MicroTrack dB – new music making app for iOS
MicroTrack dB is a music making app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Available now on the app store. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microtrack-db/id545192575?mt=8
Make music anywhere
Inspired by the classic instruments that defined electronic music and popular culture, this app puts music making in the palm of your hand. This portable, virtual studio offers high-quality audio output, intuitive sequencing, flexible drum programming and powerful synthesis, plus a range of effects and performance features. A user-friendly interface and online help enables beginners to start making music, while more advanced musicians will find a host of features to get their teeth in to. Get your creative juices flowing and produce tracks instantly. Realise your ideas, define your sound and create the music that you want to hear.
Technical Specifications
General
* Instruments — 1x drum machine, 2x bass synthesisers.
* Sequencing — on board pattern sequencers and performance sequencer.
* Component modelling — analogue filters and envelopes.
* Effects — delay, overdrive.
* 44.1kHz 32-bit signal path (output is 16-bit).
Synthesisers
* Square and saw tooth oscillator waveforms.
* Wave shaping features.
* 24dB low pass resonant filter.
* Multistage filter envelope.
* Note accent features.
Drum Machine
* 8 drum voices.
* 2 selectable samples for each drum voice.
* 8 voice polyphony.
* Adjust volume, start time, attack, decay, accent and FX send.
* Note accent features.
Sequencer
* Pattern sequencer designed for performance.
* 9 banks of 4 patterns per instrument.
* Song and edit modes.
* Cut/copy/paste/clear patterns.
Mixer
* Delay and overdrive effects.
* Mix track volume and output volume.
* Tempo controls.
* Volume maximiser.
Additional features
* Load and save tracks.
* Online help.
Jody Wisternoff Studio Tour
Taking you on a synth by synth tour of his studio, Jody shows off all the great gear he’s collected over the years.
“You can purchase the full In The Studio With video and magazine from http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk or purchase digitally from http://goo.gl/eITPa“
Fresh on Android: Music Riff Studio – Overview and tutorial
Example of using. Music Riff Studio for Android
Download from
http://www.samsungapps.com/topApps/topAppsDetail.as?productId=G00007778176
Compose music everywhere! Drum machine, step sequencer, loop editor, wavetable synthesizer. Guitar distortion, mute strings distortion, bass, drums and so on. You can save and load your loops without restriction. You can exchange loops with others (send via email or Evernote). All in one. The best solution for mobile rhytm section. Created by music composer for music composers. Use earphones for better sound.
Soon to be released: AURIA – 48-Track Recording System for iPad
Wavemachine Labs has announced that it has submitted Auria, a new 48-track recorder for the iPad, to Apple for approval.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
With the ability to play 48 mono or stereo 24bit/44.1 kHz (higher sample rates possible!) tracks simultaneously, record up to 24 of those tracks simultaneously (through any supported USB multichannel audio interface), and edit and mix with familiar tools and full parameter automation, it’s clear Auria sets a new standard for iPad multitracking.
What’s more, Auria’s 64-bit Double Precision architecture ensures ample headroom for plug-in processing and mix summing, transforming your iPad into a recording and mixing system with sound quality that rivals most DAWs.
The depth is in the details. Like customizable pan laws. Like meters that are selectable between peak and RMS. Like full delay compensation for all tracks, including aux sends and sub-groups. Complete with a vintage-inspired channel strip on every channel, a dedicated master channel strip, VST effects engineered by renowned makers such as PSPaudioware, Overloud, Fab Filter and Drumagog, and support for Dropbox, Soundcloud, AAF, and MP3, Auria truly raises the bar for recording and mixing on the iPad.
The introductory price for Auria will be $49.99.
SynthStation 3.0 – major update to the virtual studio for iOS
Akai has released SynthStation 3.0, a major update to their virtual studio for iOS.
Here’s what Akai has to say about the update:
SynthStation v3.0 is all about streamlined workflow. You’ll find a totally refreshed user interface that’s easy to navigate and instinctual to use. Optimized for the larger screen of your iPad, the new UI spreads out the controls, dramatically reduces the need to shuffle through menus, and lays out all the synth parameters on a single screen. The leading music production app just got more powerful.
Features:
- Three virtual-analog synthesizers, each with three oscillators
- More than 50 drum kits, plus a built-in sequencer
- Create melodic and accompaniment parts using arpeggiator with preset patterns
- Core MIDI-compatible: works with any Core MIDI device as a synth module on your iOS device
- Real-time recording
- Unlimited creativity with effects and filters
- Compatible with iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
Akai SynthStation 3.0 is currently $1.99 in the App Store.
Interview: Dave Gahan – An Inside Look at His Very Personal Studio
Sonic Scoop has a new interview out featuring Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode – taking a closer look at his studio in NYC:
New York City and rock stars were made for each other.
Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan has many good reasons to settle in NYC.
Wherever in the world these musical success stories – and we’re talking the multi-multi-multi-multi platinum variety here – come from, NYC still has the power to go from tour stop to adopted hometown for waves of them.
Rock stars move to NYC not to stand out, but to get swallowed up among the teeming millions. But they also continue to create — and with the well-deserved financial windfall that often comes with recording global smash hits, they can take personalized approaches to their creative spaces.
Today’s case in point: Dave Gahan, whose unmistakable voice has been central to the sound of Depeche Mode since that landmark band bowed in 1980. A group with an unmatched ability to produce timeless electronic dance music, Depeche Mode’s shockingly original songs are permeated with intellectual depth, elegance, and artistic devotion.
Little wonder this is one of the most successful bands of all time. They can claim over 100 million in record sales, and their members have collectively faced 30 million audience members in concert – thanks to a parade of huge hit singles including “Enjoy the Silence”, “Just Can’t Get Enough,” and “People are People”.
The band’s 13th album is on the way now, due for release coincident with a tour in 2013. And expectations will be high. Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher earned a GRAMMY nomination for their last album, 2009’s Sounds of the Universe. While his Depeche Mode bandmates transfix with their musicianship on that engrossing record, Gahan’s voice comes through with increased agility – wiser while still somehow sounding younger and more athletic.
Even more recently, Gahan got a turn as lead vocalist for the famed production duo of Rich Machin and Ian Glover AKA Soulsavers. Their just-released collaboration, The Light the Dead See hears Gahan’s vocals grow even more cinematic in scope, in emotionally massive songs like “Gone Too Far” and “Bitterman”. The thought that Gahan could come completely uncaged on the next Depeche Mode album is tantalizing.
Personal Studio, Personal Choice
Gahan has acquired a beautiful vehicle for getting there via his innovative private studio here in New York City. Built into a residential apartment separate from his own home, Studio Blanco has been constructed with a clear mission: capture one of modern music’s most iconic voices.
Kurt Uenala engineers all at Blanco Studio. (all studio photos in article by David Weiss)
The pilot flying this plane is Kurt Uenala. A Swiss-born engineer/producer with sharp engineering skills, deep production experience, programming and songwriting abilities, and an amiable personality, Uenala is a versatile presence at Studio Blanco, helping Gahan to get where he wants to go – as quickly and easily as possible.
Even though Gahan can – and does – make ample use of NYC’s world-class suite of commercial recording studios, Uenala points out that a personal facility is essential for an artist on this level to write, demo new tracks, and also record final vocals – as was done here for many of the Soulsavers and upcoming Depeche Mode songs.
“Money is not necessarily a big issue with successful bands, but still at $2500 a day in a commercial studio, you can’t be as experimental as you can be at home,” he says. “You can work at a personal studio any day and any time, and that can be a big part of the creative process. The mindset becomes, ‘We arranged and finished a song a certain way, but can redo it from scratch if we feel like exploring further.’
“The end result is better than a big room with all of the drama gear. We can book a studio like that for a month, but when that time is up, Beyonce is coming in – so you have to go. At that point money doesn’t help: It’s booked. Not having a deadline is wonderful, and so is knowing the room in and out.”
An Unusual Recording Home
“The room”, in this case, is a personal studio operating on a high very level. The obvious centerpiece of the sun-kissed residential space is a space-age white hut which occupies a large portion of the main living room, without engulfing it – plenty of space remains in the room and the rest of the apartment to provide headroom for writing and relaxing.
The acoustically isolated structure is made by the Barcelona-based company Studio Bricks. A “self-assembly cabin system” that can be constructed by one person in a short amount of time with minimal tools, Studio Bricks are acoustic solutions made specifically with artists, engineers and producers in mind.
According to Uenala, Studio Blanco’s big white box represents the first Studio Bricks deployment in the US. “They’re modules that are really Legos – they snap into each other, but they’re made of sandwich wood and rubber,” he notes. “It’s been here since September, and it really works sonically and in terms of providing acoustic isolation. It reigns in the sound not just of the vocals being recorded, but also of productions and mixes – we have to be able to turn it up.
NanoStudio – “Synthetik Drums”
SYNTHETIK DRUMS for NanoStudio by Blip Interactive
32 drum kits for TRG-16, over 400 single drum sounds!
Mikrosonic RD3 Groovebox HD Demo – Android Test – HTC EVO
“I downloaded the app from Mikrosonic called “RD3 HD Demo” and started messing around with it. It was pretty easy to figure out and fun to use. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to play around with a looping/drum machine. The only bothersome thing is that you can’t save your sessions and an ad pops up every few minutes to encourage you to buy the full app. Which makes sense because this is the free version of the app and just lets you get a taste for what it can really do.”
