Björk’s Moon App from Biophilia
Here’s some pics and video of Björk’s new experimental music app:
Biophilia is an extraordinary and innovative multimedia exploration of music, nature and technology by the musician Björk. Comprising a suite of original music and interactive, educational artworks and musical artifacts, Biophilia is released as ten in-app experiences that are accessed as you fly through a three-dimensional galaxy that accompanies the album’s theme song Cosmogony. All of the album’s songs gradually become available inside Biophilia as interactive experiences, currently including the first three singles Crystalline, Virus, and Moon.
Björk has collaborated with artists, designers, scientists, instrument makers, writers and software developers to create an extraordinary multimedia exploration of the universe and its physical forces, processes and structures – of which music is a part. Each in-app experience is inspired by and explores the relationships between musical structures and natural phenomena, from the atomic to the cosmic. You can use Biophilia to make and learn about music, to find out about natural phenomena, or to just enjoy Björk’s music.
Biophilia opens into a three-dimensional galaxy with a compass allowing navigation between the 3-dimensional universe and a two-dimensional track list. Take a closer look by tapping on stars within the constellations and you’ll see that each is an in-app purchase that gives access to the inspired combination of artifacts for each new Björk song: interactive art and games, music notation which can be used to sing along karaoke-style, abstract animations, lyrics, and essays that explore Björk’s inspirations for the track. These artifacts bring together conventional and alternative ways of representing and making music to create an environment for entertainment and learning. Biophilia challenges the way we think about music. Here, for the first time, is a music album that exploits the multimedia capabilities of mobile interactive technologies.
Biophilia was created by Björk in collaboration with interactive artist and app developer Scott Snibbe, and Björk’s longtime design collaborators M/M (Paris).
Features:
• Three-dimensional galactic interface with the song Cosmogony
• Access to new songs and apps immediately as they are released
• Music scores with karaoke playback
• Abstract song animation
• Lyrics
• Essay
Image-Line releases Harmor – new virtual synth
Just like it’s predecessor Harmless, Harmor is powered by a powerful additive synthesis engine. Its modules will look familiar to subtractive synthesizer enthusiasts: oscillators, filters & phasers, these are featured in Harmor but, because they are performed through additive synthesis, offer more freedom.
Get Harmor here – http://www.image-line.com/documents/harmor.html
Harmor – featuring a unique and modern additive synthesis engine that emulates classic subtractive synthesis as well, taking sound generation to the next level.
Additive / subtractive emulation – generating sounds not possible with traditional synthesis methods, including the ability to draw custom filter shapes, and offering precise control over every aspect of the sound conception. Image & Audio Resynthesis – allowing a faithful, sampler-quality resynthesis of audio, not a vague sound-alike often met in additive synthesizers. Images too can be imported and turned into sound. Envelopes and articulation – as originally seen in Image-Line’s flagship synthesizer Sytrus, are taken to new levels of features, flexibility and GUI integration. Sound creation – possibilities are endless, but not bewildering. Stutter, mangle, stretch, pitch and manipulate both audio and images beyond recognition.
List of known issues they are going to fix:
- the VSTi installer still has the beta warning from the previoius beta installer saying this is a sneak peak
- it crashes in Live 8.2.5
- The FL Studio version will be included in the next FL Studio release ( 10.0.8 ) which is available only to
Harmor users for now until it’s picked up by our hosting services.
Buchla Phase Locking Symphony
Symphony or Cacophony? Wonderful Buchla Alien Sound-Scape one take improv. Focus is on the analog sounds created with this amazing modular synthesizer. The Space Echo (Roland RE-301 Chorus Echo) is patched into the signal path of the Buchla – the input mix into the RE-301 is manually controlled using gestures from the 222e controller… which is also used as mixing device (controlling the 292e). Everything then is ran through a T-Resonator for stereo reverb.
All about Electricity from eXode
eXode has announced the release of Electricity, a soundset featuring for the ACE virtual modular synthesizer instrument by u-he.
eXode presents Electricity for u-he ACE! Spice up your production with the latest offering from eXode!
130 inspiring patches spanning bass, lead and pads, these sounds are not genre specific, just high quality synth sounds!
eXode Electricity for ACE is available to purchase for 13 EUR.
ACE in action:
ACE belongs to a new generation of synthesizers developed with the latest, fastest computers in mind. ACE offers classic modular synthesis and more at a fraction of the cost of dedicated hardware. But like its hardware forebears, you can patch any output into any input: the number of different ways to connect modules together is practically infinite. Needless to say, you will never run out of cables!
Classic cult band New Order reform for two benefit shows
New Order will reform for two benefit shows (not a full reunion though since Peter Hook will not be part of it due to some recent troubles). Instead New Order will be joined by Bad Lieutenant’s Tom Chapman on bass and Gillian Gilbert on synths for two one-off gigs in Paris (La Bataclan) and Brussels (Ancienne Belgique). The Manchester band will play in Brussels on October 17 and in Paris on October 18 to raise money for film-maker Michael Shamberg, who is struggling with a debilitating illness.
Michael Shamberg has been with the band from the very start, initially he was in charge of Factory New York. He later on became the creative producer for all New Order’s early videos. He is also the one who invited New Order to check out directors such as Kathryn Bigelow, Gina Birch, Robert Breer, Peter Care, Phillipe Decouffle, Jonathan Demme, Robert Frank, Paula Greiff, Robert Longo, Bailie Walsh & William Wegman.
According to Peter Hook, this reunion isn’t a reunion at all but that the cause is justified. The fighting goes on.
Via SL
Virus TI Programming – Animate your audio
This episode is all about modulations and in particular the modulation matrix of the Virus TI.
