Composing on a single chip
Tristan Perich’s 1-Bit Symphony is an electronic composition in five movements on a single microchip. Though housed in a CD jewel case, 1-Bit Symphony is not a recording in the traditional sense; it literally “performs” its music live when turned on.
A complete electronic circuit—programmed by the artist and assembled by hand—plays the music through a headphone jack mounted into the case itself. The project is set to be released on Cantaloupe on August 24, 2010 and will retail for $29.
The Odu concept and the LUM
Nicole Weber’s (Germany) Odu was probably the most stunning design work in the lot, including a full physical mock-up and UI design concepts. It’s an unusual combination of physical interface and Web-based sonic engine. On the Web side, users find sample content through a browser interface. On the physical side, a handheld interface turns those samples into tangible objects for manipulation and performance.
LUM is a music interface that translates the position in space (xyz) of luminous spheres in to sound.
Each axis is given a parameter, X = pitch, Y = loudness & Z = effects, although these may change.
The “controllers” incorporate 2 different colored LEDs each one activated by different buttons, allowing the user to handle 2 instruments simultaneously. The project was born in 2007 but is professionalised in late 2009.
Audio direct digital synthesizer (DDS)
Circuit Girl Jeri Ellsworth demonstrates how to make a simple audio direct digital synthesizer (DDS) with a 74hc4060, EPROM and a few passive components.
Jeri Ellsworth (born 1974) is an American entrepreneur and self-taught computer chip designer. She is best known for, in 2004, creating a Commodore 64 emulator within a joystick, called Commodore 30-in-1 Direct to TV. The “computer in a joystick” could run 30 video games from the early 1980s, and was very popular during the 2004 Christmas season, at peak selling over 70,000 units in a single day via the QVC shopping channel.
Exclusive interview with Swedish synth-maestro Eddie Bengtsson
Page is currently celebrating 30 years as performing artsist on the Swedish synthpop stage and are currently planning summer gigs after the release of their first new album in 10 years. Stereoklang got an one on one interview with the synth pioneer Eddie Bengtsson, who’s electronic music really kick started the Swedish synth-pop scene in the 80’s, active in Page, Sista Mannen På Jorden (Last man on earth) and This Fish Needs a Bike. Page really became the Swedish answer to Yazoo/Erasure, OMD, and Depeche Mode, and made ground for popular acts like Elegant Machinery, S.P.O.C.K and many others. In this interview we have invaded Eddie’s home studio to take a closer look at the synthesizers and music production gear he uses and what it really takes to make a great synth-pop song.
Neatly mounted in a corner of a 10sq/m room, sharing the space with Star Trek memorabilia and a huge vinyl record collection, several of the classic hardware synthesizers are hooked up and ready to bleep. Although Eddie tells me he have had to sell of several synthesizers from a logistical point of view I enjoy finding vintage gear like the Moog Rouge, a Korg DW 6000 and the personal favorite of Eddie’s the Yamaha CS15 (used on every album), coupled with recently acquired gems like the Moog Little Phatty, the Moog Voyager and then some modern virtual analogs like microKORG and Yamaha CX1x.
What is used use for what
The CX1 is used as the mother keyboard and the DW 6000 mainly for strings. ”Sound 11 is a personal favorite” Eddie says☺. You can for example find it also on all S.P.O.C.K songs. If Eddie on the other hand only were to take one synthesizer with him to a deserted island it would be the CS15. In fact Eddie tells me that due to the flexible routing and filters; he’s able clone the bass sounds of all other synthesizers with it, if you treat it nicely. Perhaps the only drawback is the useless noise generator, which is too weak, although a weakness that many synthesizers has as he puts it.
Neatly tucked under racks of synthesizers a well hidden Roland S760 sampler can be found. Curious about the fact that this particular device hasn’t been replaced by software versions already, Eddie admits that years of collecting disketts has made him somewhat lazy, somewhere among all those hundreds of disketts there is always that one with the right sound. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that device will be left out from future productions in favor of software alternatives.
The lazy side of Eddie shines through on several occasions during the interview and for the last two records other people have contributed in replacing sounds with updated versions. However, the new Page album actually came as a turning point for him and a lot of hard work has gotten into it, resulting in more focus on sound search and music production then before.
