Some interesting things I found recently:
# Audio Cubes: Tangible Interface for Audiovisual Creation, a Percussa workshop
AudioCubes designer Bert Schiettecatte will be hosting a series of one day workshops at his private workspace, for a select number of artists, starting November 10th 2009.
Workshop description: Starting with some theory, you will discover the history of AudioCubes, tangible interfaces, and their applications. The practical part of the workshop will let you master the technical aspects of using AudioCubes in sound, music and visual creation, and let you work on your own project using AudioCubes.
Topics covered:
- history of audiocubes
- overview of tangible interfaces
- why were audiocubes created / fundamental ideas
- how audiocubes work
- the audiocubes hardware
- audiocubes software for live performance, sound design and music production
- how to use audiocubes to control MIDI software and hardware
- how to MIDI map audiocubes
- how to use AudioCubes with Max/MSP
# Google Prepares Music Search Service
From Wired.com:
Google plans to launch a music service, Wired.com has confirmed with sources familiar with the situation. Next to nothing is known about the service at this point, rumored to be called “Google Music,” “Google Audio,” or “One Box,” although we have confirmed that it will be announced next Wednesday, and that it will link out to two music services: Lala and iLike.
# Plogue Chipsounds review – retrogaming nostalgia
Torley takes a look at Plogue Chipsounds.
Tom Shear @ Waveformless shares his thoughts in his Chipsounds review
What excites me most about Chipsounds is the possibilities for the future. I’d love to see a couple options that weren’t present in the original machine introduced here. A filter section would definitely expand the possibilities (a handful of chips have filters available as their chip-specific settings), a more useful and flexible Portamento function would be great, and, as mentioned before, a wider array of effects would be a nice addition. That said, imposing the limitations of the original chips is not a bad thing in my opinion. It encourages the same kind of creative thinking and workarounds the original programmers used to use back in the day to get sounds you wouldn’t expect to be possible with such limited means. Plogue has approached this softsynth with a palpable sense of reverence and their affection for these outdated sound makers shines through in abundance. An exceptionally fun and unique instrument! [8/10]
# 2009 Roland Keyz ’n Beats Summit
The 2009 Roland Keyz ’n Beats Summit will be taking place in Hollywood, CA at the famous Musicians Institute on Saturday, October 24, 2009.
Space is limited, so pre-register now! Plus, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a new JUNO-Di Synthesizer or SP-404SX Linear Wave Sampler. (Note: You must be present to win your prize.)
# Veqtor’s corner: DIY Flux Capacitor Expander
Göran Sandström writes:
This demonstration uses my crude DIY flux capacitor for the Livewire AFG, basically 5 switches and 10 jacks corresponding to the flux cap pins. Two pin pairs are attenuated by two VCA's controlled by the makenoise/wiard wogglebug, crosspatched with the malekko/wiard noisering, which drives the melodic noodling, via a A-189-1 used as a bitcrusher, to perform cheap quantizing.
The sine output is sent to an input of a makenoise QMMG, driven by the A-143-1 envelope. About halfways through, a feedback path from the animated pulses, animated by A-143-1 LFOs, into the A-106-6 xpander filter (wogglebug controlled) goes into one of the pins on the flux cap expander, resulting in strange noises and unpredictable overtones.
# $10 Arduino Beatbox (remake of the $5 Picaxe Beatbox)
This is a simple sequencer machine which uses Capacitative Sensing Code for input to the Arduino. It is is a combination drumpad and sequencer. It has just two modes, record, and playback, and needs very few components; an Arduino (of course), and just 3 resistors and a piezo speaker. If you're feeling decadent, you can add an LED (with a resistor) for more "ooomph".
# Seeed Studio DSO Nano, Pocket Digital Storage Oscilloscope – Review
Blair Thompson reviews the Seeed Studio DSO Nano:
For those starting out in electronics as a hobby there are some tools that are required for the job. To begin with, a soldering iron, some screw drivers, perhaps tweezers and of course a multi-meter are probably what you would consider essential.
After a while though, you are going to be looking for more. Amongst the other goodies out there to help you on your way are oscilloscopes. In the past, advice on forums has always tended more towards purchasing a second hand scope. These tend to be had for around £100 on places like E-bay and most certainly will be a few years old if available at this sort of price. Well that is changing and I was excited yesterday to get my hands on a “Scope” that may just re-write the forum advice. Meet the Nano DSO from Seed Studio…
# eric archer . net » mini space rockers
Eric posts some samples of his mini space rockers analog percussion synthesizer.
Here are over 80 different electro drum / noise samples from the mini space rockers circuit… but you should really build it because its analog and it sounds a little different every time. and its cheap, so no excuses. I am offering these samples under a Creative Commons Attribution license. That means you are free to use them for whatever, but please credit me where appropriate.
# PetSynth
Chiron Bramberger turns his synth for the Commodore PET open source.
Petsynth features a two-octave keyboard layout, selectable note length, many selectable octaves, selectable pulse-width, vibrato, distortion, and noise or “drum mode” depending on how you use it.
All this without adding or hacking the Commodore PET in any way. Plus, it’s compiling from C, so it’s FAST – with very low latency.
The drum sounds are also crazy weird. You can also set the vibrato so high it sounds more like a laser gun or alien telephone.
# app:monome_tweet_reader [monome]
The Monome Tweet Reader is a simple application to display Twitter updates on your monome. It’s written in Java and should work on most platforms.
# Kseniya Simonova – Sand Animation – Ukraine’s Got Talent 2009 Winner
Kseniya Simonova is an Ukrainian artist who won Ukraine's Got Talent 2009. She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.
More on Kseniya Simonova
# m4l.lab.serialin – arduino controller for max 4 live (Vimeo)
Testing m4l interfacing capabilities with arduino through max's [serial] object. A simple 4-sensor controller for an FM synth. Analog and digital information is mapped onto midi control messages that can be routed inside live for events or modulation.
Thanks for your support!