Epic Male Choir
Soundiron has announced Mars: Epic Male Choir, a sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt.
We here at Soundiron are proud to present the next entry in our series of powerful, epic choir libraries: Mars – Epic Male Choir. We took all we learned from recording previous choirs and applied them here to make certain Mars is the most playable, diverse, epic choir library we have ever done.
With Mars, we are aiming for versatility. Instead of focusing on one language, we chose to go with a wide range of both Slavonic and Latin content so composers can add more flavor to their tracks. We spent 10 days in our favorite church recording the 30-voice chorus, capturing the nuances of the male human voice. Mars is all about power, both on the low-end and the high. It includes 2 mic positions (stage and hall) so composers have the flexibility to incorporate the full-bodied sound of Mars easily into their mix.
Mars will rise in the night sky very soon.
“Sync” In The Studio
Nice run through on the Monotribe:
James Sajeva from Korg USA takes a tour through the “Sync” feature of Korg’s new monotribe Analogue Ribbon Station. Check out http://www.korg.com/monotribe for more videos and information.
The Balloon Synth
One day we had this idea of trying to turn the annoying noises of a child’s ballooon into music, by doing the right treatment.
We captured many samples, making all sorts of noises, extracting the air, hitting, rubbing. And then we edited it into a beat, a bassline and a melody, with the right processing tools.
Keeping up with our great hero, the late John Cage, we always want to remind everyone that everything and everyone has music inside. You just gotta know how to bring it out!
A special thanks to our friends from Celemony, we couldn’t have done this without Melodyne.
Review: Rhythm Studio for iOS + a sneak peak at their new drum machine
Rhythm Studio is an analog synthesizer studio for iOS
About:
Rhythm Studio balances advanced music making features by using an easy to understand interface resembling real instruments. This means that one button does one thing just like it would with real hardware. Knobs turn, switches slide, and buttons press. You won’t get lost in abstract interfaces, menus, or design.
Imagine having a studio of rare vintage synths and drum machines in the palm of your hand. Beautifully rendered synthesizers make seeing the app as enjoyable as hearing it. Rhythm Studio is the next best thing to having the real hardware.
Rhythm Studio allows you to make music the way you want to by giving you three different ways to create your song.
1. Use the step sequencer like the real hardware.
2. Use the Control Pad to play the synths live.
3. Instantly create a random pattern.
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FEATURES
– Dynamic workspace full of awesome audio gear
– Intuitive pinch, double tap navigation
– Robust pattern and song sequencer
– 3 easy methods to making your songs
– Recreation of a classic drum machine
– Recreation of classic synthesizers
– Mixer
– FX
– X/Y style control pad
Sneak peak at the DR-9 Drum machine:
Kilpatrick Audio K2579 Step Sequencer Scales
Here we are checking out the scale presets on the K2579. We’re using a Livewire AFG as an oscillator, a Dual Bissell Generator as an envelope generator, a Metasonix r-51 as a VCA, and the Flight of Harmony Sound of Shadows delay on the backend. We entered a simple chromatic sequence, then flip through the different available scales. You can also control gate time as shown here in the video.
This is a great little sequencer module. It’s compact and full of usable features. More K2579 demos on the way!
Exclusive interview – Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode/Recoil) talks on synths, music creation and his upcoming auction
Steelberry Clones got a talk with none other than the synth legend Alan Wilder (ex-member of Depeche Mode and now front man of the electro/synth experimental act Recoil). Few can match the track record of Alan Wilder and few have had such an impact on the synth scene for the past 30 years, or so. Alan Wilder´s Recoil continues this tradition into the 21st century exploring the boundaries of electronic music, and since Alan now is in full preparation of delivering probably the world´s biggest Depeche Mode memorabilia auction at the Zion Arts Centre, we simply had to pose some questions to him regarding his music creation legacy, gear and plans moving forward.
“Collected” is the name of Alan’s big auction on Saturday 3rd September, for detailed information on how to join please follow this link:
So in just a few weeks time, over 400 lots will go under the hammer as Alan Wilder sells a large selection of musical / studio equipment and memorabilia at auction. Many items are very collectable and hold special value having been used extensively in the recording sessions for classic Depeche Mode and Recoil albums, as well as live performances on the ‘Black Celebration’, ‘Music For The Masses’, ‘World Violation’ and ‘Devotional’ tours.
http://youtu.be/EHejxJ1KPxk
But for most synth/electro fans this is truly not just any ordinary auction, but a clear reason why we needed to pose some questions to Alan about the auction in general and about his music making legacy in particular.
Why are you running this auction? is it for charity, or something else?