“We show you how to create pulsing pads beyond the omni present pumping pad effect.”
First ever virtual synth plugin based on advanced pulsar synthesis
From Hamburg-Audio comes Nuklear, the first-ever virtual synthesizer instrument plugin to be based on advanced pulsar synthesis.
According to the maker of the new plugin, Nuklear comes with unique pulsar oscillators and enriches classic sound synthesis with essential new parameters; by disassociating the note pitch from the waveform length it is possible to create new, previously unheard sounds.
As opposed to classic sound synthesis repetition rate rather than waveform length is solely responsible for the resulting pitch. As Hamburg-Audio notes, the length of the individual “pulsaret grains” is controlled and modulated by a separate parameter, the “pulsaret frequency.”
Overall, the new soft synth offers advanced pulsar synthesis with 4 pulsar train generators and up to 16 voices, 26 pulsar waveforms and 4 pulsar envelope waveforms, 8 low frequency oscillators, 8 ADSHR envelopes, a built-in delay effect with sync option, a built-in distortion effect with 3 distortion types, and a 16-step sequencer with 8 programmable patterns for note and multiple parameter modulation control.
The Nuklear plugin is available in Audio Units, VST2, and VST3 formats for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) and Mac (Intel).
Hamburg-Audio Nuklear features at a glance:
- Advanced pulsar synthesis with 4 pulsar train generators and up to 16 voices
- 26 Pulsar waveforms and 4 pulsar envelope waveforms
- 8 Low frequency oscillators
- 8 ADSHR envelopes
- Built-in delay effect with sync option
- Built-in distortion effect with 3 distortion types
- 16-Step sequencer with 8 programmable patterns for note and multiple parameter modulation control
Nuklear is now available to purchase for Windows and Mac (VST / AU) for 169 EUR (approximately $236). For more information on Nuklear, please visit Hamburg-Audio’s Web site, hamburg-audio.com.
Tutorial: How to get 8 channels from Behringer ADA8000 into a Digi 002/003
This video shows you exactly how to use the optical ADAT connection of the Behringer ADA8000 (or similar mic pre) to stream 8 channels of audio into a Digi002/003 as well as how to set things up properly in Pro Tools.
First test of the Neutron Shield modulator
Testing early programs in the first module made with Neutron shield modulator. arduino powered synth module. 4 of 8 possible modes are shown. Simple Sequencer, Advanced ADSR, Retrig LFOs and Dual ADSR.
The board converts and processes arduino signals to work at normal Modular synthesizer voltage levels , and converts synthesizer voltages to work with Arduino. There is also provision to work in tandem with the Gameduino Shield, as well as MIDI I/O, MCP4822 Dual channel SPI DAC output, And Neutron ControlEX Control expander card. To be compatible with smaller modular synthesizer formats, The card is only slightly larger than 2 arduinos side by side. The project uses all through hole components for ease of construction when builders do not have access to SMD tools.
C64 – de la Mancha releases Basic 64 synthesizer plugin
de la Mancha has announced the release of basic 65, a monophonic synth, inspired by the classic 80s home computer, the Commodore 64 and its legendary SID chip.
Building on the waveforms and signal path of this famous chip, basic 65 adds further features and options to take things a step further.
The double arpeggiator allows complex versions of that retro 8-bit game sound and the modulation options inspire experimentation via the mod envelope and 2 comprehensive LFOs. Pulse width modulation, ring modulation and oscillator detune/sync are key ingredients in the signature sound. Throw in some pitch drift, bit drift, a sprinkle of dirt and randomisation and you have a wide range of lofi, chiptune, retro-tastic sounds at your disposal.
This version is the update to the popular basic 64, redesigned from scratch, with many improvements, new features and all new presets. basic 65 was co-developed with sink, who also made the amazing presets.
Basic 65 features
- Monophonic synth in VST format for Windows based hosts.
- 3 oscillators with pulse, saw, triangle and noise waveforms.
- Pulse width can be modulated by envelope or both LFOs [NEW – pwm modulated by envelope].
- Each oscillator can be sync’d to another and/or ring modulated by another.
- Each oscillator has its own ADSR envelope and can be routed to filter individually.
- Resonant filter with low pass, high pass, band pass and notch modes [NEW – notch mode added].
- 2 tempo-sync Arpeggiators in series for complex arp sounds [NEW – 2nd arp, added arp patterns].
- Arp tempo, range and note length can be adjusted [NEW – more tempo-sync options, note length knob].
- Modulation envelope can control pulse width and pitch of individual oscillators as well as filter and dirt [NEW – modulates pwm, cut-off, res, dirt].
- 2 tempo-sync LFOs with wide range of waveforms, including random [NEW – more waveforms, more tempo-sync options, added phase].
- Both LFOs can control pulse width and pitch of individual oscillators [NEW – individual oscillator pitch and pwm].
- One LFO also controls filter and dirt, the other can modulate the depth and speed of the first LFO [NEW – modulates res, dirt and LFO1].
- Envelopes are non-linear and can be retriggered from zero or smoothed on each new note [NEW – separate smooth for amp and mod envelopes].
- Pitch drift models instability with variable depth and frequency [NEW – depth and frequency added].
- Options for 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 bit audio with randomising feature [NEW – added randomising, added 4 bit and 12 bit].
- Developed with SE 1.1, so no problems with multiple instances [NEW].
- 128 presets by sink covering arps, leads, bass, drums and lofi sounds [NEW – all new presets].
- basic 64 is also included in the download.
Basic 65 for Windows (VST) is available to purchase for $24 USD. A free copy of dirty harry and PULS is included with a purchase until October 7, 2011.
DATAMASKIN
