Results for interactive

Keith McMillen Instruments has announced the shipping of its QuNexus Smart Sensor Keyboard Controller to customers around the world.

The QuNexus is a playable, portable, and powerful keyboard controller.

Featuring huge performance capabilities in a tiny footprint, QuNexus gives unprecedented expressive control with KMI’s patented Smart Sensor technology that transmits pressure, tilt, polyphonic aftertouch, and velocity. QuNexus unites four generations of synthesis–CV, MIDI, USB, and OSC–for maximum flexibility.

“QuNexus is the most important evolution in keyboards since the Erard Escapement was introduced to pianos in 1821,” said KMI founder, Keith McMillen. “QuNexus gives keyboardists forms of expression that were only available to string and horn players. Although playful in appearance, it performs and feels like a serious instrument.”

QuNexus re-imagines the portable MIDI keyboard with 25 vividly illuminated, Smart Sensor keys that are uniquely interactive and fun to play. QuNexus is designed to talk to analog synthesizers with Control Voltage (CV), USB, 5-pin MIDI hardware, and networked OSC applications.

“We are very excited about the arrival of QuNexus,” said John Grabowski, Senior Director of Merchandising at Sweetwater Sound. “Its innovative design and unique capabilities have already translated into strong pre-order demand.”

QuNexus features

• 25 Smart Sensor keys detect velocity, pressure, and tilt.
• Polyphonic pitch bend and aftertouch.
• 2 CV/Gate inputs; Gate and 3 CV Outputs (16-bit).
• Pitch bend pad.
• Octave up/down buttons provide a 7 octave range.
• USB powered, receives power directly from iOS device or Mac/PC.
• Class compliant for iOS, Android, Mac OS, Windows and Linux, no drivers required.
• Portable: 3.3″ (84 mm) x 12.8″ (325 mm) x 0.43″ (11 mm), 0.76 lb (345 g).

The QuNexus is now available to purchase for $149 USD.

More information: Keith McMillen Instruments / QuNexus

Roland has announced the release of V-Drums Friend Jam Kids, a free software application for children to build drumming skills and compare their progress with other V-Drums users around the world.

As the industry leader in electronic percussion, Roland offers a wide-ranging lineup of V-Drums sets, from the flagship TD-30KV V-Pro Series to the home-friendly HD-3 V-Drums Lite. V-Drums Friend Jam Kids helps children and their families communicate with each other through practicing with any V-Drums set. By accessing a child’s “player page” with their computer or smart phone, family members can easily check practice time, scoring, and more to keep up with playing progress and encourage improvement.

Since its release two years ago, V-Drums Friend Jam has become an extremely popular social networking tool for drummers, with over 30,000 users to date in 175 countries and regions worldwide. The software allows players to share scores and interact with each other via their Twitter accounts while practicing the drums.

V-Drums Friend Jam Kids is a completely self-contained application that does not require Twitter to share scores. Its practice features and functions are similar to V-Drums Friend Jam, but are tailored more to children who are just starting to learn the drums. The software supports 13 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Polish, Russian, Turkish, and more.

V-Drums Friend Jam Kids – Record Screen Available for both Windows and Mac OS X, V-Drums Friend Jam Kids helps young drummers improve their skills with enjoyable songs and fun practice evaluation features. It offers a friendly and inviting user interface, plus a continuously growing library of play-along songs that can be downloaded directly within the application from the web. Included are traditional children’s tunes like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” classic pieces such as “Air on the G String,” and a variety of musical grooves in popular styles, all specially arranged for playing along on the V-Drums. Users can also add MP3 files stored on their computer to jam with their favorite songs.

By connecting their V-Drums kit to their computer via USB or MIDI, players can capture and evaluate individual performance elements such as rhythm, technique, and variation, then see how their results compare with other V-Drums Friend Jam Kids users around the world via the Internet.

New Metronome and Beat Guide functions help developing players build their basic drumming skills in an interactive way. In addition, score rankings, achievement awards, and a calendar feature that tracks playing time motivate them to reach practice goals.

The V-Drums Friend Jam Kids software application is available as a free download for Windows and Mac.

More information: Roland / V-Drums Friend Jam Kids

Keith McMillen Instruments has launched a Kickstarter project for QuNexus, a new smart sensor keyboard controller.