It’s for the charity of Alan Wilder unfortunately. Let’s be honest, divorce is an ugly thing and the record business has been in crisis for some time now. I’m not over sentimental about retaining every little detail of my musical history. In fact I still have a large collection of essential items, all the releases I have played on, many photographs and unique personal things. But really, I need more space (and peace) in my life and this goes part of the way to achieving that. Indeed I found it an evocative and cathartic experience to sift through all the collectables – the actual sorting and cataloging process brought back great memories and I was able to re-live some key moments which I had inevitably forgotten about, reminding me of how lucky I have been to have enjoyed such a career, doing something I’m passionate about.
http://youtu.be/LiLyiDw6qeg
Will it not be hard to let go of many of these unique items – any particular items that are special to you, that we should keep an extra eye on at the auction?
Yes – many do hold wonderful memories of course but I don’t find myself actually using most of the equipment for example. One of my new year’s resolutions for 2011 was to start streamlining my set-up at The Thin Line Studios. My needs have altered since laptops, soft synths and plug-ins have come to the fore, and therefore passing on some vintage gear and historical items seemed like a good way to start. The Steinway grand piano and the ‘Devotional’ drum kit are two things I’m letting go with a heavy heart. Thankfully I have a second piano, and can’t really justify having two at the moment. And if I feel like picking up drumming again, I guess I can easily find myself another (cheaper) kit. As for something to keep an eye on in the auction, I think the unreleased box set known as DMBS 1-4 is likely to spark major interest. Known as the ‘Holy Grail’, these are the 4 extremely rare white labels from the Depeche Mode boxset that was never released. It was recalled at the last minute for unknown reasons. The Emulators with my own sound samples, the guitar used by Martin Gore for the ‘Devotional’ tour, and my touring wardrobe & stage clothing should all prove very popular. We have art proofs and one-off posters, and already we can see that album acetates are extremely desirable, being so rare. Only one or two are ever produced for a record release and I have quite a few of these iconic records. A few selected teaser items are currently on sale via eBay, and more will be added as we approach the auction. (http://shop.ebay.com/depechemodeatomegaauctions/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562)
Will you be joined at the event by any of your old band mates (DM)?
Not a chance:)
How can you part with your first synthesizer, the Minimoog?
I guess you could say that the mini-moog does hold particular value as it’s been with me for such a long time, throughout my career. It was the first synthesiser I bought around 1977, pre-Mode, when I was a member of Dafne & The Tenderspots. It was a big deal for us at the time as it was quite expensive and we couldn’t really afford it until we secured our record deal. It is still probably my all-time favourite synthesiser due to the famous fat 3-oscillator sound, and of course it’s an absolute classic. I continued to use it for many years on early Mode recordings such as ‘Construction Time Again’ and ‘Some Great Reward’ and even had a midi update added during the eighties. However, I also own a ‘midi’-moog, which is the rack-mount version of the original mini-moog. It pretty much sounds the same and serves my purpose in the studio. I found that I wasn’t using the original moog any more, and like many of these items, it has been sitting around gathering dust. Much better then that all these old synths should be cleaned, restored, repaired and passed on, to people who will dote on them, use them again – individuals who will fully appreciate their history and the symbolic (as well as practical) value they hold. And, the moog will no doubt increase in value, like most vintage gear. These synths are like old cars that need to be driven. The way I feel about most items in the auction is how I feel about the gold discs for instance – I never wanted to display them on my walls in some ostentatious way, and I think often the musicians themselves are not too bothered about those things. Gold discs mean a lot more to those who are more peripheral or outside of the original experience, but who are very passionate about what they represent.
Regarding the patch discs for the Emulator’s and Akai’s – have you made some backup of those sounds somehow?
Yes, of course, I have a copy of the sounds for myself.
The sequencer EDP Spider, was that your first sequencer? And does it work? It’s not clear on the web page – they are prone not to work.
I believe it does work but I didn’t have the unusual connecting cable to actually try it out. I guess it was my first and only non-computerised sequencer! Not that I used it much – although it was used to create the bass sequencer part for the Aggro mix of DM’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’.
Conclusively, if you are Depeche Mode fan or collector of vintage synth gear this is the one event not to miss out on. Now moving on to the music creation side of things we wanted to ask Alan all those questions about his gear, music creation and plans for the future, that comes when having the opportunity to talk a guy that has been a part of shaping the modern synth scene.
Recoil has been on quite an extensive tour recently, can you let us know how it was received and what your forthcoming plans are?
The European shows went really well at the start of the tour, particularly in eastern parts and Germany, Hungary, Poland, France etc. The US shows were a bit up and down, but generally quite successful I would say. I do think USA is the most difficult territory to tour, and it was a bit of a relief to follow that down to South America where the fans are so passionate and the crowds always wild, excitable. It was quite an experience there.
