New sound library for Ableton Live
Harshness for Ableton Live by Audiority
Audiority has introduced Harshness, a new sound library for Ableton Live.
According to Auidiority, “Harshness is a tiny library dedicated to those who want to add some real destruction to their tracks or to artists who are not afraid of heavy distorted, degraded, clipped, short-circuited sounds.”
Features:
- 61 Ableton Live devices divided in:
- 12 Instruments
- 42 Drum Racks (within five families)
- 5 advanced Audio Effect Racks
- 2 advanced MIDI Effect Racks
- 20 sample Live clips
You can preview Harshness above.
Harshness for Ableton Live is available now for €14.90. Ableton Live 8.2 is required. Ableton Suite 8 is suggested for best performance.
The Knife working on new album – scheduled for 2012
The duo of Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson, more known has the Swedish Electronica act The Knife have announced on their website that they are working on a new album.
The album, that still doesn’t have any title, is scheduled for release in 2012 and will be the bands first studio album since “Silent Shout” from 2006.
It will be released through their own label Rabid Records.
Music Album. Morphing Shadows – Collage
This is a quick demo of Morphing Shadows’ Collage (App Store link), a $.99 interactive music album for iOS.
The album is presented as an application that combines track playback with basic remix and effect options.
Features:
- Complete music album with 5 original songs.
- Over 100 loops for remixes
- Loop include drums, basses, synths and effects
- Real time effects – LPF, Flanger and Bitcrusher
- XY touchpad.
- Five track mixer with level meters
- Mute/unmute the tracks in any remix mode
- Recording remixes and listening in built-in player
- Sharing remixes on SoundCloud and Twitter (WiFi recommended)
Taurus 3 :: A Step Outside
You’ve learned all the RUSH cover songs. What else can you do with a Moog Taurus 3?
The Moog Taurus 3 springs from a very iconic lineage. Because of that rich history, it’s easy to type-cast it and not fully explore the full sonic potential it presents. The inclusion of volume, pitch, filter and gate control voltage inputs, coupled with a MIDI-syncable arpeggiator can take it far outside its usual low-end drone duties. This video just scratches the surface of what is possible. Its purpose is to encourage you to “step outside”.
The first example shows the Taurus 3 filter being modulated by a Make Noise René: a very fun analog step sequencer with some interesting Cartesian (X & Y clock) capabilities. The CV inputs on the Taurus 3 make it a great add-on for modular synthesis set-ups and there are an almost unlimited number of interesting things you can connect to them. The René is definitely at the exotic end of the spectrum but it is still extremely useful. It’s great to have that extra level of control available at hand level too.
Due to personal preference, I tend to use things like the René to control filter cutoff instead of pitch. I enjoy the ability to play the notes while synchronized filter events occur. It gives a pleasing (at least to me) mix of tight-sequenced and loose-live feel.
The second example takes things even farther afield. I first discovered the Droid app Nanoloop in a recent CDM article. Its useful features and sleek user interface made it an instant favorite.
Here I used one of my favorite production tricks: processing the Droid audio through a Moog MF-101 (Moogerfooger) low pass filter. In addition to nicely warming up the Droid, it also created a control voltage (CV) proportional to the volume of the input audio. In other words, the CV mirrored the volume envelope of the beat Nanoloop created.
This is an incredibly powerful tool. When that CV controls something interesting… say that filter on a Taurus 3, some very interesting synchronizations occur, all completely in the analog realm. When the Droid outputs a loud kick, the CV output on the Moogerfooger goes high and the Taurus 3 filter opens wide. As soon as the kick sound is over, the CV goes low and the filter shuts. Mid-volume sounds open the filter midway. These are not discrete steps. The CV hugs the volume contour of the input audio and outputs a nicely wiggly, but tightly synchronized analog control signal.
This is conceptually very similar to side-chaining and the great thing about it is that the filter modulations created will follow any changes in the rhythm. Sudden shift in tempo coupled with a time signature change to 11/8… no problem! I haven’t tested it but this should also work with a live drummer. Of course, there is no rule that says you have to connect the CV to a filter input. You could connect it to volume or if you’re feeling really avant-garde, to pitch.
