EZ!
Check it out here: www.beatstation.com
Summer NAMM: Voice live touch
TC-Helicon has an intriguing-looking gadget they’ve unveiled for vocalists, just in time for the summer NAMM trade show in Nashville, Tennessee. Called the VoiceLive Touch, it’s an all-in-one processing and looping box. TC are no stranger to vocal effects, with the recent, compact (and akwardly-named) VoiceTone Create XT and the hefty, stompbox-style VoiceLive. What’s different here is that the resulting gadget is small enough to hook onto a mic stand, without sacrificing built-in audio I/O, and that you get looping and effects with a touch-ready performance interface. (If you still like triggering on the floor better than operating things with your hands on the mic stand, you can couple it with a foot switch.)
Looping includes 30 seconds of sample time, 25 separate loops, and integrated onboard effects. To make it easier to use in performance, there are convenience features like touchable preset recall, favorites, and an easy “talk” bypass switch. Effects include tempo-synced delays, harmonization, reverb, and the usual EQ / compression / de-ess, so you can go a bit wild or stick to the basics.
The first vocal processor and looper at your fingertips
Combining best-selling vocal effects, VLOOP™ performance vocal looping and a uniquely addictive ‘touch’ interface, VoiceLive Touch is truly the first instrument for your voice.
Available Summer 2010
A revolution in performance for every singer
VoiceLive Touch is the perfect companion for any vocalist whether you sing live or record in the studio. It can easily be mounted on a mic stand or put next to your computer or keyboard. It’s there when you need it for any situation.
* Vocal harmony & effects
* VLOOP™ – performance vocal looping of vocals and guitar input including effects
* Instant touch interface with bright, easy to read, scrolling display
* Ingenious design allows mic attachment and desktop use for easy access
Unique and easy touch interface
Navigate around the features and presets with an ease that becomes addictive. One touch and you’re hooked! Swipe the slider to browse presets, press and hold buttons to edit or store to a “favourite” location. Double clicking the slider always gets you home. Voicing buttons offer instant harmony arranging
* Talk button bypasses all effects so you talk with the audience
* 25 Favorites allow you to store and recall your customized effects quickly
* The Slider opens up a world of hundreds of presets and easy editing
* Convenient access to mix levels and adaptive Tone settings
Body speak – tuned to your frequency
The device draws the wearer below the surface of his own skin and allows them to investigate and remix the various sounds of his bodily functions.
The project is a commentary and criticism of the use of invasive technologies, such as X-rays and small cameras used to observe internal organs, by the medical industry to probe the human body.
For me, this project suggests a certain spirituality that requests the user to listen and “tune” the frequency of his own body. It’s almost a metaphor for meditation.
http://vimeo.com/12593222
Karina van Heck transforms the intimate sounds of our body into an esoteric remix of heart beats and gurgles with her latest project “Body Speaker.”
“Body Speaker” consists of a number of sound capturing wearables that amplify and capture the mysterious internal sounds of a body. The device draws the wearer below the surface of his own skin and allows them to investigate and remix the various sounds of his bodily functions.
The project is a commentary and criticism of the use of invasive technologies, such as X-rays and small cameras used to observe internal organs, by the medical industry to probe the human body.
Summer NAMM
The R24 digital multitrack recorder adds a sampler/drum machine, eight additional recording tracks and six channels of phantom power to the company’s R16. The R24 offers 24-track playback and 8-track simultaneous recording, an audio interface, a control surface and a drum pad sampler.
The R24’s new sampler function comprises 24 built-in voices that can be triggered using eight pads and three bank keys to assign sounds to each track and create loops. Also, the unit’s drum machine and its 400 rhythm patterns can be used to create original backing beats or output a metronome for tempo control. As a bonus feature, exclusive loops by Grammy Award–winner Peter Erskine are included.
The R24 records on SD memory cards and supports cards up to 32 GB for more than 100 track hours of recording. More than 100 built-in studio and mastering effects can be used to enhance recordings.
In addition, the R24’s USB audio interface allows users to record tracks to any Mac or PC and use the system’s control surface capabilities to manage the functions of most DAW software programs, most notably the included Cubase LE 5.
Moogus Operandi
Norlander explored the boundaries of the legendary Moog sound and captured the creative, analog-based vibe that is Moog.
One Moogus Operandi attendee summed it up when he was asked by another “What do you think of the music”? to which the response was simply “Goosebumps”.
This image of Erik Norlander performing on his recently reconfigured Wall Of Doom modular synthesizer is taken from a collection of photos by Jon Leidel of the recent Moogus Operandi concert.
About the show that was held on April 19th
The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to announce its spring concert event Moogus Operandi, honoring the pioneering work and legacy of synthesizer maverick Robert Moog, to be held on May 27, 2010 at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina. The event will be a celebration of the Moog legacy through music, art and mulitmedia entertainment. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door the night of the event.
Northern California based synthesizer virtuoso Erik Norlander (ASIA featuring John Payne, Rocket Scientists, Lana Lane) will headline the evening, performing songs from his new album, The Galactic Collective. Norlander, an accomplished rock, electronic and symphonic keyboardist known for his command of vintage and cutting edge synthesizer technology alike will bring the Moog legacy alive with his synth-heavy instrumentals and his “Wall of Doom” modular synthesizer (so named by his roadies). The Wall of Doom, a massive analog modular synthesizer with restored 1967 Moog modules at its heart, will grace the stage of the Orange Peel as the musical and historical representation of Bob Moog’s legacy of pushing the boundaries of sonic reality. This marks Norlander’s first performance in Western North Carolina.
Vintage Korg Trident analog polyphonic synth Mark 1 with MIDI IN.
for chip fans only – The Arkos Tracker
Arkos Tracker is a freeware Windows-based tracker to compose music for the AY3-8912, a soundchip used in the Amstrad CPC, but also on MSX, Spectrum, Atari ST and many other computers in the 80′s.
Arkos Tracker is born from the native CPC tracker called STarKos. It retains most of its features, extends some, and will evolve in future versions.
One of the most interesting stuff is the pattern editor, the place where you edit your tracks and insert the notes to be played. This is what makes the tracker a tracker. Classic tracker stuff indeed: note, instrument number, volume, and effect column. But what is very interesting in AT is the fact that you can set a name for each track, and give it a special color. A bit like when you choose a color for a clip in a modern sequencer like Reason, Ableton, or whatever you want. Higher level! Renoise does this since version 2.5 only
Very useful when you have several parts in your song (intro, main part, transition, ending, …) and you want to easily see where is what. You can also choose to give a special color to make a distinction between test or definitive patterns ready to be used. When you set the color of a track in the pattern editor, it appears with this color in the linker, that’s why the previous screenshot was so colorful. That’s clearly one of my favorite features in Arkos Tracker, contributing to the good overview over the song.
DATAMASKIN