RD3 – Groovebox is a high quality audio application for Android devices that is easy to use. It combines a 303-style synthesizer and a drum machine with different drum kits. Create grooves on-the-go with these machines that defined the sound of early electronic dance music.
If you have a high-end Android phone or tablet please check out the RD3 HD version with more features.
Features
Musical Features:
- Virtual analog synthesizer
- 3 types of waveforms
- Reminiscent of the legendary 303 synthesizer
- High-quality or regular filter modes
- Drum machine with 8 drum kits: 808, 909, 606, CR-78, Linn, KR55, RZ1, DMX
- Real-time step sequencer
- 4 bars with 16 steps per instrument
- 3 play modes: Solo, loop or random
Technical Features:
- Multi-touch control
- Audio loop export feature
- Session save capability
- Cut/copy/paste pattern
- App2SD
Teaser: Bitwig Studio – Demo Song for the upcoming Beta
Bitwig Studio. The new music production and performance system. Below are a list of key features as they were mentioned when we posted about this product back in January.
Here are the features for this new live performance and production DAW:
- Multitrack recording – Record and produce your music in an intuitive workflow. Bitwig Studio’s arranger is a mix of editing power, ease of use and flexibility.
- Arranger clip launcher – A non-linear environment that lets you trigger clips in real-time.
- Mixer clip launcher – An alternative view of the clip launcher aligned with the mixer, optimized for live performance and DJing
- Generic tracks – Tracks accept any kind of material. Audio and notes can live on the same track. You can bounce note clips to audio in place.
- Clip automation – In addition to traditional track automation, automation can also be recorded and packaged inside clips, both on the clip launcher and the arranger.
- Per-note automation – Pitch variations can be applied to individual notes directly in the piano roll. You can also edit a note’s panning, timbre and volume curves.
- Simultaneous multitrack editing – Edit contents of multiple tracks together. You can see them all juxtaposed and isolate only the ones you want to edit
- Multiple audio events per clip – An audio clip can contain multiple audio events. You can chop and edit audio files inside a clip non-destructively and loop it all as a package.
- Real-time time stretching – Bitwig Studio’s proprietary technology lets you match any audio material to the document tempo and get everything in sync.
- ‘World-class’ sound devices
- Device nesting – Devices can contain other devices, and the whole package can be saved as a preset. Many of preset instruments and effects use nesting in new and powerful ways.
- 32/64 bit VST support – Use your VST plug-ins. In case of a plug-in crash, a protective mechanism prevents the application from crashing and you from losing your work.
- Metadata-based browser – Find your musical material quickly. Add tags and search by content type.
- Open multiple documents – Exchange musical material between documents. Drag and drop, copy and paste back and forth.
- Multi-monitor support – Bitwig Studio offers flexible screensets to take full advantage of your monitor configuration
- ‘Slick’ user interface – Bitwig Studio’s user interface has been designed with the goal of making your music creation experience ‘fun and intuitive’.
These are the key features for Bitwig 1.0.
Bitwig has several more interesting features under development. These are planned for a later release:
- LAN multi-user jamming – Multiple users can jam on the same document, and everything can be captured in the document’s arrangement
- Multi-user music production over the internet – Multiple users can compose music on the same document from different locations. Bitwig Studio keeps everything in sync.
- Native modular system – Create your own instruments and effects or modify existing ones. Design their appearance and share them with the world.
(Music by Eugenijus Kostantinovas)
MAGMA – Virtual Studio Rack (Overview)
Nomad Factory has released MAGMA, described as ‘next generation’ audio effects processing plugins for Windows and Mac. Taylor Martyr takes you through a tour of the innovative new features and effects of Nomad Factory’s new MAGMA plug-in host.
Features:
- MAGMA is a Virtual Studio Rack host that allows you to combine an infinite number of audio effects all in four racks.
- Includes 65 custom plug-ins that each have their own unique flavor.
- Drag & Drop the effects to any rack position in MAGMA by clicking and holding.
- 4 Virtual Racks.
- Flexible Routing Matrix.
- Presets Browser Window.
- 600+ Factory Presets Included.
- Serial Number Autorization (Up to Five Computers, NO Challenge/Response, NO dongle).
- Effects Categories include:
- Amplifier
- Analysis
- Cabinet
- Delays
- Distortion
- Dynamics
- EQs
- Filters
- Generator
- Harmonic
- Modulation
- Reverbs
- Special
- Utility
- Interchange racks freely
- Flexible routing matrix
The Magma suite for Windows and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS, AAX coming) is available now for US $199.
DATAMASKIN