This technique works best with when the beat is not too busy and has some definite dynamic peaks and valleys. A bit of gain adjusting and tweaking of the base filter cutoff frequency on the target synth (the Taurus 3 in this case) are sometimes needed, but the unique results more than make up for this little bit of work. Higher resonance settings on the target synth will make the filter modulations more noticeable. If you have a synth with CV inputs but without MIDI, this is a great way to get it dancing to your beat.
The last example shows a somewhat basic MIDI-synced arpeggiator application. By using your foot to transpose the arpeggiation, you can create quite a sophisticated soundscape while your hands are free for other musical mayhem.
All of these applications are fairly basic. Imagine doing any of them while using the Taurus 3’s USB connectivity to simultaneously control Ableton Live, or while it is part of a monster MIDI stack…
Pittsburgh Modular Generator Noise Demo
http://youtu.be/ipIu8u4pIxo
This is a demo of the Pittsburgh Modular Generator synthesizer module. The Generator is a dual oscillator built around two triangle core, wide range, periodic waveform generators. Ideal as the basis for tuned percussion/noise, abrasive amplitude, frequency and timbral modulation. Tones, drones and textures. As a multipurpose signal generator, Generator can provide the basis of a wide range of complex sounds from drums to atonal, nintendo zipper/fart noises. This module was made for FM madness.
The Generator is modulated by a Doepfer A-145 LFO.
Take a Tour of the Classixx Studio
Take a peek inside of Classixx’s studio where they crafted the GLS single “Into The Valley feat. Karl Dixon.”
Free Weekly Ableton Live Rack #5: “Space China Synth”
Ableton Live instrument rack created by hitting dinner china with a wooden spoon. This instrument sounds a lot like wind chimes or steel drums. Layered underneath is another synth created from Operator. Together they have both an ambient, spacey sound, as well as a clear and distinct melodic side.
Every week I post a new Ableton Live Rack, please check http://www.afrodjmac.com for synths from the last few weeks and for next weeks.
BEARS in NIPPON – Yamanote – second single
BEARS in NIPPON – Yamanote by Stereoklang Produktion
Second single we have received from this ambient electro act, enjoy
New release: Greenhouse – the Synplant ReFill!
“Greenhouse” is an awesome ReFill which is based on samples coming from the popular Synplant software synthesizer which is without any doubt one of the most innovative plugins of recent years. 125+ combinator patches provide an insight into the great and highly characterful sound capabilities Synplant has to offer. Greenhouse patches sound deep and murky, sometimes wishful and dreamy, but overall atmospheric and full of the typical and widely acclaimed Synplant character… In addition, some “One-Shot-FX” kits are included to let you produce some glitchy electro beats. The 24 bit samples were recorded through an analog mixing console to bring the “real world” flavour into our digital world – ready-to-use within this ReFill. And let´s not forget about he 35+ drum samples (as well as 11 Rex files highly processed with additional EQing, compressing…) from the MicroTonic PlugIn which has been recorded the same way as the Synplant samples…
Greenhouse Contents:
– 129 combinator patches full of the typical and widely acclaimed Synplant character.
– Deep, murky, evil but also wishful and dreamy are the main keywords.
– 114 NNXT patches containing the basic sounds which were used for the combinators, 7 Redrum kits.
– 432 Synplant samples, 392 MB uncompressed.
– 35+ drum samples & 11 Rex loops coming from the MicroTonic PlugIn.
A web address to link to for more info and many “Greenhouse” only MP3s:
Offering price is 18.90 ,- EUR per Unit (normally 24.90 ,- EUR)
Ohm64 and Cell DNA
Cell DNA is designed for interactive performance of video, images, and sounds. The intuitive interface makes it ideal for mixing video, images, and sound in real-time. Use the knobs to adjust a number of real-time effects, or add in your own FreeFrame effects.
DATAMASKIN