QuNexus is the first keyboard controller to unite four generations of synthesis: MIDI, Control Voltage, OSC and USB.

QuNexus is a controller that everyone can have fun with. 25 vividly illuminated, touch-sensitive keys invite the beginner to explore, and provide valuable performance feedback for the professional.

Smart Sensor keys detect pressure, location, and velocity giving you unprecedented musical control.

Together with popular software apps, beginners can learn to play quickly and easily with QuNexus’ game-like blue and white glowing keys, creating a fun and interactive learning experience. Now anyone can play the piano.

QuNexus features

• 25 Smart Sensor Keys detect Pressure, Location, and Velocity.
• Polyphonic Aftertouch.
• 7 Octave range.
• Pitch Bend Pad.
• 2 CV/Gate Inputs.
• Gate and 3 CV Outputs (16-bit).
• Blue and White LED Illumination with 16 levels of brightness.
• Portable: 14 oz, 3.5″ x 10″ x .5 “.
• Plug and Play: USB powered, no drivers needed.
• MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux.

The QuNexus project will be funded if at least $20,000 USD is pledged by Tuesday December 18th, 2:59am EST. Starting at a $150 USD pledge for a first edition QuNexus, backers can expect the controller to be delivered in April, 2013.

More information: Keith McMillen Instruments / QuNexus

Roland Kuit has announced the availability of the Laboratory of Patching—The Omnibus Version, a bundle of interactive books on patching modular synthesizers.

Laboratory of Patching combines the upgraded and extended interactive eBooks SoundLab I and SoundLab II bundled as one Big Modular Knowledge Lab with over 1700 patches.

Equal parts tutorial, demonstration and resource in modular synthesis, sound design and composition.

Laboratory of Patching features

• Learn how to use the modules and connections to quickly build robust patches, and get comfortable with high-level patching.
• Learn through examples that illuminate today’s best modular styles and program design techniques.
• Understand the “rationale behind the rules”: why modular synthesis works as it does.
• Use the extensive cross-references to help you connect related concepts and insights.
• Benefit from up-to-date learning aids that emphasize key points, help you to avoid pitfalls, promote good practices, and reinforce what you’ve learned.

Laboratory of Patching is available to purchase for 210 EUR. SoundLab I and/or SoundLab II users can get 15% discount; College & University students get 10% discount.

More information: Roland Kuit

Loopmasters has introduced the Realstrings Online Loops Sequencer, a web-based sequencer by Chris Savage, offering a new way to demo loops from Realstrings sample packs.

The sequencer allows you to play with some of the loops before you decide to buy, so you get a better idea of whether your music would benefit from these packs than you might get from the usual audio demos.

We are always looking at new ways to showcase loops packs; here’s an innovative tool from string loops producer Pete Whitfield at realstrings.com – an online loops sequencer.

For loops packs that are construction kits, what better way to try before you buy? Sequence and layer the loops to see how they work in an interactive, musical context.

An iPad version is coming soon, plus some more functionality, based on user feedback.

More information: LoopBlog

Samplephonics has released World Percussion Soundtrack 02, an interactive sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt, featuring a diverse collection of expertly played and recorded percussion loops and samples by session percussionist Chris Wells.

The sample pack draws on various influences from around the world, combining contemporary music styles and instruments with more traditional ethnic percussion styles. This creates an extremely useable set of percussion samples, perfect for film, tv and popular music production alike.

The sample library contains a full on board mixer, allowing custom mixes to be created from the individual percussion samples to suit the composition. The various on board effects and dynamic processors allow for intuitive control and tonal changes, and the simple layout allows the percussion loops and samples to easily be played as full loops, or broken down into individual stems.

World Percussion Soundtrack 02 features

• 35 full percussion grooves.
• Individual percussion stems for each groove.
• Custom Kontakt instrument with on board mixer, loop syncing and effects.
• All the loops and samples have been meticulously recorded in 24 bit wav, and are 100% royalty free.

The sample library for Kontakt 5 is available to purchase for £34.70 GBP.

Samplephonics is also offering its iconic vocal sample pack Angie Brown Vocals at 20% off until September 1st, 2012.

Use discount code angie3721 at check out to take advantage of this offer.

More information: Samplephonics