Moving on to the next rack of synthesizers Eddie tells me that the microKORG is actually a very capable machine used primarily for strings and pads. The Rouge on the other hand is the real stage machine and a trade mark for Page in live sets. It’s compact and easy to bring, cool looking and splendid for single oscillator sounds. (Indecently the Rouge uses the same circuitry as the Taurus II Bass Pedals). (Listen to this song, all sounds by the Rouge by Hannes Rasmus. http://www.vintagesynth.com/audio/moogtheroguedemo.mp3 ) Other old gems like the Roland SH02 and Moog Prodigy have been replaced with new bass and sequencer gear; the Moog Little Phatty, as you can easily spot on the new Page album.
Why all the Moogs?
Easy answer would be that everyone is talking about them, prestigious and expensive stuff that is. And although proud to have them, some drawbacks can be found also here; the sound is a bit chilly and there is no noise generator to be found at all, as with the Prophet 8, it takes forever to heat up and sometimes the oscillators are not really in sync. The Voyager is really a beast and lit up it looks really impressive. Currently it’s mainly used to discover cool sounds in the studio it might end up on the stage some day. “But why on earth did they implement this totally useless performance pad on it, when turning the knobs is the way to do it and it is not even multi-touch, which might have given it some extra advantages”. I asked what’s next and Eddie kind of suggests that a DSI Mopho might end up on the rack within short.
Where do you start making a song?
“Never, or very seldom, I have an idea or the song in my head. When I feel like making new songs I always start off with a bass, then adding drums, melody and finally the vocals. I really need to get the beat going first.” >>>>>
Read the rest of the article here >>
Music notation classic
Lilypond is something of a cult secret in music notation circles. It’s free software for high-quality computer engraving, it runs on any platform (Mac, Windows, Linux), and it produces exceptionally good-looking output, often exceeding leading commercial programs in particularly tricky notational situations. But it could easily scare off beginners, because it isn’t necessarily graphical software. The tool generates its output from text files, a bit like the way in which a Web page is rendered from an HTML file.
Here’s a video illustrating who’s been participating develop Lilypond.
The inspiration for LilyPond came when two befriended musicians got annoyed with the bland and boring look of computer print-outs. Every musician prefers reading beautiful music, so couldn’t we programmers solve that printing problem?
LilyPond just does that: it prints music in the best traditions of classical engraving with minimum fuss. Don’t waste time on tuning spacing, moving around symbols, or shaping slurs. Impress friends and colleagues with sharp sheet music!
Toontrack announces the Music City USA SDX
Like it, love it or leave it, Nashville Tennessee is Music City USA. With more labels, publishers, writers, producers, musicians and artists per capita than any other city in North America, Nashville knows a thing or two about great music, and more importantly - great sounding music. With the city's history & culture so steeped in the art of making and recording music, the team could think of no better place on earth to record a library of drums that would be at home in music ranging from rock to reggae, metal to gospel or punk to polka. Oh yeah... they're good for country & rock too! Introducing the Music City USA SDX™ , the newest library of drum samples and MIDI grooves for our award winning, industry standard drum production platform, Superior Drummer® 2.0. Much like its sibling, the Nashville EZX®, the Music City USA SDX™ found us working with Harry Stinson and Chuck Ainlay, two of the best, most experienced players and producers in the business. The Music City USA SDX™ will be available May 2010. Visit this link to check it out now: http://www.toontrack.com/products.asp?item=73
So what is Devo up to
Take a look in their studio…
Audacity updated
The Audacity Team has announced the release of Audacity v1.3.12 (Beta) for Windows, Mac and Linux/Unix. There are some important bug fixes and improvements, especially for dragging and synchronization of labels.
Also, PACKT Publishing has released a new book about Audacity “Getting started with Audacity 1.3” by Bethany Hiitola. PACKT operate an Open Source Royalty Scheme, and every sale of the new Audacity book will directly benefit the project.
Changes and improvements:
- A hover tooltip is now provided if the Mixer Toolbar input selector cannot control the system slider for the selected input.
- More intuitive behavior when moving and resizing labels by dragging.