Synthesis: Twisted KP Controls Doepfer Analogue Modular
Twisted KP converts OSC from Konkreet Labs Performer to control voltage which is then routed a Doepfer modular rack. Gate mode in KP allows for control voltage messages to be sent only sent on touch.
TWISTED KP:
http://twistedtools.com/shop/reaktor/twisted-kp/
KONKREET LABS PERFORMER FOR iPAD
http://konkreetlabs.com
THE FOLLOWING EURORACK MODULES WERE USED:
Livewire AFG, Doepfer A-105 VCF and A-188BBD and A-180 Mult
CV AUDIO INTERFACE:
Control voltage output made possible by using MOTU 828MKII interface. Please make sure that you have a similarly capable dc-coupled audio interface if you plan on using control voltage with TWISTED KP.
Get that 8bit sound going
Gameboy Love EP is the new album by the hyperactive Italian chiptuner Buskerdroid. It comprises 5 tracks made exclusively using the LSDJ software.
This 16th original Da! Heard It Records production is back to the basics : 8bit music!
Buskerdroid offers his listeners some serious energy through his doped-up sounds. Taking no prisoners, he drags his Gameboy into the most unexpected corners by creating hybrid tracks combining 8bit and hardtek.
Gameboy Love EP will leave you breathless, it’s short, clear and concise, leaving the listener in an over-excited, confused and crazed state of mind. The title track 3D(istortion), to mention just one,submerge the listener into an absurd universe thanks to its relentless rythm and throbbing melody.
Gameboy Love EP is meant for connoisseurs of the chiptune movement, but also for fanatics of much more violent electro styles.
The Whoosh Machine for Ableton Live
At its core, Whoosh Machine has 10+ high quality analog white noise patches. The instrument is truly a one-stop whoosh shop featuring 8 filter types and a built FX rack with LFO, Sidechain Pumper, Delay and a massive Reverb. Simply drag and drop Whoosh Machine onto a track, play a note on your midi keyboard and start tweaking the filters to create huge, soaring risers and powerful, cascading descenders.
Whoosh Machine Audio Demo 1 by SonicFaction
For those who just want to party, Sonic Faction took the liberty of creating pre-made whooshes at specific intervals like 2 Bar up, 4 bar down, 8 bar rise, etc. Simply drag and drop these clips from your Ableton library for instant, perfectly-timed whoosh madness.
Features:
- High quality multi-sampled analog white noise
- 8 filter types including LP, HP, BP, Vintage, Resonant
- Built in FX Rack: LFO, Pumper, Delay, and massive Reverb
- Includes custom made clips for drag/drop whoosh intervals
The Whoosh Machine is a free download from Sonic Faction.
Producers and DJ’s all over the globe have one thing in common: they all need good whooshes. Whether you’re in the club or in the studio there is rarely a time when you don’t need a high-quality whoosh effect to raise the energy in a track or make the entire dance floor go insane. With the Sonic Faction Whoosh Machine you will never need another whoosh creation tool again.
TableDrum – iPhone app that turns anything into a drum kit
Can’t afford proper drums? Well in that case this one might be for you:
Ever dreamt of becoming a drummer without having to purchase, carry and assemble a complete drum set? The solution is simple; gear up with some office supplies, a pair of headphones, your favourite Apple iOS device and unleash the power of your pocket-sized drum set.
You can now build your own virtual drum set from practically anything. Music applications where users tap the screen are things of the past. Welcome to the future!
More info:
TableDrum is an Augmented Audio application that allows you to sync the sound of any real object and trigger a real time response of high quality drum sounds.
You can now build your own drumset from practically anything. Drum applications where users tap the screen are things of the past. This is the future!
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Take it to the streets, show your kitchen table who’s the boss or simply let your stuff feel the rhythm.
With the TableDrum application the world is now your virtual drum set. You can sync the sound of basically any real object to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and link it to high quality drum samples of your choice.
Included in the app is the Classic Rock kit with 8 high quality drum samples. By expanding your sound library with the Ethno & Jazz kit and Electro and Glitch kit you can get access to another 32 high quality sounds to play with.
Some things to get started
Gear up with a couple of pencils and some office supplies, each one with unique acoustic characteristics, to drum on!
Use headphones for best result.
To link a drum to a real physical object
1. Hold down a drum pad until it starts glowing.
2. Release and tap a real physical object several times (4-8) while the light fills the circle.
3. When the linking process is done, the rim of the pad will glow.
The app recognizes sound, so for the app to work at its best, the sounds you link should be different and distinguished. While you are playing, hit the object the same way as when you linked it.
To unlink a drum
1. Hold down the drum pad for one second. The rim stops glowing and is unlinked from the real physical object.
To change a drum sample
1. Press the menu button.
2. Slide through the different sample albums.
3. Click an album and then drag n’ drop the sound icons you want to use onto each drum pad.
DATAMASKIN
