Creating Generative Music with the Mixtikl
This is the first of two tutorials on Mixtikl. In this video, I show you how to use Mixtikl’s library of midi loops, FX, and synthesizers to create generative music. Be sure to check out my website for more tutorials: flamingstylus.blogspot.com or follow me on twitter: @flamingstylus
Soviet synths: ELEKTRONIKA EM-25 Demo
Electronica EM – 25 is a synthesizer-strings that has 3 timbre sections: stringed – contrabasses, violoncellos, violins, organ-registers (“16′”,”8′”,”4′”,”2′”), wind-trombones, trumpets.
Stringed and organ sections:
- polyphonic attack and release of sound with duration control
- switching decay mode
Wind instruments section:
- generator of curved with controls: ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN.
- modulator with controls: RATE, DELAY, VIBRATO
- controlled filter with controls: ENVELOPE, MODULATOR, CUTOFF, ACCENT
- filter run mode -mono or polyphonic
There is also a possibility to split the keyboard to 2 section (with setting up different timbres of sounding)
More info:
“Elektronika” was the so-called brand name for any former Soviet electronic product made in any former Soviet factory more or less involved in the manufacturing of any electronic devices and there were a whole range of electronic products released in Russia (watches, TV sets, amps, speakers, tuners, and more) that used this ‘trademark’. Bizarre but true!
Wherever it originated, the EM-25 was a polyphonic synth specialising in strings, organ and brass. Like other such instruments, it was of the ‘divide-down’ variety to give a totally polyphonic generator through a single filter, amp and envelope.
The strings section had mixable contrabass, cello and violins with variable attack and decay and the obligatory chorus unit for the rich ensemble effect.
The organ offered variable footages at 16′, 8′, 4′ and 2′ with variable attack and decay whilst the brass section offered trombone and trumpet. Of course, none of these sounds were ‘realistic’ but there were plenty of controls and facilities to coax some sonic mileage out of this trio of sounds.
There was an LFO that could be used to sweep the apparently fiercely resonant, self-oscillating filter and all the sections could be mixed and balanced – even split across the keyboard range – and so, in that respect, the EM-25 was not unlike the Moog Opus, Korg Trident and other such keyboards. To the left was a performance section with a pitchbend lever that appears to have been lifted directly from Roland’s ‘bender’ design!”
Pendulum sound machine
Kyouei design is a Japanese design and manufacturing company of lighting and products, established in 2006.
Kouichi Okamoto, product designer / sound producer. Born in 1970 in Shizuoka City. Under the name “bekkou” Okamoto released the sound source work “hi light” from Dutch techno label X-trax in 1997 and has done music work for Dutch “re-run” and British labels since. He started product deign work in 2004 and in 2006 began Kyouei Design. He has been introducing to the world new designs from Shizuoka. Kyouei design also participates in exhibitions and interior product events around the world.
In this video:
Created as an instrument, this device subverts a record player’s rotation to make noise with 16 plate-hitting pendulums.
Ableton 101 continues – know it all in one video
Forty minutes of pure Ableton tips and tricks in this Ableton 101. This video packs the gross part of what you need to master Ableton, for more information check out the links below:
http://www.musicsoftwaretraining.com/products
http://www.musicsoftwaretraining.com/blog
http://twitter.com/abletonvids
The most Ableton Live Tips, tricks and shortcuts packed into 1 video!
What other people hear…
A video showing how loud the pads are acoustically relative to other sounds. Or what would other people hear if they where in the same room and you were wearing headphones. Also how the stick bounces or rebounds when hitting the pad.
WiFi controller: Instrumental for iPad – Triangulum Nebula
Instrumental’s Generic surfaces provide a great deal of flexibility, allowing you to configure control panels suitable for all sorts of virtual devices. The modular panel system allows you to quickly reconfigure an entire surface, and the labelled control system frees you from worrying about MIDI messages.
The modular panels used by the Generic surfaces are the same ones used by the other, more musical surfaces, except there are more of them.
Controls can be labelled in three ways:
- Control labels and display ranges can be customised per preset
- A MIDI Control Map that specifies the MIDI parameters for every available control. You can create a MIDI Control Map that defines the messages supported by each device you own, and label them there.
- MIDI SYSEX Message. Plugins for DAW packages can send the labels and text readouts for all controls via MIDI SYSEX messages. This allows the controls to be accurately labelled even when controls are being dynamically remapped. (Currently this is only available for Propellerhead’s Reason & Record)
In this video:
Instrumental is a Wi-Fi MIDI Control surface for iPad.
This video shows it in action controlling Propellerhead’s Reason & Record.
See quantumclockwork.net for more information.
MIDI HAT Performance
Well, why not 
HUMAN LEAGUE – DARKNESS (Live At The Dome)
Out on Secret Records on 12th July 2011 is the “Live at the Dome” CD/DVD by The Human League. The set comes as a CD and DVD jewel cased double pack and includes their 2003 show at The Dome in Brighton. Featured are such tracks as “Love Action”, “Mirror Man”, Don’t You Want Me”, “Fascination” and “Together in Electric Dreams”.
The band’s most recent studio output is 2010’s “Credo”, their ninth studio album which was their first studio album since “Secrets” in 2001. It has been produced by fellow Sheffield act I Monster and was released on Wall of Sound. A first single from the album, “Night People”, was released on 22 November 2010. Follow up single “Never Let Me Go” was released on 1 March 2011.
“Egomaniac” is the second single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland because The Human League secured a slot on a major German TV show for a performance of “Egomaniac”. The TV programme aired on Friday 4 March and the single was released the same day.
In those three territories the album itself was released on Friday 11 March in order to narrow the gap between the TV airing and the album being available. In the rest of the EU the album was released on Monday 21 March in order to narrow the gap between the release in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and the rest of the continent.
“Credo” is not available domestically in the US or on iTunes until the band have secured a domestic label for the record in that territory.
Fairlight CMI sound EFX for “TRON”
Fairlight CMI used on the movie “TRON”
MIdi Fighter Pro Controllers in action
The brand new line of Midi Fighter Pro controllers. These hand built instruments are designed to take your controllerism skills to the next level and last a lifetime. Each design is built around a specific work flow of a famous artist with matching mappings for their software of choice. The first two controllers (designed for Traktor Pro by Ean Golden) are intended to tear apart decks and turn your DJ software into a musical instrument.
- Two dedicated controllerism layouts for specifc workflows
- Customizable button colors express personal style or convey functions
- Bus powered + plug and play compliant for both Macs and PCs
- 16, spring loaded arcade buttons play like a dream
- Jaw-dropping mappings come ready to rock
- Bright blue LEDs provide clear feedback form the software
- The 4 X 4 grid is easy to memorize and play like an instrument
If you are looking for a less expensive option, check out our Midi Fighter Classic line.
More info:
Every MIdi-Fighter comes with :
- High-quality USB cable
- Midi-Fighter sticker
- 16 Genuine Sanwa buttons from Japan
- Hand-numbered and assembled in San Francisco
- Signed certificate of authenticity
Some key hardware features
- Steel chasis is built to take a beating
- Center locating hole allows to controller to be placed on a turntable
- Four heavy duty rubber feet grip any surface and strongly resist sliding
- High-quality knobs and faders are waiting to be grabbed and played hard
- Four dedicated bank/preset buttons
- High performance spring-loaded buttons will last a lifetime
- Matte acrylic top sheet is silky smooth, resists finger prints and is a joy to play on
DATAMASKIN