- Support added for importing lists of files (LOF) containing relative paths.
- Export Multiple: new option to use a numerical prefix before existing label or track names; “Success” dialog now resizable.
- New Equalization preset “Inverse RIAA”, with new button to invert other curves.
- Timer Record now remembers last scheduled duration.
- Meter Toolbar can now be made much narrower, and so more suitable for vertical orientation.
- New Preferences choice for “System” language which is used on first run instead of asking user to choose language.
- Warning now provided if WAV/AIFF exports are not successfully completed.
- (Linux) Improved icon set in compliance with freedesktop.org Icon Theme Specification 0.6.
Bug Fixes
Imports and Exports:
- AAC files could not be exported at 48000 Hz.
- When importing multiple native file formats using FFmpeg, all files after the first reverted to using the native importer.
- FFmpeg custom export window too large on 800 x 600 resolution monitors.
- Projects froze if files imported via On-Demand were no longer available.
- (Linux) WAV/AIFF exports were corrupted if overwriting an aliased file which had been imported using the command line.
Labels:
- Cutting or deleting a region in the waveform and label track did not move the labels in advance of the cut.
- Incorrect behavior snapping to labels and boundaries with Snap To enabled.
- Labels can now be reversed if included with the audio selection using the command line.
Other bug fixes:
- When using non-English languages, Generate effects truncated the selected region.
- Mice with high-precision scroll-wheels could cause a crash.
- Changing recording preferences using the Transport menu did not update the menu in other open projects.
- (Windows 7) Clicking in a file open or save dialog caused files or folders to disappear from the list, and file filtering was broken.
Audacity is a free wave (audio) editor.
Visit: Audacity
Youtube – the next MTV?
YouTube has introduced a new program for musicians – the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) for musicians, aka Musicians Wanted.
We’re inviting thousands of artists who made the trek to Texas — and the rest of you accomplished musicians at home — to apply today. If accepted, you’ll join stars like ukulele songstress Julia Nunes, singer-songwriter David Choi and many others who, as partners, are able to make some money from their YouTube videos.
YouTube enlisted viral video musicians Pomplamoose, above, to introduce the new program.
They’ve also signed up OK Go as one of the first YPP for Musicians partners.
“YouTube has always been a great match for OK Go,” says OK Go’s Damian Kulash. “We can connect directly with our fans. When we heard about Musicians Wanted, it was a no-brainer: it sounds great for us.”
Currently US-Only
Unfortunately for 95% of the world’s population, the program is currently only available in the US. YouTube says that “There are plans to roll out the program more widely in the future.”
Visit: Musicians Wanted
Want to be a Propellerhead testpilot?
Do you have what it takes to be a Propellerhead Test Pilot?
At Propellerhead we make software and we’re proud of the fact that our software is so often praised for being stable and bug free. Naturally, we’d like to continue releasing software like this and we think that some of you might be able to help us out with this. We want to build a team of experienced and reliable testers who we can call on when we have something new to put through its paces. A team of Test Pilots!
As a Test Pilot, you’ll be working closely with the Propellerhead developers. You’ll be given access to early versions of products still under development, and you’ll help us test new features and designs.
You’ll be working under a non-disclosure agreement, which we take very seriously – and we expect you to, as well. Yes: you will get to see and play with secret stuff before a whole lot of other people do, but no, you’ll not be able to tell anyone about it. Do you think you can handle this?
We’re not going to lie to you – we’re looking for people who are prepared to put in the hours. Testing isn’t only about playing around with new products. It needs to be carried out methodically and meticulously. You’ll be asked to follow test instructions carefully, and devote some serious time to the testing. If you find something that looks like a bug, you’ll be expected to report it, and if it is a bug, once we’ve fixed it, you’ll be asked to make sure that we’ve fixed it properly.
We will, of course, make it worth your while. Apart from the wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling you’ll get from being a Propellerhead Test Pilot, we will take care of our testing team and make sure our pilots receive VIP treatment with discounts, special offers and more.
If you think this is something for you, then click the link below. If you make the grade, then you can expect to be working with us for some time. Hello, is it you we’re looking for?
DATAMASKIN
